The Goolden Piano Award, presented annually in memory of the late Mrs. Goolden by Kimberley Arts Council to a piano student scoring highest marks in the conservatory exams, this year went to 17 year old Micah Meuleman. Making the presentation of the award, which includes a cheque for $300, arts council president Mike Redfern quoted from points made by piano teacher Wendy Guimont in nominating Meuleman for the award.
“Micah has been studying piano for 11 years. He will be taking his grade 10 piano exam in April, having already completed the written Harmony and History components of the Grade 10 exam. He plays in the Selkirk Secondary School concert band and jazz band. He played jazz piano at Key City Theatre to welcome guests to concerts there, and he participates in the Kootenay Performing Arts Festival every year where he has won many awards. Micah also plays trombone and drums and is giving trombone lessons to a junior high student and playing drums in church services. He is very interested in new music composition and composes music in his spare time at home. In addition to his musical achievements, Micah is an honor roll student, has won service awards at school, and volunteered to help build a home for a needy family in Mexico in 2015.”
In receiving the award, Meuleman thanked his parents for making him practice, at which his mother standing in the audience interrupted, protesting that he never needed to be told to practice.
The Goolden Piano Award was presented in the gallery at Centre 64 on Tuesday evening in association with the Arts & Culture Awards presentations. In welcoming the audience to the event, Mayor Don McCormick thanked outgoing president Mike Redfern for his leadership during the past few years and commented that Kimberley Arts Council was making a significant contribution to the arts in the community, going from strength to strength.