Cantle Arts Grant recipient, Philip England, “likes playing music.”
“I like playing music, it’s fun,” says Philip England, age 15, who received a Cantle Arts Grant to buy a new synthesizer this spring.
England says he has been playing piano for 6 years and applied for the grant to help him “purchase a keyboard and run a couple of workshops” in the Golden Youth Centre. The new synthesizer will help him build a new repertoire with his band “Echoes of Rock.”
“I was lucky enough to borrow (School of Rock teacher) Molly Roth’s synthesizer while I was in the School of Rock program last year,” England said.
He will purchase a Roland Juno D7 and looks forward to playing “The Final Countdown” by Europe with it.
“I’m happy and thankful the grant was granted to me as it will help me develop my skill and help teach other people, as that’s something I hadn’t thought I would do before,” England says.
After graduating from the School of Rock Program through Molly Roth Music (MRM), in partnership with the GYC, England has taken various opportunities to learn and grow his level of learning through performances and programs with Kicking Horse Culture (KHC).
“We performed at the Golden Civic Centre and played at Summer Kicks as the tweener set during the last show of the year,” he says.
England also took part in KHC’s summer student volunteer program to help set up sound and lights for shows, and took training on how to do lighting and sound for shows.
He says he enjoys living in a community with lots of opportunities to build art and music skills. “It’s awesome,” he says.
When he’s not playing piano he plays the Saxophone, Clarinet, spin poi, performs with his school band, swims with the Golden Dolphins and downhill skis.
The Golden and District Community Foundation delivers the Cantle Arts Grants. According to www.communityfoundation.ca, “Funds can be used to cover participant expenses, locally facilitated workshops, art supplies, equipment or other creative project ideas. The grant is funded by the interest earned on the Cantle Family Fund.” Applicants must be 12 or older.
