Marshall High School student plays with new business concept | News, sports, jobs

Submitted photo Marshall High School junior Mark Rabaey is launching a business playing violin at area events. He first started playing the violin when he was 8 years old.

MARSHALL — When it comes to his violin, Marshall High School student Mark Rabaey means business.

He is starting a business playing violin at events in the Marshall area. So far he has played four times: at two weddings, a funeral and a Christmas party at Marshall Golf Club.

The company also provides him with school credit. He is enrolled in the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities course, which offers high school students experience starting and running businesses.

Rabaey decided to use his violin as an individual business project because of the countless hours he spent practicing.

“I have invested a lot of time in my violin,” Rabaey said. “I thought it was a good foundation, and that a business concept could be a way to build on it. We were told to choose a business idea that would involve something that interests us, something we already know about.”

He started playing the violin at the age of 8. His first instructor was Marshall music teacher Diane Wright. He started with 30 minutes of practice every day, then increased that to about an hour per day.

He now practices whenever he gets the chance. It takes an average of about five hours a week, enough to keep his skills at their current level. He plays with both the Marshall High School orchestra and the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra.

He said one of the reasons he loves the violin is that it is a challenging instrument to learn. He believes that investing time leads to good rewards.

“There are so many aspects to the strings and the bow, so much goes into producing a good sound,” Rabaey said. It is worth it. The violin has a sound that most closely resembles a human voice. I can really put emotion into my music.”

For the CEO class, he and other class members launched an apparel company last winter. They secured $9,000 in seed money. In the past few months, they have made back all their starting money and made a profit of $2,600.

He made his own business plan for the spring violin project. He has also started a social media page and is working on a website.

He is completing his freshman year at MHS. He plans to apply to the United States Air Force Academy and is also considering small private colleges. He wants to major in engineering or biology.

He hopes to build a strong customer base in the Marshall area. He expects his violin to continue as a business venture when he goes to college.

“It’ll probably be a tag-along thing,” Rabaey said. “I hope to earn money from it to cover my expenses. It will depend on how much time I have.”

Marshall faculty member Shanda Walker, who serves as Rabaey’s CEO advisor, said his violin project is succeeding because of a combination of talent and hard work.

“Mark is a dedicated student who is always thinking about ways he can improve himself,” Walker said. “He rolls up his sleeves and takes responsibility. He works well with his classmates, which is very valuable in the business world. He is an excellent student and a great kid.”