After having performed well on the local stages in this year's Lac La Biche and District Music Festival, Gautham Panicker —a young student at Aurora Middle School has been recommended for the upcoming provincial music festival, and will be competing on June 1.
Panicker performed in the Piano category and played four different tunes throughout the music festival, plus the final community concerts. One of his performances included a famous tune by Mozart that really wowed the audiences and the adjudicators.
The fifth grader started learning music only four years ago, and calls both Math and Music his favourite subjects.
"He started learning music four years ago. I think, he is a quick learner. Once he learns something, he never forgets, said his mom Priya Sathyan, adding that his talents have helped — a little — with some of his shyness too "In some ways, he struggles with public speaking as he is a bit shy, but on the other hand, he learns so quickly. He started learning how to play the piano for hand coordination and to build some confidence, but his interest increased very much. And because he is a quick learner, he doesn't need too much practice."
The family is no stranger to being a part of the musical provincials. Last year Panicker's sister, Girpriya, was also recommended for provincials. The family and their friends are all very excited for June as last year's invite was a great experience, says Sathyan.
"She went to provincials last year in the Piano category. I think, she scored 89 points out of 100. That was a good experience because they met a lot of other kids who are so dedicated... We are expecting the same from this year. We are not really going to compete, I think it's a great exposure for him. He can gain a lot of confidence, he can also see other kids perform and see how dedicated they are," she said.
Sathyan also took the opportunity to thank the school's staff and the staff from Lac La Biche & District Music Festival who provide local kids the opportunity to perform and explore their talents.
Music Festival needs support to continue
Earlier in the year, the executives and members from the Lac La Biche and District Music Festival had announced that this would be the final year for them to organize the music festival locally. They are holding a meeting at 7 pm tonight at the Aurora Middle School to determine local interest in terms of saving the music festival, and are hoping to see interested community members come forward and take over the local organization.
