Music world

Help the Creation 2008 festival book its artists! Fill out their survey here and you could possibly win two free tickets.

From Mozart to Beethoven, Bach to Brahms, Tchaikovsky to Handel, Chopin to Debussy, the record of musical composers that showed outstanding talent as children and consequently embarked on their illustrious careers from a young age is both endless and astounding.

Even today, we hear stories of six-year-old piano and violin prodigies who write their own music and present for politicians and celebrities.

While we could learn a musical instrument at any age, it seems that the art of composing could be something one is born with.

Eighteen-year-old Mark Ahenda is one such youth who seems to have been born with a certain sum of musical genius.

He just graduated from William Aberhart High School and during his time there, he displayed astounding talent and ability.

In addition to completing his ARCT in piano, which includes 10 grades plus an associate diploma, Mark is also a talented trumpet player, winning copious citywide competitions over the last few years, including the Kiwanis Music Festival, Calgary’s largest competitive music festival.

This year, for the first time after winning his class, Mark was proposed to compete in the Kiwanis Provincial Competition.

Mark’s talent for playing instruments and his passion for music led him last year, in his Grade 11 year, to begin composing his own pieces and it seems he has quite a wonderful gift.

This path focuses on Hindustani classical music of North India, and also involves knowledge about the ancient basics of the rich classical traditions of music and dance of all Indian art and culture.

Students explore the put into practice the ragas and talas through learning songs, dance, and drumming compositions, and growth insights through listening, readings, and concert attendance.

I was pleasantly surprised to locate Tabla Centric at Machine Project during our ritual Sunday breakfast in Echo Park/Silver Lake.