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To thine own self be true...

Kavan’s Composition, First Runner up, Individual (8-11 years)

First runner up of the individual entry 8-11 years

 

Who created it?

Kavan, age 11

 

Biography

“I am Kavan and I am eleven years-old. My hobbies are playing football with my little brother and listening to music. My favourite things to do are playing cricket with my schoolmates and also playing my two instruments piano and bassoon. I like smooth classical music. One of my favourite songs is Pachelbel Canon in D."

 

My creative response

Kavan’s Musical Composition

About my creative response

 “I came to know about this competition through my English teacher. Since I love music and I like playing around with musical notes and making up my own tunes. I thought I’d give it a go. I’ve never composed a piece of music before. This was my first attempt.

“I wanted to present this as a musical composition. I came up with a tune with the words of Shakespeare’s quote in Hamlet. I used that as my first verse. Then for the second verse I interpreted what it meant to me. For the third verse I showed what you get out of the quote.

 

Here are my lyrics:

 

To thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

 

Want to be trustworthy

Be honest to yourself

Then you'll be pure to any man.

 

If you're pure to man

Then you'll be merry and everyone

Will be peaceful and gleeful all day long.

 

I created the melody based on the words’ expression. Then I arranged music for piano and bassoon. I performed the piano and bassoon as harmony and voices in unison."

 

When have you been ‘true to yourself’?

“I try to be true to myself the whole time, no matter what.”

 

What is your favourite Shakespeare play and quote?

Julius Caesar is my favourite Shakespeare play. In that my favourite quote is ‘Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.’”