Two Brantford kids are published composers after winning in an international songwriting competition.
Hudson Heikoop, 10, and Celine Prygiel, 8, were recognized for their talents at Music for Young Children’s International Composition Festival in March. They were both awarded first place in their categories within Eastern Canada.
“It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to create something good, but it’s all worth it,” said Heikoop, who’s been playing piano for three years.
Heikoop also came in first at the international level, while Prygiel came in second, going up against over 37,000 entries from Canada, the United States, Singapore and Malaysia.
“It’s fun that you can make any song that you want,” said Heikoop.
The two are students of Brantford music teacher Heather Corbett Tuttle, who helped them compose their songs.
Heikoop’s composition, “Sandy Sea Shore,” was inspired by the sound of crashing waves and the texture of sand. It took roughly six weeks to complete.
“I said a word and Miss Heather would make the notes closest to it and eventually make a beat,” said Heikoop. “When you put it all together with all the notes, it was pretty cool.”
Corbett Tuttle said both Heikoop and Prygiel used composition techniques like cryptics.
“It’s like being Sherlock Holmes, there’s a code to finding those letters and matching them up and it creates a song,” Corbett Tuttle explained.
Prygiel has been playing piano for two years and composed the song, “Sister’s Love,” written for her younger sister, Bianca.
“I’m very, very, very proud of them,” said Corbett Tuttle, who coincidentally lives on the same street as the young composers.
The winning compositions are published on the Superscore app.