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Ten-year-old Trumpet Prodigy: 'The Wind Just Took My Trumpet Sound Far Away'
RNZ Online
Ten-year-old trumpet prodigy Celine Wu has a busy day as a musician on Anzac Day.
The award-winning musician, who has graced the stage of New York's Carnegie Hall, wants to use her talent to bring comfort to descendants, whānau and friends of soldiers who died while serving.
Playing at local commemorative services, for a third year, Wu says she got up early to go to the Browns Bay dawn service on the North Shore.
"It's much more special because it was by the beach and the wind just took my trumpet sound far away, telling the soldiers who couldn't come back, 'we hadn't forgotten you'."
Speaking to Anzac Morning with Susana Lei'ataua, Wu said she wished to gift an excerpt of La Califfa and Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone. She described the music as "soft and warm like a big hug".
"I hope it brings comfort to the people who miss someone today."
Her journey with the trumpet began three years ago.
"I started playing piano and flute. They all sound small and we had a trumpet at home, and I tried it, I made a sound. It sounded big and bold and that was my instrument.
"You can tell that flute and piano are tiny, like the sound is tiny, and trumpet [sound] can expand if you like so I picked it."
Wu also recently came back from Japan where she met with international trumpet soloist André Henry.
"He showed me many new things and helped me with the piece I'm preparing for a competition. I watched a lot of people play this piece on YouTube, but it just doesn't sound actually good … so he played it and it sounded beautiful."
The Sunnynook School student will also be playing at an Anzac service at Devonport and a concert at Takapuna Normal School today.
RNZ
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