18 February 2020, 11:00 am
?All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them? : Walt Disney
This article has been preserved from The Voice Of Sikkim historical news collection and reflects information available at the time of its original publication.
?All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them? : Walt Disney
?All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them? : Walt Disney
Young music prodigy, our son from the Himalayas has proven that whatever our dreams are can be fulfilled; magic can happen if we just focus with persistent endeavors, an inspiring journey of Dibesh Pokharel who goes by the stage name of Arthur Gunn has shown us that with talent, passion dedication and hard work there is nothing an individual can?t achieve. The 21 year old musician has given a standout performance in the 18th season of American idol (a reality show) and has bagged his golden ticket to Hollywood where he will be competing with other contestants.
From Nepal to Kansas, and further to the American Idol stage, Dibesh?s ?Girl from the north country? by Bob Dylan and ?Have You Ever Seen The Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival leaves the judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie saying he is "de-best." (pun intended).
Just like him there are other talented artists like Prashant Tamang who was the winner of Indian Idol Season 3, Prakriti Deuja who made history in 2014 by becoming the first Nepalese American to sing the American national anthem at a National Basketball Association (NBA) game, Nisha Rasaily, Passang Doma Lama and many more who have made it to state, national and international platforms whom we have been nothing but proud of.
Sikkim is no doubt the home to some of the most incredibly talented musicians, songwriters, singers and artists , with some of the best metal, electronic, folk, fusion, rap, pop and jazz singers and musicians, we just need to select a genre and there will be a representative with an exclusive following, many of them are amateurs and some might even be ready for professionalism nevertheless the career in music in our state is still a question, singing and music here are only looked as a mood booster or a casual way of passing time or something informal. The effort, hard work and consistency needed to achieve professionalism in this field are at a whole different level and it usually creates skepticism to both parents and student alike. Delhi University has a list of colleges offering courses in music or there is Berkley school of music which is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Our state no doubt has a department pertaining in music but needs to step up the game.
More of vocal trainings and workshops could be provided to students who are interested in professional singing and music, frequent singing competitions could be held in schools and colleges or outside this may help in confidence building, better instruments could also be provided and also encouragement is the key ingredient.
The talented lot from our hills can also reach for the stars if they are nurtured well and with hard work and determination nothing can go wrong.
Lastly, we wish to watch Dibesh Pokharel soon performing at Hollywood and live his American dream, break a leg!