Two sisters from Highlands are among five young composers, learning piano out of a Langford school, who have won awards for compositions in the B.C. Registered Music Teachers Composing Competition.

Satai,11, and Saegeas Miller, 8, are both aspiring young musicians who received recognition at the competition.

The sisters and three other students are trained by PJ Music Studios director Pamela Smirl. The competition is held every year for students of private music teachers.

Satai won first place in two categories. One was for her lyrical song B次元官网网址淗ave You Ever Dreamt of Heaven?B次元官网网址� The other was for her instrumental B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址 Game.B次元官网网址�

She won a national award as a seven years old, for her piece B次元官网网址淏at DanceB次元官网网址� and has been playing piano for about six years.

She is about to do her Grade six exam.

Younger sister Saegeas won at the novice level for her instrumental piece B次元官网网址淏umper Carz.B次元官网网址� Saegeas also placed second nationally the year before for B次元官网网址淭hat New Black MagicB次元官网网址� and earned first-class honours with distinction on her grade three piano exam in June.

B次元官网网址淎renB次元官网网址檛 I lucky to have these guys?B次元官网网址� Smirl said.

Other winners are Carmyn Slater, 12, from Sooke, who won first place in the intermediate category for her piece B次元官网网址淓choes from Montreal.B次元官网网址�

Seven-year-old Danae Kong won first place in the novice vocal song category for B次元官网网址淩ocking a Hummingbird to Sleep.B次元官网网址�

Adult student Graham Roebuck won second place in the open category for his piece B次元官网网址淗ildredB次元官网网址檚 Fixation.B次元官网网址�

Composition is always an option but never mandatory for SmirlB次元官网网址檚 students.

B次元官网网址淚 try to encourage them to because creativity is huge and itB次元官网网址檚 a talent that you need in this world,B次元官网网址� Smirl said.

Satai said jokingly that her favourite part of composing is the candy they get as rewards. She came up with B次元官网网址淗ave You Ever Dreamt of Heaven?B次元官网网址� while riding her bike around her deck.

She said she was singing to herself when the tune just came to her.

B次元官网网址�(I) kept on going with the tune and then I made up words for the song,B次元官网网址� Satai said. B次元官网网址淪o you just start with an idea and build off that.B次元官网网址�

Saegeas takes a somewhat different approach and prefers to play around at the piano with different notes and chords until something catches her ear. She then develops that, as she did with her piece B次元官网网址淏umper Carz,B次元官网网址� until a song is borne.

Both budding musicians started taking early childhood music classes at the age of three.

The classes involve playing with drums and bells and having fun with the basics of music in a group setting.

The winning pieces have gone on to the national level of the competition, the results of which should be released some time next month.

In related news, eight-year-old Kevin Paulraj, a student of SmirlB次元官网网址檚 son Michael, is also being honoured for tying with Slater for best overall composition at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival for his piece B次元官网网址淭he Carrom Board Master.B次元官网网址�

kwells@goldstreamgazette.com