Jakob Takes Second at Kiwanis Festival

Jakob's performance of Inter-City Stomp (Norton) earned him a second place finish at the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival! The adjudicator commented on his "effective staccato touch and good energy" and awarded him a score of 86 in the Conservatory Piano Solo Study - Grade 3 class at the festival. That score was high enough to place him second in the class.

But that wasn't Jakob's only performance during the week. He was also entered in the Conservatory Piano Solo - Grade 3 class two days later, where he had to play first.

Apparently being first to play didn't bother Jakob at all, as he pulled off an incredible performance of The Sleeping Dragon (Telfer). The adjudicator called his playing "accurate ... with good adherence to the articulation markings in the score" and commented on his "secure well prepared performance." He earned a final score of 84.

Jakob began studying piano at age four with the Music for Young Children program. He soon moved on to private lessons where he could progress at his own pace. He has also studied the clarinet and currently studies the saxophone. Other instruments Jakob has figured out include a "toy" accordion he learned at age 4, Boom Whacker tubes, and a "French" horn he built himself and could use to scare off stray cats in the neighbourhood and small toddlers.