Welcome!
Hello! I’m Daniel Shi, a junior at Mass Academy. I was born in Connecticut, but since then I have lived all over the place.
Currently, I live with my younger sister and my parents, and despite not knowing how I ended up in Texas, I started school
there before moving to Maryland and attending two more schools. I finally ended up settling down in Westborough the
summer before fifth grade, and I've called Westborough home ever since. Now I'm switching schools again and attending Mass
Academy. No matter where I've been, I've always been able to find a community I resonate with. Mass Academy has been no
different, and I'm excited for what these next two years have in store!
In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing video games, reading, and listening to new songs. Feel free to
contact me at dshi4@wpi.edu.
Scroll down or use the navigation bar to learn more about me and my experience at Mass Academy!
Music
I absolutely love both playing and listening to music. I started
playing piano in first grade, and it has stuck with me ever since. I’m
classically trained, but I’ve tried jazz and still love to play movie
and game soundtracks. I also started to play trumpet in seventh grade
and have done various ensembles including marching band and jazz band.
My music taste is also all over the place, encompassing classical,
rock, pop, TV and video game soundtrack, Chinese music and Kpop.
When I have the time, I like to compose music and arrange soundtracks. They're mostly for piano, but I recently
composed a short soundtrack for a game demo
my friends and I were working on using traditional Chinese instruments. Someone I look up to is
Joe Hisaishi, the composer for many Studio Ghibli films;
I was lucky enough to attend his concert at Wolf Trap over the summer. There’s something captivatingly distinct about
his music that truly paints vivid images of the fantasy worlds he composes for.
Hiking
When we have time, my family and I go on vacations, many of
which involve visiting National Parks. We recently visited Zion and
Grand Canyon, which both have beautiful views along with some equally
amazing trails. I hope to one day visit every National Park in the United
States and explore other places around the world. After all, as Thoreau said,
“The universe is wider than our views of it.”
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so check out my gallery for some pictures from my travels!
Sports
I met my badminton coach at a barbecue a few years ago; he gave me a racket and we started to rally back and forth.
I hadn't even touched a badminton racket before then, but over the course of one summer, I was able to get a good
grasp of the basics. In the process, I met some people who would become my upperclassmen at Westborough High
School. I've been training ever since, and it only gets better to play as I improve; not to mention, it's also
an exciting sport to watch. I’m very fortunate to live only a few minutes away from Boston Badminton Center, which
makes playing doubles with my friends late at night very convenient. Also, though it's been a long time since I actually
practiced, I occasionally swim. When I first started swim back in Texas, my only goal was to learn how to not drown;
I can now confidently say that I've achieved this goal.
Other Activities
While it’s been a while since I took art classes, I still enjoy
drawing from time to time. Though I mostly prefer acrylic paintings
and sketching, I have tried my hand at digital art, albeit with not
much success. Since I also enjoy playing video games, my experience
with art has made me appreciate the work that gets put into the
aesthetic of a game a whole lot more.
Something else I do for fun is cooking, and I’ve learned quite a
few Chinese dishes that I occasionally make at home. Every part of the process feels great, from washing and chopping
the raw ingredients to putting it all together in the pan. While cooking isn't something I have a lot of time for
right now, I’d love to get better at it in the future, learn some new recipes, and maybe even try baking.
