[musictlk] Blind Student to march in Rose Parade

[Koby Cox]

Linda,
Do you have any contact details for Miso Kwak? I'm a advocate for the
blind and would like to know how to help more people In these kinds of
sichuations. Please send me some suggestions If you can.
Thanks,
Koby.

-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Linda
Mentink
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2012 5:51 PM
To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [musictlk] Blind Student to march in Rose Parade


>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 >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________






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