Teen of the Week: Madeline Zell

It is not too hard to pick Madeline Zell out of the uniformly-dressed crowd of teens that comprise the Severna Park High School Marching Band. Madeline is one of two tuba players, and she toots away on her 15-pound, white fiberglass Sousaphone tuba as if it was handed to her in her cradle.

The 15-year old is a rising junior at Severna Park High. Her first instrument, also kind of hard to juggle in a cradle, was the piano. She's played since first grade. In fifth grade, she took up the flute, and now plays the saxophone, trumpet and marimbas as well. She composes instrumental music that is "a mix between classical, modern...