The World is their stage:
Hard work, dedication paying off for this talented trio
Cindy Boykin

The term “gifted and talented” seems redundant since talent is a gift. However, what someone does with his or her talent is never a given.

Nine-year-old Shirley Wu, high-schooler Jason Hickman, and college student Mike Korson discovered their gifts early in life. Then, with great diligence, patience, sacrifice and effort, they have achieved the public recognition and personal satisfaction that comes with the development of their talent.

Because of their dedication, these students have performed in Carnegie Hall, Ireland, and even Cuba. Truly, the world is their stage.


MIKE KORSON...Jazzman

Throngs of college kids have enjoyed South Padre, Fort Lauderdale, Cancun...but a rare few have experienced warm nights and hot jazz in Cuba!

Plano East alum and current TCU student Mike Korson can lay claim to that distinction. As part of the university’s jazz ensemble, Mike participated in the 26th Havana International Jazz Festival this past school year. The festival attracted bands primarily from European countries. In fact, TCU was the only band from the U.S., and one of the first U.S. colleges to perform in Cuba in decades.

During the festival, TCU’s 20-piece band played concerts for jazz-loving audiences. The repertoire was lively and impressive—mostly standards by the likes of Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller. But the song that brought the house down was the “I Love Lucy” theme song! It was a sentimental nod to the most beloved Cuban to hit American shores.

The accommodations were interesting. “Our hotel was considered a 4- or 5-star hotel, but it was a square room with three beds...and the shower curtain had a naked lady on it,” Mike laughs. “But the food was really good. You’d be surprised at the variety of food they have there.” The sights and tastes of Cuba were wonderful, and the music was absolute perfection. A jazz lover’s paradise!

How do you top that once-in-a-lifetime experience? By playing in Carnegie Hall just two months later! The TCU Wind Symphony, of which Mike is also a member, made quite an impression. Music critic Anthony Aibel of the New York Concert Review wrote:

I for one was pleasantly surprised regarding the extremely high quality of these young players. When the first-rate American Brass Quintet appeared on stage as guest artists...everyone blended in so well that it was difficult to differentiate between the students and the pros.

Now a senior in college, music is more than a passion for Mike, it is his future career. He hopes to become a professional performer. To gain experience (and for fun), he and some friends started a jazz group called Groove Operator. They perform regularly at The Red Cactus, a popular restaurant near TCU’s campus. “Whenever I’m playing music, I just really enjoy it,” Mike says. “I never want to stop.”

In a full-circle experience, Mike taught sixth-graders in Fort Worth and reveals, “One thing I’ve noticed with beginners...it’s like they expect the talent to come to them naturally. Then they hear me play and they ask, ‘Oh my gosh! How are you so good?’ I tell them it didn’t just come to me. I had to work really hard to get where I am today. It takes time, but it’s worth it.”

In final reflection, Mike says, “Not a second goes by that I’m not thinking about music. Whether I’m practicing, listening to my iPod on my couch, or just listening to something in my head, I’m always thinking about music.”



SHIRLEY WU...Small wonder

Carnegie Hall is an iconic New York City landmark. So when a little 8-year-old girl from Plano played J. Haydn Sonata in D Major, Hob 37, 3rd movement in that venerable venue, it was a very big deal.

Shirley Wu, a Skaggs Elementary School third-grader, was part of a select group of young musicians invited to perform solos at the International Young Musician Competition in April.

Her submitted CD caught the attention of the judging panel for the music competition, which was sponsored by AADGT (American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented). From all the entries submitted worldwide, Shirley’s stood out, earning her an invitation. At the live event, she won a gold medal for her performance.

Was Shirley nervous performing in Carnegie Hall? Barely audible, she answers, “A little nervous.”

That incredible experience will be a lifelong memory, but Shirley says her favorite adventure in New York was touring the Statue of Liberty. She brought home a small replica of the statue as a souvenir.

