Paulina Nguyen
School sports get a lot of exposure in our local newspapers. The preoccupation with sports is not confined to high school football, soccer, golf and tennis, but occasionally extends to softball, volleyball, water polo and, recently, of all things, arm wrestling. Do music activities get the same amount of coverage? No, they most decidedly do not! Therefore, Paulina Nguyen, 17, a senior at Santa Catalina School and a piano pupil of Carmel pianist Barbara Ruzicka, decided to create an event that would gain recognition for distinguished young music students and in the process benefit a worthy cause. This event was a benefit concert at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel on August 23 featuring some of the finest young student musicians on the Monterey Peninsula.
Paulina, who is of Vietnamese descent, was in Vietnam last year and in Ho Chi Minh City visited an orphanage, which was the only one in Vietnam housing children who are HIV positive or with AIDS. She observed countless young children living in primitive communal circumstances who have never owned a pair of shoes. Many of these children were walking barefoot on the street selling food and souvenirs to tourists. She learned that there are estimated to be approximately 2 million orphans in Vietnam, 7% of whom are affected by AIDS.
After returning to the USA, she created a non-profit organization, “Soles4Orphans” whose mission is to bring a smile, love and dignity to every orphan and child through a simple gift of shoes. Ultimately Soles4Orphans donated 700 pairs of shoes to children in orphanages and housing projects last year.
It was no accident that the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel was selected as the location for this benefit concert. In addition to a fine Yamaha concert piano, Pastor Norm Mowery and Music Coordinator Carteena Robohm were graciously receptive and cooperative in extending the facilities and hospitality of the Church for a worthy cause.
Paulina invited prominent Monterey Peninsula music teachers, violinist Rochelle Walton, woodwind instructor Erica Horn, and pianists Barbara Ruzicka, Renée Bronson and Lyn Bronson to volunteer some of their most talented students to participate in the benefit concert. In alphabetical order, the following young musicians participated in the concert on August 23:
- Pianist Jordan Adams, 14, a pupil of Lyn Bronson
- Pianist Madeline Anderson, 13, a pupil of Lyn Bronson
- Pianist Kevin Chen, 17, a pupil of Lyn Bronson
- Clarinetist Perry Choi, 16, a pupil of Erica Horn
- Violinist Kayla Ettinger, 8, a pupil of Rochelle Walton
- Violinist Johnny Lim, 12, a pupil of Rochelle Walton
- Violinist Minju Lim, 16, a pupil of Rochelle Walton
- Pianist Amy Ng, 14, a pupil of Barbara Ruzicka
- Pianist Angela Ng, 15, a pupil of Barbara Ruzicka
- Pianist Paulina Nguyen, 17, a pupil of Barbara Ruzicka
- Pianist Gabrielle Micheletti, 15, a pupil of Barbara Ruzicka
- Pianist Patrick Murphy, 14, a pupil of Barbara Ruzicka
- Pianist Jonathan Wang, 17, a pupil of Renée Bronson
- Violinist Joy Yamaguchi, 15, a pupil of Rochelle Walton
An enthusiastic audience of approximately 100 parents and friends gave the young musicians a rousing welcome and, after their performances, lots of applause, and even some bravos! A lavish reception followed in the Church’s Garden Room.
Pastor Norm Mowery was so enthusiastic about the event that he promised to invite Paulina Nguyen to attend a future regular Sunday service at the Church of the Wayfarer at which she would be honored with an opportunity to discuss with the congregation the mission of Soles4Orphans and perform on the piano some of the works she played during the benefit concert. Additionally, the collection from this service would be donated to Soles4Orphans.
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