Way to Go: Peter Mainetti, Northport

A Northport student composer had the thrill of hearing his original work performed on the national stage last week.

Peter Mainetti's "Battle of the Strings" was played Wednesday by student musicians at the National Association for Music Education's All-National Honors Ensemble Festival in Nashville.

The Northport High School freshman said he composed the roughly three-minute piece as a sixth-grader and later worked on better developing its themes with Northport music theory teacher Frank Doyle.

"Considering it was my first real composition ever, it was kind of a surprise," Mainetti, 13, said of the selection of his song. "It's very meaningful to me."

Mainetti started playing viola in the fourth grade, then switched to violin the following year. He now plays the piano and guitar as well, and has composed five pieces using the music software Finale.

"Peter has created original compositions at a high level, way beyond his years," Doyle said. "He has a unique ability to develop his ideas at the piano and transform them into colorful orchestrations."

Mainetti is a member of his school's mathletes team and the Gemini Youth Orchestra. In his free time, he plays music for senior citizens at local assisted-living facilities.