Buffalo Grove siblings to compete in Old-Time world competition
A family trip to Disney World turned out to be life-changing for Kevin and Olivia Zhou of Buffalo Grove. Not only did they love the theme park and all of its attractions, but one of its Main Street, USA, entertainers left a lasting impression.
Pianist Jim Omohundro has played jazz and ragtime on a piano located at Casey's Corner for more than 30 years, and five years ago the Zhou family stopped to watch.
"I saw him when I was 7," explains Kevin, who now is in sixth grade at Woodland Middle School in Long Grove. "It sounded so playful that I wanted to learn how to play (ragtime)."
In the intervening years, Kevin and eventually Olivia, not only learned to play the classic American style of music, they are competing in it.
Later this month, both siblings will compete in the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
This will be Kevin's third time competing at the event and Olivia's first.
"It's just very upbeat and old fashioned," says Olivia of playing ragtime, a fourth-grader at Kildeer Countryside School. "I'm really working on my fingering and dynamics, and trying not to make mistakes."
At the competition, Olivia will play "She's My Girl," by James Scott and "Pineapple Rag" by Scott Joplin. One of Kevin's pieces includes the "Charleston Rag" composed by Eubie Blake in 1899.
"It's really hard, with a walking base and a lot of difficult fingering for the melody," Kevin says.
The contest itself is in its 45th season, and organizers say it represents the best competition in ragtime, traditional jazz, blues and honky-tonk piano. Ironically, it began in Illinois, at the Monticello Railroad Yard near Champaign.
Competitors really get into recreating the era, dressing up in turn-of-the-century style dress. Last year, Kevin wore a straw hat, bow tie and red vest, and this year Olivia plans to wear pink and white period style dress. Both will compete in the junior division.
Ian Hominic, artistic director for the contest and music professor at Ole Miss, says it is the only competitive event of this style of music, of its kind. This year's event has competitors coming from this country as well as France and Great Britain. Buddy Guy's pianist, Marty Sammon, he adds, used to be a competitor.
Hominic used to live in Illinois and served as a judge for the contest. He wound up moving it to Mississippi and now is working hard to increase its exposure to piano teachers across the country.
"I'm a classical guy, myself, but I appreciate many genres of music," Hominic says. "Most of the competitors have studied classical music seriously but some have branched off into various styles as they've grown older. I think it is a wonderful opportunity to provide our younger generation."
Both Kevin and Olivia study classical piano with Brenda Huang of Palatine, and they also play violin in orchestra programs in their respective schools, but learning to play ragtime gives them another creative outlet on the piano.
"It's just fun," Olivia says.
They have become so hooked on the genre that they now travel once a month to Champaign to study ragtime with Faye Ballard, a piano teacher who used to compete in the Old-Time Piano Playing Contest herself.
Beyond competing, Kevin has found audiences interested in his performances. In March, he played for senior residents at The Breakers in Evanston and in June he will perform in a "Young Piano Prodigies" program at the Chicago Public Library. In both concerts, the repertoire is an entertaining mix of half classical and half ragtime music.