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(This article is reprinted from the Park Rapids Enterprise, written by Jean Ruznicka. Printed on June 19, 2010)
Young musical prodigy is aiming big
PARK RAPIDS - The music from the keyboard belies the pig-tailed, incisors-yet-to-arrive grin from the pianist.
Her tiny fingers dance across the ivories, delivering a rhapsody of Bach, Chopin, Schumann and more.
Classical pianist 7-year-old Emma Taggart will be heading to Italy in mid-July to take part in the Varallo International Music Festival, joining top pianists from the U.S., Mexico, Italy and Japan. She will receive intense, one-on-one instruction from some of the top master pianists in the world.
“I’ll be back just before my birthday,” she reports of her Aug. 2 return to Blaine, her hometown.
But Sunday, she’ll make a stop in Hubbard, performing a concert at 7 p.m. at Hubbard United Methodist Church, her grandparents, Long Lake residents Margi and Ron Taggart, members.
The pianist, who began lessons at 4, can play octaves now, thanks to growing fingers. “But I have to sit on the edge of bench” to reach the pedals, she reports.
At 18 months, parents and mentors Jared and Teresa Taggart, began to discern Emma’s ability. The clock would chime and Emma would sing the exact notes.
“Daddy tests me by playing a note; I can name it,” Emma said.
Her first teacher, Mary Carloni, would tell her not to memorize her pieces – as a challenge. It simply comes naturally.
Carloni soon referred the gifted musician to Julliard-trained Dr. Reid Smith in White Bear Lake. She debuted in her first recital at 5, and has appeared as a soloist in the school’s honors concert series.
At Level 5 etudes, mom Teresa assumed it to be a mistake when Emma returned from lessons with a Level 10 book. No mistake.
She now practices Chopin etudes. “The right hand’s easy, but the left hand…” Emma practices four hours, nearly every day, but with no complaints.
A gifted gymnast, she had to quit those lessons, due to time constraints. “So at recess, I formed a gymnastics club,” the resourceful Nova Classical Academy student said.
Last year, Emma auditioned and was chosen to play in an international piano festival and competition in Gabala, Azerbaijan, a former Russian republic.
At the end of the festival, Emma was one of two pianists selected to play at an honors concert at Steinway Hall in New York, the date yet to be determined.
She admits to being nervous, initially, but the music engages her, the keyboard her domain. Her 15-piece recital Sunday will be “paperless.”
And it will likely be preceded by some fishing with her brother, Jacob, 3, who has announced he’s interested in football, not piano.
“I caught six fish last time,” she proudly announced. “But I won’t bait, unless it’s corn.” “She’s still a normal little girl,” her grandmother said.
Emma’s advice to kids learning to play the piano: Persevere. “It’s hard at first, but it gets better,” she counsels.
A reception will follow Sunday’s concert. Freewill donations will be received to defray costs for the trip to the Varallo International Music Festival.
May 21, 2010
For the second year in a row, Emma competed at and won the Epiphany Springfest talent show. Congratulations Emma!
May 4, 2010
To help defray costs for Emma's upcoming trip to Varallo, Italy, Emma will be holding a benefit concert at Hubbard United Methodist Church in Hubbard, MN on June 20th at 7pm. This one-hour concert will feature Emma's full recital program of classical music by Bach, Chopin, Schumann and many more.
The concert is free and open to the public. Freewill offerings will be accepted. Refreshments and a reception will follow at 8:00 pm.
Click here for the Hubbard United Methodist Church website.
April 26, 2010
Emma recently auditioned and was chosen to attended the Vallaro International Piano Festival in Varallo, Italy. Emma will join forty of the top young pianists in the world for a two-week music festival July 16-31.
March 19, 2010
Emma will be performing at the Dellwood Hills Music Studio recital on May 16th, 2010.
This performance will be professionally recorded for Emma's upcoming CD release in June 2010.
Here are the updates for Teresa and Emma's trip to the Gabala Music Festival in Azerbaijan.
Day 1 Aug 9th 7:00 am
Thus far, the trip has been uneventful. Our 8 hour flight seemed to go pretty quickly. Emma kept herself busy with the video games on her TV, mostly playing solitaire. During our flight, we were served dinner (some chicken meal with corn and black beans/salad/roll) and breakfast (an egg McMuffin and a banana). We departed MSP at 3:10 pm, and arrived in Amsterdam at 6:00 am, just as the sun was rising. We had only been at the airport 30 minutes when I heard Emma’s and my name being called over the loud speaker to report to the Information Desk. I joked around about the terrible thing that we had done, and then realized that I had left my folder with our boarding passes and passports somewhere. That was not so funny. After retrieving my folder from the Information Center, we walked down to our gate, and walked back and forth in front of the glass and the people inside the glass room, only to realize that they were only there because they had checked in, and we wouldn’t be able to check in for several hours. We then proceeded to find a place to sit, and on the way, saw a mouse walking. Our next leg of the journey departs in 4 hours, and it’s a 4 hour flight to Istanbul.
