Two local siblings, who are passionate about music, are hitting all the right notes both at home and on big stages.
Noah and Anna Box, of Orillia, both represented the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival at the Ontario Music Festival Association’s provincial finals in June.
At the provincials Anna, 9, earned third place for Level 1 Piano — just as her brother did in 2021.
To say music runs in the family would be an understatement as that same year, their mother, Alexandra Teske — who is also a piano teacher, soprano soloist and educator — earned first-place standing in Ontario with her Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) vocal repertoire.
This past May, Noah and Anna were also acknowledged at the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival’s Spirit of Music Showcase where Anna received the scholarship for Most Outstanding Performer — Level 1 Piano.
Noah, 12, earned the Noteworthy Performance Scholarship — Level 5 Piano.
“The family is grateful to the team of festival volunteers for making these enriching music opportunities possible and to the adjudicators for their invaluable feedback at both the local and provincial level,” said Teske.
Just qualifying for the provincials is quite a feat.
For example, solo pianists must enter a minimum of three scholarship-eligible classes and receive a mark of 85 or higher in each class.
At the recommendation of the adjudicator, up to three competitors per category may be selected to advance to the provincials.
This year, through the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival, Anna earned three “diamonds” (92 to 100 per cent) and Noah earned three “golds” (85 to 91 per cent).
While Noah and Anna each have a natural musical ability, their interests are diverse. They are both involved in many extracurricular activities that compete with their music studies.
For example, this year Noah, who is in the French immersion program at Regent Park Public School, placed first in his school’s chess tournament, third at the area meet, and advanced to regionals.
He’s also involved in many sports, but his true passion is writing. Several years ago, he wrote a story in the style of Robert Munsch. Munsch himself read the story and sent Noah a personal email praising his accomplishment and encouraging him to continue writing.
“The world-renowned author signed off as ‘Bob,’" Teske explained. “It was a proud and influential moment for Noah.”
In June, Noah wrote a more serious short story that was entered in the Ontario Legislative Assembly’s writing contest. He is eagerly awaiting word on how he fared.
This past school year, Anna, who is in the French immersion program at Harriett Todd Public School, was as involved as a Grade 3 student can be.
She enjoyed being a member of the Green Team, recorder club, choir, and participated in the Harriett Todd talent show. She is also a natural athlete. During COVID, she watched gymnastics videos, taught herself many advanced moves, did one session through Mariposa Gymnastics, and made the 2023/24 competitive team.
“As their mother/teacher, I am lucky to get them to the piano five days a week, 30 minutes per session,” said Teske.
“As Noah enters Level 6 piano, he will be expected to increase his practice time. The time that is spent at the piano is highly focused. With me in earshot, there are no wasted minutes,” she explained.
“They both work extremely hard and diligently throughout the year. During March break they maintained their music focus while meeting with Canadian pianist, Kyung-A Lee, to workshop their pieces in preparation for the festival,” said Teske.
“The performance opportunity and input were extremely important for their continued development,” she explained.
