[musictlk] Blind Student to march in Rose Parade

Sat Jan 5 21:31:44 UTC 2013

Thank you for the e-mail and all of your support.
I recently returned from week of rehearsing and performing.
It was an incredible blessing to be a part of the Bands of America 
Honor Band among students from all over the nation who love band.
As a high school senior, it's just sad that this was probably the last 
high school marching band experience. I am just thankful it was such an 
awesome way of ending.
I hope more blind high school students get opportunities to participate 
in marching band in their high schools.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you are hesitant about joining or 
struggling with or anything related to marching band and drum corps(no 
experience with corps yet but strongly interested)
Would love to talk together because when I was in 9th and 10th grade I 
wanted to find other blind kids involved in the activity.
Again, I appreciate your support.
Happy 2013 everyone!
PS: if interested, you all should check this article out.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/drum-major-hopes-to-change-perception-of-visually-impaired/

Miso Kwak

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Mentink <mentink at frontiernet.net>
To: musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Mon, Dec 31, 2012 3:51 pm
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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