New Jersey girl’s path to Julliard began at Mass

When Chideha Osondu begins taking classes at Julliard this fall, the talented 14-year-old flautist will receive tuition-free training from some of the best people in the field. But she would not have gotten there without the help of her parish community, St. Thomas the Apostle in New Jersey.

Osondu was admitted to the Julliard School's "Music Advancement Program," a prestigious, tuition-free program for just 30 music students living in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. As part of the program, she will receive training from Julliard faculty starting in September.

But the road to Julliard began about five years ago, when Osondu decided to play the flute in her fifth grade band.

And boy, it was a rocky road at first.

Chideha was drawn to the flute as it was the "smallest and lightest instrument" and would not be hard to carry around, her mother, Chinwe, told Aleteia. In the beginning, Osondu "couldn't make a sound" with her instrument, and relied on YouTube clips to learn outside of class, said her mother.

Once she had mastered the basics, it soon became clear that her school's band program was not moving at a fast enough pace and she would need individual tutoring to hone her gift. Chinwe and her husband explored private lessons for Chideha, but found that in the United States, it was just too expensive. Instead, Chidea took private virtual lessons with a teacher in Australia, but the time difference was becoming a struggle.

By this point, the coronavirus pandemic restrictions were beginning to ease up in New Jersey, and the deeply devout family began attending Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle, one of the parishes in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Previously, they had been attending another parish, but found themselves at St. Thomas the Apostle in the fall of 2020.

"It was mid 2020, and I saw this new family in the parish," Fr. Larry Fama, pastor of St. Thomas Apostle, told Aleteia.

After talking to Chinwe, Fama discovered the family of five were devout Catholics who did not live very far from the parish.

At St. Thomas the Apostle, the then 9-year-old Chideha asked the parish's music director, Dr. Patricio Molina, if she could play her flute with him.

"He was just so supportive," said Chinwe. "He was just very surprised by her boldness, and after she played, he was like 'oh my goodness, great job.'"

In what can only be described as God's Providence, Molina was precisely the person who could help develop Chideha's musical talents. A former child prodigy himself, he was playing on national television in his native Chile as a preteen.

At the time, Molina was the director of a school in Newark for musically talented inner-city youth, said Fama. He helped Chideha gain admission, which led to additional competitive and performance opportunities.

"That's where she really blossomed," said Fama.

Others in the parish helped as well. Aside from playing during Mass, a cantor gave Chideha flute books that had been sitting in her basement.

Earlier in the year, Chideha began the process of applying to Julliard's Music Advancement Program, a process that involved submitting recordings, interviews, and a live audition. Chinwe was interviewed as well, as parental support is a key to a music student's success, she said.

When Chideha was admitted, Chinwe "couldn't stop crying," she said.

"I knew that this thing just happened by chance, she wouldn't be where she was today without the support of the church encouraging her, giving her opportunities to play during Mass," she said.

And despite Chideha's talent, Chinwe wants her to keep focused on God.

"I mean, she's 14 now, but ever since she started playing the flute, I've been telling her 'listening, whatever gift you have, or you think you have, you have to remember that God gave it to you, and you must give back to God," she said. "Because without him, you would be nothing."

Fama remains blown away by his talented parishioner.

"It's hard to believe she's only 14 because it sounds like she's playing the flute for decades. You know, she's so good," he told Aleteia.

"I think that is something special, beautiful in store, for I really do, and I'm not sure what that is," said Fama. "I can't wait to see what God has in store."