By Ritu Lamba
Matthew Daye and Marven Metellus are not child prodigies. They haven’t devoted their childhoods to attending music lessons or studying at an art school. But if winning an arts award for talent, passion and commitment to their work means anything, then that hasn’t hurt them.
The boys, who both attend Glashan Public School, are two of five Ottawa-area students in grades 7 and 8 who have been recognized at the fifth annual “In Honour of…Awards.”
The Oct. 21 event was hosted by Multicultural Artists for Schools and Communities (MASC), a non-profit arts education organization that tries to encourage young people who aren’t able to experience art outside of the classroom.
Thirteen-year-old Daye is well spoken and clearly not shy about his ability to play the alto saxophone. He has only been playing the instrument for a year, since he chose it in his Grade 7 music class, but he says, “I can play songs really, really fast. It only took me a couple of months to master the sax.”
Daye is multi-talented in music. He has been teaching himself to play the trumpet and the glockenspiel, which is a type of xylophone. He wants a guitar for Christmas, and is eager to try the drums and clarinet.
His enthusiasm and love of music is the reason his former elementary school teacher, Beth Kenney, nominated him for the music award last April.
“He demonstrates his commitment and passion by being the first to arrive two noon hours each week for extra practice to try new pieces and different styles,” wrote Kenney, a York Street Public School teacher, on his nomination application.
On the other hand, Metellus, also 13, is extremely shy. He may have trouble expressing himself in words, but his art, which involves making detailed characters out of paper and glue, speaks for itself.
It demonstrates his contemplative nature and his tendency to plan ahead, characteristics that are confirmed by Joan Bowler, Metellus’s former Cambridge Street Community Public School teacher, on his nomination application.
“He is slow to start, using the time to contemplate, visualize, and plan his desired outcome,” she wrote.
These characteristics come as a surprise considering Metellus’s appearance. Tall, skinny and dressed in athletic wear, he looks more like a basketball player than an artist.
Beyond his looks, there’s no doubt he’s an artist. Not only does he make tiny sculptures, he also enjoys drawing and working with plastercine and fimo.
Both boys say they would like to pursue an artistic career, and Daye’s mother, Kristina Daye, says MASC has made that a greater possibility.
“It does great things for kids’ self esteem. It opens up their thinking about what they can accomplish,” she says.
More tangibly, their award includes one-year arts scholarships donated by the community. Metellus now takes classes at the Ottawa School of Art, and musician Linsey Wellman is privately mentoring Daye.