Shirley was 5 years old when she began taking piano lessons. Just a few months later, she won her first piano competition at the Dallas Symphonic Festival. For the past three years, she has been taking lessons from Dr. Louise Liu and has won several more contests.

While most kids her age listen to music by Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift, Shirley prefers Mozart. Which work is her favorite? In a quiet voice, she says, “Mozart, Concerto number...I forgot the number.” The fact that she knows Mozart is impressive enough!

Shirley’s mother, Lin Xu, shares, “From the beginning, her teacher has said she has a natural talent...” then Mom adds with lighthearted humility, “...but I thought all the teachers said that as an encouragement to keep the kids practicing!”

Actually, getting Shirley to practice at home isn’t difficult. She practices two hours every day, even on the weekends. Her practice time may be shortened in the future if she gets serious about another new interest—the flute.

When she heard her brother playing the oboe and his friends playing flutes at a middle school concert, Shirley liked the airy sounds very much.

Jokingly, we told her one advantage of playing the flute is that it’s easier to carry around than a piano. She grinned.

Shirley recently turned 9 years old and has already experienced more in her life than most of us. Poised, polite and extremely talented, we have a feeling this is just the beginning for this little girl with a huge talent.



JASON HICKMAN
Becoming the best...step by step

Following in the footsteps of Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley, Jason Hickman is mastering the astonishingly quick steps and rigid posture of Irish dance.

Sporting custom-made clothes and extraordinarily flexible tap shoes, Jason moves his feet at lightning speed, creating captivating sounds and rhythms. Jason is so talented, in fact, that he was one of three male dancers in his age category representing the U.S. Southeastern region at the world competition in Ireland this past April.

Coming from 32 countries across the globe, male and female dancers vied for championship titles at the 41st Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne 2011 in Dublin. Jason was named 19th in the world!

His success has come one step at a time. Jason was introduced to Irish dancing in 2006 as a fifth-grader, when a friend asked him if he’d like to try it out. He enjoyed it immediately. Jason has been a student of the Shandon School of Irish Dance in east Plano ever since.

Like all physically demanding activities, Irish dance builds endurance and strength—particularly in the thighs and calves. This artistic sport also fosters discipline, hard work, and confidence.

Asked why Irish dancing appeals to him, Jason answers contemplatively, “I think because I have been able to adapt to it naturally. It just seems like something I was made to do, so that’s one of the things.”

He continues to list, “I like making cool rhythms with my feet, and it’s the thrill of performing. When the performance is over and the crowd is cheering...I don’t really know how to describe it. It’s great!”

Crowds have been large and very enthusiastic, particularly at the State Fair of Texas and at the North Texas Irish Festival, both held at Fair Park in Dallas.

Of course his trip to Ireland was an experience of a lifetime. When he and his mom arrived in Ireland in April, to their surprise it was sunny. Not what one expects of this lush, green, and generally wet country.

Jason nods his head as he recalls with a smile, “There was a T-shirt that we saw—this is relevant, I promise—and it was titled ‘The Seasons of Ireland.’ It had a sheep on it and it went through all the seasons. In every season, warm or cold, the sheep was holding an umbrella in pouring rain!”

Luckily, the Irish sun was shining the entire time Jason was there. He sensed a warmth from the people, too. “I felt comfortable there,” he says. “It was really different. They are a lot more laid-back than we are, and I think they have an appreciation for simpler things. I really liked it. I didn’t want to leave!”

But, he has more events in the coming months. As with all select sports, Irish dancers have regional and national competitions. His regional level, which in Irish dance is called an Oireachtas (pronounced O-Rock-tis), is comprised of students from all over the Southeast: From Oklahoma and Texas to Virginia; and from Maryland down to Florida.

Jason, a junior at Allen High School, is a gifted student academically as well. A full load of AP classes keep him busy, when he’s not practicing seven to eight hours each week in the dance studio.

With dreams of performing on a professional stage some day, or perhaps opening his own studio after college, Jason could very well become the next Lord of the Dance. For now, this prince of a guy has a lot of dancing and living ahead.