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Keelan Dimick, musical genius In an interview on the Fairfield, Iowa-based KRUU-FM Radio show, entitled, ’Speaking Freely with Dennis Raimondi’, we learn about a musical genius named Keelan Dimick. The interviewer, Mr Raimondi, introduces this talk by saying: Keelan Dimick is a sixteen-year-old award-winning jazz pianist from Fairfield, Iowa. In 2006, Keelan took first place at both the Lionel Hampton and Gene Harris Jazz Festivals in the US. He was also given an outstanding achievement award at the end of his summer programme at the world famous Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. He was invited by filmmaker David Lynch to perform January 2007 at Hollywood’s Kodak Theater. In the interview Keelan described his experience as a musician. Since the age of five, Keelan loved music. He enjoyed listening to his sister Annie playing piano, and he also loved listening to classical music. He began copying the melodies he heard, and from memory, began playing these on the piano. Then he started taking piano lessons with Maharishi University of Management faculty member Werner Elmker for about two years. Keelan says that Mr Elmker ‘opened him up to music’. Moving to Idaho, Keelan did not have a music teacher, but continued to play piano several hours a day on his own. At that time, he was also a highly competitive soccer player, but his instincts told him that playing piano was his destiny, something he would have all his life. So his focus on soccer fell away. At the age of 13, he started classes again at the Rivendell Music Academy in Eagle, Idaho. Here, the composer and musician who founded the academy—Justin Neilsen—saw his potential and ‘brought me into jazz,’ reflects Keelan. Keelan said he loves jazz because ‘it opens you up to so many ideas. There is no holding back. I can play whatever is in my mind.’ Some of Keelan’s favourite musicians, who have had the greatest influence on his own compositions, are Gene Harris, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Keelan writes his own music. Describing the process he said, ‘Chords come to me first, then the melody just comes.’ He is only now learning to read music! His parents are not musicians, though his Great Uncle is a great classical concert pianist, but he says ‘they are the most supportive people’ he knows. Motivated purely by the love of music, Keelan practises two to three hours every day. When asked about the creative process, Keelan explained that he practises Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation. He feels the practise of meditation and the understanding of consciousness he gained by attending Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment have been great contributors to his success as a muscian. ‘From becoming so familiar with transcending during Transcendental Meditation, I transcend easily even during the activity of listening and playing. I derive a lot of bliss and energy from playing.’ Keelan’s parents have also observed, ‘Keelan’s practice of Transcendental Meditation and his years of Consciousness-Based Education were the key to his creativity and to his profound experience of that quiet, blissful state. He has said many times that when he is playing, he isn’t doing anything at all.’ Keelan’s teacher in Idaho, Justin Neilsen, learned Transcendental Meditation because he was inspired by Keelan and Keelans parents. Mr Neilsen is now opening a school based on Transcendental Meditation, music and arts. Keelan is working with the David Lynch Foundation to have scholarships available for those students who wish to learn Transcendental Meditation. Keelan explains that ‘he (Mr Neilsen) had been looking for something in his life and couldn’t find it. Now, since learning Transcendental Meditation, he finds everything easier and notices a lot of support of Nature.’ A creative genius, Keelan is making a difference in our world, not only with his beautiful musical talents, but also by working to provide opportunities for other young artists to learn to transcend and to develop their own inner genius. Copyright © 2007 Global Good News(sm) Service
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