There are not many adults who are confident on stage in front of a large audience, let alone children. However, Jamie Chen is one exception. The eight year old who participated at the eighth annual Galaxy of Stars Talent Search last weekend managed to wow the crowd as well as the judges. She took home both the 2012 Mega Star title and the Shining Star Superstar People’s Choice title on that day at the Nebraska State Fair.
One of the judge noticed that the eight year old came out to the stage with an “air of confidence”. When she started to play Maxwell Eckstein’s “Rhapsodie” on the Privia electric piano, both the crowd and judges were left spellbound. Jamie was competing under the comet category of ages 12 and below. The Grandview Elementary School fourth-grader was the contestant to receive the highest overall score. She brought back home $500 and a trophy. “She just took off and impressed everyone. She’s been playing for about a year and a half and we’re all so amazed how fast she has learned,” stated Wendy Chen, the mother of the eight year old.
Having only studied the piano for such a short period of time, Wendy said that Susan Dimmitt of Alliance, the piano teacher played a crucial role in her daughter’s musical development. “Susan is like a second mom to Jaime. She’s given her so much inspiration. I think a good teacher teaches technique, but also inspires their students and influences them,” she said.
In fact, Jamie’s talents are not just confined to the Galaxy of Stars. So far, her playing has been showcased on the Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen and Miss Alliance pageants. Just last year, she performed at the Alliance Senior Center. Aside from all of these, she continues to play for the St. Matthews Episcopal Church. Although Jamie is academically in fourth grade, she is attending eighth-grade algebra classes at Alliance Middle School.
According to Wendy, the motivation and desire to learn are factors that propel her daughter forward. As parents, she said that they make it a point to support Jamie in whatever path she chooses. “I’m very proud of her. It’s amazing to see how she is turning out. It’s not anything we’re doing. She wants it for herself,” explains Wendy.
If your child has the same aspirations like Jamie, then you should support them just as much. Check out Awesome Piano’s Piano Lessons For Kids if you are looking for piano lessons in Singapore.