SANDPOINT — The violin has long been an important part of Jacinta Larson's life, though she never imagined attending college for it. 

"College was never even on my docket as ever going for anything, let alone music," said Larson. 

But after her violin teacher's encouragement, Larson auditioned and was accepted to the University of Idaho as a violin performance student. 

"I love being a music student," said Larson. "That's definitely where I'm supposed to be." 

Now, the Sandpoint local will compete as a finalist in the Music Teachers National Association Northwest Division Young Artist String Performance competition. 

Founded in 1876, MTNA is the nation's oldest professional music association and is committed to advancing the value of music study and music making to society, according to its website. 

The three-tiered MTNA competitions begin at a state level. State winners advance to the division competition, and division winners proceed to the national finals. 

If Larson, who competed under her maiden name, Howard, wins the division competition, she will compete in the national finals. Division winners will be announced in mid-January. 

"I think this is such a great fruition of just seeing my hard work pay off because sometimes it's not always as visible," said Larson of the competition. 

Larson began preparing a music program and performed in the competition held in Boise before being selected to compete at the state level. 

Competing for the first time, Larson said the calm environment caught her by surprise. She described her performance as intimate, adding that only one judge had watched her performance. 

"I kind of was just thinking, 'That's my teacher sitting there who is wishing me the best,'" Larson recalled. 

Instead of rushing through the program, Larson said she took those 20 minutes to "settle in" and play the music she had prepared. 

Although she couldn't control who competed or what songs other performers chose, Larson said doing her best has been pivotal throughout her music journey. 

"It's something about just showing up and just going all out no matter what," said Larson. "Trusting the process has been a very educational and inspiring experience that I've had." 

Larson began studying the violin when she was 4, after seeing a woman play the instrument at church. Soon, the woman became her first violin teacher. 

"I was just like, 'Mom, I want to play,' then we asked her, and she started teaching me," said Larson. "She ended up being a phenomenal violinist and teacher." 

Eventually, Larson and her family moved from Colorado to Sandpoint — the rural town offering a smaller pool of resources for music students. 

"We tried to tap into as much of the music scene as there was," said Larson. 

The then-high schooler had begun working with a violin teacher who employed the Suzuki method, which teaches music similarly to learning a language, before switching to another teacher upon graduating. 

Larson now studies with Giselle Hillyer, who she said went above and beyond in helping her prepare for the competition. 

After graduating college, Larson plans to teach violin and continue working toward her performance goals. 

"I want to play in a symphony. I want to have a chamber ensemble and go out and perform for people and share the music," said Larson. 

She also takes pride in representing Sandpoint on larger stages, saying that talented musicians can come from any part of the world. 

"North Idaho, I love representing it," said Larson. "I love the good things that can come from the little towns."