[musictlk] Blind Student to march in Rose Parade

[Linda Mentink]

>Hi all,


I just received this on another list, and thought I'd pass it along. 
I believe Miso Kwak is on this list. Congrats to you!

Blessings,

Linda


> > > Blind Diamond Bar band student to march in Rose Parade > By Richard
> > Irwin, Staff Writer > Marching Band member Miso Kwak will be striding down
> > Pasadena Avenue in > the world famous Tournament of Roses Parade on
> > January > 1, 2013. The 18 year-old senior was born blind and hasn't let it
> > slow her > down for a minute. (Photo courtesy of Diamond Bar High School)
> > > > DIAMOND BAR - The Brahmas marching band will have two musicians in the
> > > Tournament of Roses Parade Tuesday. Mi So Kwak will play the flute for
> > the > Bands > of America Honor Band, while Diamond Bar High School
> > instructor Casey > Bindle marches alongside her. > > Kwak appreciates
> > Bindle lending a guiding hand. It's tough enough for > anyone to march the
> > entire 5.5-mile parade route. Especially for Kwak, who > is blind. > > >
> > "Mi So is an amazing kid. She's incredibly independent, confident and very
> > > talented. She has worked her way up through the band and is now a leader
> > > in > the program," said Diamond Bar High School band and orchestra
> > director > Steve Acciani. > > It was Acciani who encouraged the
> > 18-year-old senior to apply for a spot > in the Bands of America Honor
> > Band after Kwak learned about it via > Twitter. > > "I really wanted to
> > perform in the New Year's Day parade, so I filled out > the paperwork. But
> > I got stuck when the audition recordings had to be > submitted > through
> > software that wasn't compatible with the programs I use," she > said. > >
> > With the director's help, Kwak got a waiver to submit her audition via a >
> > CD. It wasn't the first time she has had to fight to be included. > > The
> > Korean native grew up in Seoul, where she attended the National School >
> > for the Blind. She began to play the flute in the fourth grade. > > When
> > her family moved to New York for her father's business, Kwak entered > the
> > seventh grade at the Rome Free Academy. > > I wasn't comfortable with my
> > English, so I dove into my music. Band was > the only class where I didn't
> > have to use English to excel," she said. > > However, students at the
> > academy who play wind or percussion instruments > are required to join the
> > marching band. > > "The band director wasn't sure about putting a blind
> > person in the > marching band, so he told me not to worry about it," she
> > said. > > "But marching in the band was something I'd wanted to do since
> > middle > school, so I thought that was unfair and told him I wanted to >
> > participate," the young > woman said. > > With the help of her friends,
> > Kwak began performing in field shows. At > first, they used a bungee cord
> > to guide her. > > "When I transferred to Diamond Bar High in my freshman
> > year, I asked Mr. > Acciani if I could march with the band and he was cool
> > with it," she said. > > The Brahmas decided to assign a student to guide
> > her as she marched in the > band. The student walked alongside her,
> > applying light pressure to her > left > shoulder to guide her along the
> > parade route. > > "I couldn't do it without the help of my guides. I trust
> > them completely > to guide me safely," Kwak said. > > Along the way, the
> > brave teen has garnered the admiration of staff and > students alike. > >
> > "She's been doing all our marching band performances for all four years >
> > and doing a fantastic job. And she learns hours of music by memorizing in
> > > just > a few days," Acciani noted. > > Now, Kwak is learning four new
> > songs for her march down Colorado > Boulevard. She began rehearsals with
> > 300 other musicians in the honor band > from across > the country on
> > Thursday. > > Recently, the Diamond Bar High band marched in the Arcadia
> > Christmas > Parade. > > "I watched our band march in Arcadia and everyone
> > became teary eyed when
> > > Mi So marched by," said Principal Catherine Real. "It left everyone
> > along > the > parade route with an admiration for this fearless and
> > talented young > lady." > > 
> <mailto:richard.irwin%40sgvn.com>richard.irwin at sgvn.com > > 626-544-0847 >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________