Students in the Community
• CMPYP student Matthew Whitaker, who is seven years old, accompanied the Sunshine Choir on the drums in "I Am", by Maurette Brown Clark at the New Hope Baptist Church in Hackensack, NJ. Matthew got a huge ovation after Pastor Rev. Dr. M Frances Manning introduced him and talked about how far he had come in his seven short years. Matthew studies drums with Marc Wagnon in the Music School.
• On October 27th 2008, in conjunction with the National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Lighthouse music student, Bill Robinson, received the Entrepreneur Award presented by the New York State Regional Employment Alliance. This award was in recognition of the development of his music production business, which he achieved with the help of grants from the New York State commission for the Blind and the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation which helped him develop a business plan. He is now producing and engineering music out of his own studio. In addition, Bill worked for several years as a performer (he has a CD with the group Total Soul called Just Doing My Thing).
• Music School student Frank Senior released an album in the summer of 2008 entitled Listening In The Dark With Frank Senior. Click here for more details.
• Kenny Agni, a student in our Comprehensive Music Program for Young People, participated in a production of the Puccini opera La Boheme with the Eastern Festival Opera in Mt. Kisco, NY on the weekend of June 13-15. Kenny is a student at Westchester Community College and was invited to sing with the opera company by his voice professor. Besides being in the chorus, Kenny also had a solo in the production.
• Daniel Gillen, a student in our music school, was one of four teenagers aged 14-16 selected to go to Provence, France by the French beauty company L'Occitane en Provence. Daniel cited, in his award-winning essay, the impressionistic music of Debussy, which he was currently studying in his piano lessons. The students will travel to France this summer to learn about fragrance at L'Occitane's perfume school for the visually impaired, Provence dans tous les sens (Provence in every sense). The idea for the summer school came from L'Occitane's founder, Olivier Baussan, who was inspired by watching a blind woman smell his perfumes, and wanted to help visually impaired teens explore their senses through the scents and flavors of Provence.
• Six students from the Music School participated in the New York State School Music Association festival held at New York University on June 13-14, 2008. Daniel Gillen, Jessica Ocana, Jorge Paez, Matthew Whitaker, Andrew Zhang and Waner Zhao all received excellent comments and outstanding scores for their piano performances. Matthew Whitaker, the youngest student in the music school, entered both on the piano as well as with a percussion solo. Waner Zhao had two duets prepared with her cousin Jessie Zhao as well as her solo presentation. Congratulations to our young Lighthouse ambassadors.
• Duy Bui, an intern who teaches piano on Saturdays in the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People, played his graduation recital at the Manhattan School of Music on Sunday May 11, 2008. Duy has been a valuable addition to the Music School. Besides being an excellent pianist, he is a strong advocate for people with disabilities. He has been involved with Camp Inter-Actions, a summer camp experience for boys and girls ages 8-15 who are blind or visually impaired, for several years. The camp is offering a one week music camp this summer which Duy is coordinating.
• Music School student, Julianna Reala made it to the finals of the Braille Challenge in her grade category (3rd & 4th grades). She is one of 60 finalists who were invited to attend the final event in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 28, 2008. See www.braillechallenge.org for more details.
• Yerko Difonis, a piano student in the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People, at Lighthouse International, has been selected from among thousands of gifted and talented applicants for admission to La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. In addition, he works in our Music Technology lab with Sonar software producing his own arrangements of pieces. Yerko was also accepted as part of the Middle School Jazz Academy at Lincoln Center for two consecutive years.
• Daniel Gillen, an eighth grader in the CMPYP and currently at East Side Middle School, was accepted into The Beacon High School. It was his first choice and both he and his parents are ecstatic.