13-Year-old young drummer wins Gold at The Asia Pacific Arts Festival
Participating for the first time in a regional music competition, An Nam Anh, a 7th grader from Vinschool Central Park (HCMC) surpassed hundreds of students from professional music conservatories in 12 countries around the region to win Gold for Drums. His talent had only just been discovered and he began training about 2 months prior.
Young drummer An Nam Anh confidently demonstrated his talent on stage at the Asia Pacific Arts Festival.
Participating for the very first time at a major arts competition and amazing winning Gold
Overcoming hundreds of students from music conservatories in the region, as he attended the Asia Pacific Arts Festival for the first time, Nam Anh immediately won a Gold Prize in the category of Drums. He was able to win over the Judges, who are international musicians, with his impressive performance.
The 2019 Asia Pacific Arts Festival (APAF) is a prestigious, annual contest for participants of all ages from countries in the Asia – Pacific region. APAF has been held successfully for 6 years in a row, and this is the first time that Viet Nam has hosted this art festival, attracting hundreds of participants in different art forms and instruments. APAF has opened the opportunity for potential young talents to network, perform and shine.
Awakening talent
In possession of excellent drumming potential, it is only since he was discovered in October 2018 that his talent has been given a chance to develop in-depth.
Nam Anh shared that his interest in drumming came by accident 4 years ago, when he was taken to see a show by the band The Wall. During the following 4 years, he learned to drum at home, and took courses at centers. However, everything he was doing remained at the level of a hobby.
Thanks to discovery of his talent during Vinschool’s Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Center screening, Nam Anh’s interest with the drums became his passion, and his dormant talent was awakened.
Some experts say this 13-year-old boy’s talent is at the level of college-level juniors and seniors at the Hochi Minh Music Conservatory.
Artist Tran Thang Chuong guides Nam Anh during a practice session for the “Drum-Off Global 2019” to be held in Singapore this August.
As one of the select few chosen to be part of Vinschool’s GATE Center, Nam Anh is being trained according to a personalized development plan and takes part in training programs that best help him to develop his full potential. And not just Nam Anh, but many other talents in other areas such as STEM, Language, Social sciences… also are trained according to individualized growth plans, commensurate to each student’s capacities and motivation. What’s more, all of these assistance programs for Nam Anh and other talents are provided for by Vinschool.
Artist Tran Thang Chuong is a specialist who the GATE Center and was invited to Vinschool to provide guidance and instruction to Nam Anh. He’s had many years teaching drums, and his best students include Nguyen Trong Nhan – “a drumming prodigy” who received first place on the Viet Nam’s Got Talent reality TV show that garnered the attention of millions of Vietnamese. Today, Nam Anh and Trong Nhan are the only 2 “young drummers” (under 20 years old) in Viet Nam to receive a Grade 6 certification from Trinity College London – the world’s leading international exam board for the performing arts.
Looking at a talented drummer banging to the beat on stage, many would be surprised to learn that this boy has a mild hearing condition and was once shy and timid. With the help of teachers, and his own immense personal effort, Nam Anh took bravely to the stage, played the drums with all his heart and showcased his talent in the arts arena. His near-term goal is to enter the final round of the “Drum-Off Global 2019” which is to be held in Singapore at the end of August – this is a playground that gathers all the most talented drummers from all over the world.
