When asked to describe the musical gifts of Hamburg Area High School 2015 graduate, Cody Knight, his music director, Dr. Christy Ryan, said, “he knows his ability level, but what people don’t know about him is how hard he works… People assume it comes easily. He is humble.”
Cody Knight told the story of his interest in music beginning as a small child. He remembered watching his brother, Jordan, HAHS Class of 2012, practice the piano. Knight began taking piano lessons when he was seven years old and remembered listening to his instructor play a piece at a lesson.
Even at that age he thought, “I could really do this,” and went home and played the music by ear.
Having the distinction of being the accompanist for the middle school chorus when he was only in sixth grade, Knight has proceeded to have success after success which included the last three years of choral accompaniment at the state level for the Pennsylvania Music Education Association. Another early achievement was Knight’s employment at Bethany United Methodist Church where he has been the organist for the past three years.
Knight connects academic achievement with learning and performing music.
As he described it, “I think music, in general, makes you smarter. (It’s like) decoding another language.”
Although music has been a major factor for most of Knight’s life, he will be attending Cornell University and majoring in Atmospheric Science. Weather data was interesting to Knight since middle school and he confirmed that he considers “weather so random and so interesting.”
Storm chasing is an interest of Knight’s and is something he hopes to try, but he went on to say that part of his interest in weather is that it gives the forecaster an opportunity to warn people of impending danger and a result, “the ability to impact people positively.”
He looks up to all broadcasting meteorologists, but particularly appreciates Jim Cantore’s “passion for the weather.”
Despite being a big fan of watching the NFL and MLB, Knight truly enjoys practicing the piano. For years, he has enjoyed ragtime. Knight went on to describe that “now I enjoy classical music from the Romantic period.”
As a musical idol, Knight discussed that he really respects Scott Joplin and what he was able to achieve as an African American composer during that period in history.
When asked to whom he gives credit for his ongoing success, Knight declared that his “parents have been a large inspiration.”
Knight summarized that his lesson learned from many years of performing is to “act like one of the best performers in the world. Like you have a big ego. When you get off the stage, always show humility and be gracious.”
