His daily piano and violin practices begin at 5:30 am and end at 7:30 pm, with school in between). Jannik now performs internationally and says he does not get nervous before performances, unless it is in front of an audience of 600 or more. A Kauaʻi resident and Island School 6th grader, Jannik started playing piano when he was six and by the age of eight had already won an international piano competition: the Stage 4 Kids competition in Hamburg, Germany. It was suggested that maybe he could design Mario games.Students from Island School on Kauaʻi feature 10-year-old piano prodigy Jannik Evanoff. He wouldn’t commit to answering what he would like to be when he grows up. While his mom was being interviewed, he alternated between playing MarioKart, and watching a YouTube video of someone playing Super Mario Bros. Lucas also loves to play any Nintendo games with Mario in them. In order to make sure Lucas is well-rounded, she also has him enrolled in tennis lessons – he said his best shot is his forehand – and horseback riding. “I think I’m giving him extra love, and when he feels loved I think he creates.” He’s super affectionate and we have a very close relationship. “I’m always afraid that people will look at me as a ‘tiger mom’,” she said. “He’s so gifted, but I don’t know whether I want to push him to maximize his gifts or take it easy, so he can be more normal.”įear of becoming known as an overly strict or demanding parent plagues Liu. “I think to myself, should I step back a little bit and see where we’re going with this? “I’m very proud of him, but there’s a lot of stress too,” Liu said. In addition to his love of music, Cindy said Lucas has always shown a keen interest in numbers. “He was learning so fast, he outpaced my skills in no time.” “I taught him from a beginners book but then he quickly outgrew it, and I had to find a proper teacher for him,” she said. She thought he might be under-challenged, so she decided to see if she could teach him the basics on piano. When Lucas turned three, his mom said he began to act moody, and seemed bored all the time. “He would sit there for an hour and wouldn’t want to go do other things.” “I would play some simple songs and he just loved hearing me play,” she said. Liu said as a toddler, her son would often enjoy watching her play the family’s older upright piano. It is quite possible Lucas might end up as the entertainer his grandfather dreamed of being. “He would still sing a lot for us as kids.” “When he was younger, he wanted to be a singer,” Liu recalled, “But my grandmother refused to allow him to go down that path.” But, Liu noted, her father – Lucas’ grandfather – enjoyed carrying a tune as a young man. His musical ability, she said, have come as something of a surprise, as there have been no professional musicians in her family. Proud mom, Cindy Liu, said Lucas was invited to play at New York City’s Carnegie Hall earlier this year after a first place finish in his category at the Crescendo International Music Competition. His skills tickling the ivories have already taken him across the continent to one of the most prestigious stages in North America. READ MORE: Piano back on Maple Ridge bandstand His head bops up and down, and he presses each key deliberately, eliciting a deep, wonderful tone from the instrument. He treats his living room like an obstacle course, jumping from couch to ottoman and back, chuckling and humming to himself the whole time.īut seated at the new baby grand piano the family purchased, it becomes clear there is something special about the talented boy.Įven playing the iconic theme song to the Mario video games he loves, Lucas shows a purpose and intensity one would not expect from a child twice his age. The Pitt Meadows youngster is playful, and curious. (Ronan O’Doherty/ THE NEWS)Īt first glance, it would be hard to differentiate Lucas Yao from any other local five-year-old. His favourite - on the day this was taken - was the big star, which he will hopefully become some day. He is pictured with his plush Mario characters.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |