Talented Yamaha Music Students Gather to Showcase Performance and Composition Skills
The Yamaha Music Education System will host its popular Junior Original Concert (JOC) Series on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17, 2009 at Winter NAMM 2009. Held at 11am each day in the Yamaha Keyboard Division exhibit area in the Anaheim Marriott Hotel’s Marquis Ballroom, all NAMM attendees are invited to enjoy these free events, which will feature three exceptional Yamaha Music School students performing their own original compositions.
Valerie Narumi, age 9, a student at Harmony Music World Yamaha Music Academy in Fullerton, California, will perform “My Magic Door” with co-performers Julian Hallmark on the SV-200 Silent Violin and Xiao-Dan on the SVC-210 Silent Cello. Narumi has been a Yamaha student since she was three years old and is a graduate of the Yamaha Junior Advanced Course. She performed at the National Junior Original Concerts in San Diego in 2005, Washington, D.C. in 2006, and La Mirada, California in 2008.
Christian Nguyen, age 12, a student at the East Valley Yamaha Music School in Chandler, Arizona, will perform “Dragon Keeper”. Nguyen took his first music lesson at the age of four at East Valley Yamaha Music School and is currently enrolled in the Junior Special Advanced Course. He was selected to perform “Dragon Keeper” at the 2008 National JOC in La Mirada, California.
Gabriel Dotson, age 15, is also a student at East Valley Yamaha Music School, and will perform his creative composition, “Feelin’ Old School”, with co-performers Christian Nguyen on a MODUS H01 digital piano and Gary Matsuura on clarinet. Dotson began studying piano at age six in the Yamaha Music Education System and was one of 13 young composers chosen to perform at the 35th international JOC at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo in 2006. Since age ten, he has performed his original compositions for audiences around the globe.
