Armstrong is not certain what his steps will be beyond high school. He intends to be a professional musician—and is already well on his way—but is still unsure whether he sees himself as a soloist, a member of an orchestra, or part of a chamber ensemble—all of which he has enjoyed.

“I’m keeping my options open. I could be happy doing many things,” he says.

As for college, he’s applying to Harvard, but is keeping his options open there as well. “I don’t know what school I really want to go to,” he says. “Actually, ‘I don’t know’ is something I’ve been saying and thinking a lot lately. I’ve got a lot of things to figure out.”

It’s not too surprising—especially coming from someone who’s fluent in the philoso–phical musings of controversial French rationalists—that Armstrong has strong opinions on many subjects, none stronger than his ideas about music. Mainly, he is committed to classical music. Secondly, for a teen who is interested in so many intellectual pursuits, his approach to music is surprisingly poetic and emotional.

“One thing I find very important in my own playing,” he explains, “is to keep remembering that music is not just an intellectual exercise. It is an emotional exercise, too. I find that lacking in many musicians, professional or not, and especially in young players, where classical training is often just a step to something else, away from classical music and toward something else: maybe rock ‘n’ roll or traditional music. I really do believe that the love of classical music is being lost, even among young classically trained players.

“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t appeal to me on an emotional level as much as classical music does,” he continues. “It doesn’t resonate at a higher level for me. Rock and classical are different art forms and they both have their unique appeals, but I prefer the intensity of classical music. I find that classical music is thoughtful and contemplative—but it’s very direct, and that’s where the intensity comes in. It’s not relaxed music. I’m intense when I play, because the emotions are intense, and for me, that should be the goal of a musician: to experience fully the emotions you are playing.”

Asked to boil that down to a short, simple piece of advice for other young players, Armstrong is silent for several seconds. Finally, he says, “A lot of young players make the mistake of focusing only on cultivating their expertise instead of focusing on what makes the music so wonderful. My advice is to remember why you are a musician.

“The music is the moment,” he says. “Enjoy yourself.”