User Profile: Mary Duncan
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Earliest musical memory: When I was very little (no more than five or six), I was singing in a Holiday show. I remember the director asking for people who wanted to sing a solo. I was persuaded so I walked up to the piano and sang for the director. She told me I had the solo! It was very cool. The director of the children’s chorus in that Holiday show is now the Kansas City Chorus director. The Kansas City Chorus of Sweet Adelines is a chorus who sings a capella four-part harmony, which I am honored to be a member of. |
| Instrument of choice: I have been singing since I was very little. I was born into Barbershop. But, my instrument of choice would be the cello. I started playing in fifth grade in school. I am now a part of the Olathe Youth Symphony – a city-wide orchestra of freshman through seniors. I am also in the high school orchestra at Olathe Northwest high school. I am inspired by: I am inspired by my mom. She has been singing Barbershop since high school. She was also a marching Jayhawk when she played her French Horn. She supports me in my singing endeavors, and helps me learn and get better. She has won an International competition in her quartet. A quartet consists of four barbershop singers… all singing a different part. She sings tenor, which is the highest. Her quartet competed against people from all over the world and earned the gold medal. Favorite Composer: I’d say my favorite composer is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I love the intricate musical passages created in the Classical era. It takes immense talent to write music like that. He was also a child prodigy and was made famous as a child. Favorite Musician: My favorite musician is Yo Yo Ma. He plays his cello so beautifully and is inspiring to hear and watch. How I use Noteflight: I make up a melody on the piano and then as I play the melody, harmonies naturally come to me. Then I get more and more ideas which eventually evolve into different instruments, parts, sections of music, major and minor keys, and so on. It’s just whatever comes up in your head. It’s musical freedom. Listen to my Noteflight score: “One” by Mary Duncan. Although the piece is in piano setting, it is a vocal piece. |
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