Monday, September 10, 2012

The Prodigy

The Abbotsford Youth Orchestra presents

















The Prodigy
Kevin Chen (7-Year-Old Child Prodigy)
Director: Calvin Dyck
Guest Artists: LCMS Cello Ensemble
Saturday, October 13, 7 p.m.
South Abbotsford Church, 32424 Huntingdon Road
Tickets: Adults $20; Students $10
Kings Music and House of James

Seeing is believing!

There are child prodigies then there’s Kevin Chen of Calgary! At age five he began music studies; at six he was the youngest in Canada to take and pass the Grade 9 Royal Conservatory of Music exams, and this summer, at age seven, he passed his Grade 10 - both with first-class honours! This past spring he performed an 80-minute debut recital featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy and achieved national recognition after his performance at the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival. He can easily learn three Grade 10 pieces a week, has transposed Bach while sight-reading, and that’s just the beginning!

This fall, Kevin, the youngest member of the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music Academy, will be making his first concert appearance with an orchestra as guest soloist with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra as they present The Prodigy on Saturday, October 13 at 7 p.m. at the South Abbotsford Church.

When AYO director Calvin Dyck was adjudicating a music competition in Winnipeg this summer he met Colleen Athparia, Kevin’s teacher. “Colleen told me she was having a challenge staying ahead of her youngest student. After playing his first recital this spring he said to her, ‘That was fun, let’s do it again.’ We respect his tender age, yet because he likes to play we are encouraging him by giving him this opportunity. He will be performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and because he is not very big, under 40 pounds in weight, we are bringing in a piano from Vancouver that has a very light touch.”

A Mini Mozart

While Kevin is exceedingly shy he is playful, loves to stand on one foot, and be ‘big brother’ to his three younger siblings. He is creative; he is an artistic genius. Calvin explains; “Once every century somebody comes along who is so gifted they are like a Mozart. They assimilate music so quickly like it’s already a part of them, as natural as breathing. Whereas most normal people take weeks and months to learn a piece and understand the intricacies, for Kevin it is obvious.”

Remember Amadeus (the movie) and Mozart writing music directly to paper with no changes, no alterations? Young Kevin does likewise. He hears the music in his head but instead of writing on paper he composes directly to his computer. Says Calvin; “We will be doing one of his pieces but because he can’t play it himself (the chords are too big for his little hands) Colleen is coming and will play it for him.”

And there’s more!

Adds Calvin; “To fill out the program the AYO will be performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 17, (here Calvin chuckles – he’s into creative programming) and Handel’s Passacaglia. Joel Stobbe is bringing the Langley Community Music School Cello Ensemble (eight high level, dynamic and versatile cellists) to perform Death of an Angel. It’s a high-energy peace written by Astor Piazzola, the great Argentinean composer and father of the modern jazz-tango. The piece is written as a three-voice fugue, which has been expanded to a cello octet. It’s a lot of fun!” 

This is Abbotsford’s chance to not only hear a fantastic program of enjoyable, relaxing and yet exciting music but to also see a real prodigy perform, a youngster who is inescapably an inspiration for all existing and future musicians. That’s Saturday, October 13, 7 p.m. at South Abbotsford Church, 32424 Huntingdon Road, Abbotsford, BC. Tickets (adults $20, students $10) are available at Kings Music and House of James.

 For further information about Kevin Chen please visit the Calgary Herald article by Bob Clark at http://www2.canada.com/story.html?id=6298391 and accompanying video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T89BsQOUb70 .

There are now various articles about him on the Internet.

Diamond Anniversary Awareness & Networking Conference


Inner-Garden On-line Chapel presents
Diamond Anniversary Awareness
& Networking Conference
Fri., Sept. 28 to Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012
Sullivan Hall, 6306 152nd Street, Surrey BC
Tickets: 503-594-1565
 


Manifesting Goals and Dreams

Barbara Leonard, author and psychic medium-rare, is celebrating a career that spans 60 years, during which she has authored such titles as Don’t Just Stand There Sucking Your Thumb and The Phenomenal Power of the Curious Mind. She has co-hosted television and radio shows such as CKVU’s “Tomorrow’s Fortune”, been a speaker and presenter at countless events and spiritual centres across Canada, and taught awareness classes for over 35 years.

Leonard is forever re-creating herself, so while celebrating her Diamond Anniversary she is also taking yet another voyage into unchartered waters by bringing together some of the most informative and interesting people she has met through the years to participate in an Awareness and Networking Conference being held at Sullivan Hall in Surrey from Friday, September 28 to Sunday, September 30.

Says Leonard, “It is my hope that everyone has fun at this celebration. It will be a great place to network with people of like mind, to find out how others present their work, and to learn many new and wonderful techniques to help live a more fulfilled life, and, help others fulfil their dreams.”

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Events include “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” on Friday evening with interviews, audience participation and demonstrations of mediumship. Leonard and Derrick Whiteskycloud will co-host The Old Sages of past TV shows like Tomorrow’s Fortune and The Curious Mind. Guests include Gloria and Martin Brough, Norma Cowie and Richard T. Clark. Representing the mediums of today and tomorrow are Karie-Anne and Friends, Charlie Seaman, Patricia Connor, Rosemary Phillips and others.

Presentations

Between delicious meals and networking coffee breaks there are informative presentations: Norma Cowie, teacher, consultant, tarot reader and author of eight books; E, Patricia Connor with Joy Ross for Kindness is Key; Ted Kuntz, author of Peace Begins With Me; business consultant Cris Leonard and Who Will You Blame for Your Success; Richard T. Clarke of Inner Fitness; Rosemary Phillips with Mediumship and Music; Donna Bain and Healing with Lafter; Quantum Force with hypnotist Jeannie Martin; Janet and Ray Helm and Speaking with Ease; Pat Antoniak introducing Psycho-Neuro-Endo-Immunology and the Mind-Body Connection;  and hypnotherapist Jeannie Martin presenting Quantum Focus.

Saturday Night Stage Show

Then it’s time for an evening of fun-filled and exciting entertainment - from great sing-along music with singer-songwriter Rosemary Phillips, to messages from evidential medium Shana Lee Gibson and the great African rhythms, dance and movement with actor, storyteller and dancer Jean Pierre Makosso.

Let’s not forget the food

One of Leonard’s hats over these 60 years has been feeding people, lots of people, with great food. So while this weekend is about networking and learning, it is also about enjoying delectable food from a fantastic menu.

 For more information about the conference and special rates visit www.inner-garden.com  . To book a passport for the whole weekend or for individual event call: 604-594-1565.