Building bonds through music: Sofia Hessler and Musha Marimba

Sofia Hessler believes that connection, community and trust between a group are some of the most valuable things in Spokane.

Hessler, a 17-year-old high school student, is part of the local musical group Musha Marimba and the 2024 Teen Journalism Institute at The Spokesman-Review.

“Anything can bring people together,” she said. “I wouldn’t say that we are exceptionally musically talented. … Our group is really tight; I really like and value that.”

Inspired to do the internship by a high school teacher, Hessler first interviewed for the job last year. With renewed motivation and more advice from The Spokesman-Review, she applied again this year and was chosen to participate.

An avid reader and writer, Hessler was already curious about journalism, and is also interested in acting and fictional writing.

Hessler’s favorite part about Spokane is the river and the local wilderness.

“I live right by the river, so I get to swim in it.”

Local wildlife and the plants are some of Hessler’s treasured elements that Spokane, an ecologically diverse city, has to offer.

While Hessler is doing Running Start at Spokane Falls Community College, she is considering attending a physical high school for the upcoming school year.

She felt isolated due to the mostly online curriculum and questions at Running Start.

“It felt very hard to connect with a community,” she said. “It felt very separate, and you rarely make lasting connections.”

Previously attending TEC at Bryant, she misses the community and connection that comes with education in person.

Attending a regular high school would mean leaving Musha Marimba, though. The group is located at TEC at Bryant, and they perform around Spokane and as far as Oregon.

Her dedication to the musical group and the connections it offers requires her to be in Running Start; deciding whether to stop Running Start and attend a different high school such as Lewis and Clark or keep her commitment to Musha Marimba is a conflict that she will have to work through.

In the meantime, Hessler is excited to spend her summer working for The Spokesman-Review.

“I’m more interested in creative writing, but I think it’s good to explore a new writing style,” she said. “I just really … I think mostly want this connection with people.”