Day2/3 8:30 am
We are on Turkish airlines on our way to Azerbaijan. It’s a 2 hour flight, which now seems so short. WE have had quite an eventful time in Turkey. The flight to Turkey was also short. The plane was not at all full (less then ½), so Emma and I had a row of 3 seats to ourselves. The food served was not so good. It was a pancake stuffed with cheese and pear and rolled. The other was stuffed with shrimp. We also got a small butter cake which was rich and some little strawberry candies. Emma was able to sleep about 45 minutes at the end, which was the first time she had slept in over 24 hours. I had to wake her up to get her off the plane, and she was then very cranky. Up to that point, she had been a most agreeable traveler. We proceeded to get our visas, which only consisted of getting a stamp on our passport and paying $20. We then waited in a very long line to clear customs, which again, just consisted of having our passports stamped. We then got our luggage, which was waiting for us when we arrived. After that, we waited for Reid to arrive. During the wait, we exchanged some dollars to Turkish Lira at 1.44 dollars to the Lira (plus a 4% commission fee). We ended up waiting 45 minutes for Reid. He got his luggage and we headed out to catch our shuttle. Once outside, there was not Sheraton Hotel Shuttle, despite me emailing them with our flight info. WE had missed the last one by 30 minutes. So, we took 2 taxis to the hotel, which only cost 25 Lira for all 9 of us. The taxi ride was only 10 minutes, but it was a scary 10 minutes. The driver was going 150 km/hr in a 50 km/hr area, weaving in and out of traffic. I saw one 5 seater car with at least 12 people in it, and a baby hanging out the window (no car seats were used, obviously). We arrived at the hotel, and it was stunning. It was all marble and very modern with a beautiful lobby. We went to our room, which was beautiful. It was on the 22nd floor and overlooked the Maramar Sea. The view was amazing. There were many ships just off the coast, which appeared to be oil rigs. The room was spectacular with an all marble bathroom, a big flat screen LCD, 2 beds, a desk, and a lush velvet couch that ran the length of the room underneath the window looking out to the sea. There were also sliding doors which opened to reveal a closet with a terry cloth robe and slippers, a fridge, a mini-bar, and a closet with an ironing board and iron. We could not figure out how to turn on the lights, and finally after about 20 minutes, Emma figured out that there was a slot to turn on the lights. Instead of light switches, they had little bars on the wall designating the lights for a given room, with the room name printed on this bar. We then went to dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, as we were all tired. The restaurant was fancy, but the prices were not too bad. Emma got “fried chicken” which turned out to be chicken tenders with French fries for $8. I got a pasta dish consisting of penne with chicken and veggies in a parmesan sauce for $12. Our total bill with waters, tax, and tip was 50 TL ($34). After dinner, we headed up to the room to go to bed, which was around 9:30. Despite not having slept in over 34 hours, I was not able to sleep, as there was live music just outside our room. There was a wedding reception at the hotel, outside. It was amazing, to say the least. There were approximately 50 tables formally set up around the outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, in the area just overlooking the sea. All the guests were outside. There was a live band/orchestra, consisting of close to 30 pieces, including 6-8 violinists. The music sounded very Turkish/Middle Eastern. It was very beautiful, especially the song played when the bride walked out. The bride’s dress looked like an American wedding gown, as did the bridesmaids strapless dresses. Some of the guests were dressed more traditionally, with the women covering their heads, while others were short, strapless dresses. At about 11:30 pm, I heard drumming, and looked out to see 5 large drums being played. It sounded like a drum line. At about 12:30 am, there were fireworks, right outside out window, and going over the sea. It was spectacular. Once the singing/music stopped, I was able to get to sleep, which was around 1 am. WE had to wake up at 5 am to get going. WE checked out of the hotel (total charges for the room and dinner were 371 TL). They gave us a little to go breakfast box, containing an apple, a banana, cheese and salami, a tomato (apparently Turkey and Azerbaijan are famous for their fruit, particularly tomatoes), a croissant, a cinnamon roll, and orange juice. We had them call 2 taxes, as the shuttle was not yet running. We left the hotel around 6 am. We arrived at the airport and began the long process of trying to get on our plan. First, before we could even get into the airport, we had to go through security. I thought this was the only security check point, but apparently, it was just to get into the airport. This wasn’t as strict, as I could bring in liquids at that point. This took only about 5 minutes to get through this. Then, we went to check our baggage and check in with the airline. That line took about 25 minutes. After that, we went through customs to have our passport checked and stamped. That took about 25 minutes. Then, we proceeded to another security check point, which was very strict. Calvin had gum in his pocket, which had a small amount of tinfoil. The metal detector went off, and he was searched. That security took about 20 minutes. Then, we were finally allowed to proceed to our gate. We arrived at the gate at 7:50 am, (it took about 90 minutes to do all that), and our flight was to leave at 8:10 am. At the gate, we had to get into yet another line to have our passports checked again before