CCCF grants Lewis Cass student life changing experience

Sep. 2—Ian Hook had big hopes to attend summer music training at the Berklee College of Music's prestigious Boston Conservatory.

The Cass County Community Foundation had the means to make those hopes come true.

It all added up to a life-changing summer for Hook, a senior at Lewis Cass High School.

"It changed my perspective on everything in ways I wouldn't have even thought about," Hook said.

That everything he mentions is making music. Hook wants to compose film scores one day in his future.

Hook attended two summer sessions for high schoolers at the Boston Conservatory. The first course was a brass workshop. He followed that up with a music composition class.

During those sessions, he had a crash course in composing on a deadline. He wrote two multi-movement works and a Chicago-style chamber brass piece in three days during the brass workshop. In the composition class, he wrote a solo piano piece in 24 hours and a B-Flat clarinet and vibraphone duet in less than three days. He also had five days to write a string quartet.

The deadlines were stressful but gave him a sense of urgency, Hook said.

"I didn't have time to waste," he said.

Each day was packed full of musical experiences. There were warmups, lectures from guest artists and ensemble sections. In the evenings the students were treated to faculty recitals and participated in jam sessions.

"The faculty was awesome," Hook said. "It's very hard to describe how crazy it was seeing them in action and also receiving help from them."

Guest artists included Kenneth Thompkins, principal trombonist at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and jazz trumpeter Philip Dizack.

Along with all the other experiences, Hook met fellow musical students from around the world including China, Venezuela, Chili, Russia and Puerto Rico.

"Every project had a different studio for the composition program," Hook said. "There were five students per studio including myself and one faculty member. I got to hear a lot of different music and a lot of different techniques. It was really cool, especially with the variety of the cultures. There were some students writing Latin music and some writing more international music. It was really cool."

Hook's life-changing summer almost didn't happen. The programs and expenses would have amounted to more than $6,000. He reached out to the CCCF to see if they offered funding for high school students.

Deanna Crispen, the CCCF executive director and CEO, said no. But she told Hook she would look and see what she could do. Hook took her at her word, and his persistence in checking in with Crispen paid off.

Crispen approached the CCCF board about using money donated from the estate of Royal Center's Richard and Rose Gates for education purposes to support Hook's ventures. They agreed.

Crispen stopped by Lewis Cass to inform Hook of the opportunity in person.

"That young man is going places," Crispen said. "He's an amazing musician, an amazing music talent. We are just grateful we were able to find a way to help him."

Thanks to Hook, the CCCF is working to make these opportunities available to other high school students.

"After talking to Ian, he really helped shed some light on the fact there are many programs out there like the one he attended that would be great for young people to attend, but there's no funding," Crispen said.

Crispen jokingly referred to Hook as the test for a pilot program. She said he was so excited about the experience that he texted her the first day of the brass workshop ready to tell her what was happening. Hook later conducted a presentation for Crispen and the CCCF board when he returned.

"When you see a young person who has that passion and that joy and to be able to experience something like this at that level, that's why we are here," Crispen said. "One day when he is a world famous film composer, we can look back and say we helped that young man get started. That gives all of us joy."

"(The CCCF) was a huge help," Hook said. "I would not have been able to go without their help. They helped with my airfare. They helped with my tuition, my housing, my food. Pretty much everything."

Hook is taking a music composition class this year at Lewis Cass, and he's excited to share what he learned with his classmates.

He'll also be involved in many musical activities: marching band, jazz band, pep band, winter percussion, solo ensemble for choir and band, advanced choir.

It's all part of a journey that will take Hook to high places and maybe even lead to him one day accepting an Academy Award for best film score.

"If you want something, chase after it," he said. "Don't hold back. Go for it because you never know what will happen."