we could get onto the shuttle to take us to our plane, which was out on the tarmac. Our flight was full (150 people). WE received a meal on that flight, which as far as plane meals go, was pretty nice. We got scrambled eggs, which was more of a quiche consistency with mushrooms and tomatoes, green and black olives, a cucumber slice, yogurt which looked and had the consistency of oatmeal with raisins and nuts in it, a mozzarella and tomato salad, a roll with butter and cherry jam, and an eggplant bake. They also had cherry juice, which Emma had and liked. Overall, I was impressed. When we arrived in Azerbaijan at the airport, there was someone immediately there to take care of us. She brought us to a VIP room at the airport, which was very nice, with beautiful curtains and a gorgeous chandelier. There were also dignitaries/military people there with another group. Oxsana and Dmitry met us there and welcomed us. Someone retrieved our luggage, and got our Visa’s while we waited there. We then took a small bus to Gabala. The ride took about 6 hours, and the road conditions were horrible. Some of the road was paved, but much of it was a dirt road, or if it was paved, it was crumbling and falling apart. The view was beautiful with the foothills of the Caucasian Mountains visible. However, much of the land was brown and desolate. The city of Baku itself seemed very nice, modern, and mostly upscale. However, as we got out of the city, it was very poor. The houses were small, and made of cement block. Some of them had opening, but no windows. We didn’t think anyone was living in these houses, as the conditions seemed so poor, but then we saw people coming out of their houses. It was apparent that people were living there. About half way, in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, there was a restaurant that we stopped at. It was beautiful, with little cottages that were private dining rooms, and small outdoor huts to eat in. We were served food for nearly 2 hours non-stop. There were many cold salads, and meats all served family style. Everything was very fresh, with many herbs. It was incredible. We then continued on our journey to Gabala. At one point, there was fog, which was very dense. It was difficult to see, and the road was so windy. To complicate matters, there would be random cows or domesticated animals crossing the road. We arrived in Gabala at the hotel around 10:30 pm. The hotel was beautiful. It’s all lit up with lights, and a water fountain show with colors. There are many buildings that make up the resort, and everything is brand new. We made it to our rooms, and called Jared, and then went to bed.
Tuesday, Aug 11th
We got up at 8 am and met the group for breakfast at 9 am. The breakfast was a massive buffet of wonderful breads, meats, cheeses, jams, eggs, fruits, and desserts (baklava, custard). After breakfast, each of the kids had a small lesson with Reid in the lobby of the hotel. That took about 2 hours, and then we went for lunch at 1 pm. Again, there was a massive buffet of cold salads, fruit, and entrees consisting of chicken and tomato, lamb sausage, and other things. There were 8 entrees to choose from, and another 10 cold salads. After lunch, we took a bus to a town about an hour away to where there was a college of music. We had to go there, as that is the closest place with a large amount of pianos so that they can practice. While Emma was practicing, 2 Azeri men came into the room. They did not speak any English, but were trying to get me to play. After many no’s and trying to explain that Emma was playing, I finally just told Emma to start playing. They were thrilled with her playing. One said, “Bravo,” and the other gave her a kiss on the cheek. I later found out that one of the men was the director of the entire college. We were able to stay there about an hour to practice, and then headed back. We got back at 7:30 pm, and then ate dinner. Dinner was similar to lunch and breakfast, in that it was a large buffet with many fruits, cold salads, and entrees, as well as desserts. After dinner (around 10 pm), we headed to bed.
July 22, 2009
Emma will be playing at The Chocolate Spoon in White Bear Lake on July 25th from noon until 2pm. She will be featured during the the "Music and Art" event in the Atrium.
July 8, 2009
Emma will be performing as a guest at the vendor booth of the Lawrence Tan Agency at Twin Cities Dragon Festival on Saturday, July 11th. Thanks to the Lawrence Tan Insurance Agency for allowing Emma a space to perform at this large outdoor festival. Information about the Dragon Festival can be found at www.dragonfestival.org . Information about the Lawrence Tan Insurance Agency can be found at www.lta-insurance.com.
July 5, 2009
Emma Taggart Awarded Musical Scholarship from Members of Hubbard United Methodist Church.
Here is a written note from one of the members of this church.
"We were inspired after hearing Emma Taggart, 6 year old granddaughter of Ron and Margi Taggart, play the piano postlude on Sunday, June 21st, and have invited her to play for us again today. We felt the awe and enthusiasm of the congregation and it seemed "the right thing to do" to invite all folks so insipired to aid in the costs of her upcoming trip to compete in an International Music Festival in Azerbaijan. Emma has a huge, God-given talent that must be nurtured by teachers working with gifted young people and opportunities such as this trip."
On July 5th, Emma received a scholarship in the amount of $1645.00 donated privately by some of the members of the congregation.
May 17, 2009
Emma Taggart Wins Epiphany Springfest Talent Show
Emma Taggart was awarded 1st Place at the Epiphany Springfest Talent Show in the Jr. Division (11 and under). This was Emma's first talent show and she played Diabelli's Sonatina in G Op. 151 Movements 1-3.
