Current Grade 10 student Merhan Mansour (who is also known as Kat) is a musician and started attending Collingwood in Grade 3. She was born in London, England and immigrated to Canada when she was eight. Her father’s family is from the Middle East, and her mother’s family is Canadian/European. Merhan has 1 brother and 2 sisters.
At school, Merhan’s favourite classes are Biology 11 Enriched, Pre-calculus 11, and Jazz Band. When asked why, Merhan explains: “they’re my favourite subjects because I really enjoy the topics and it helps me learn how the world works.” One of Merhan’s hobbies is playing musical instruments. She plays piano recreationally and plays the alto saxophone for her Jazz Band class at school. For sports, she has been playing soccer on and off, and this is her fifth year playing in Canada. Merhan typically spends the rest of her time finishing her homework, but she loves reading and spending time with friends as well.
She started playing piano when she was around 5 years old. At first, she played because her parents wanted her and her siblings to play an instrument. However, today, Merhan continues to play the piano because she has fallen in love with it.
The person who inspires Merhan and her music the most is her grandmother. If she could ask her grandmother one question, it would be about her favourite artist. Merhan herself does not have a particular artist who is her favourite, but she loves playing classical music. From time to time, Merhan will take an examination, but she does not participate in competitions, as she plays piano to enjoy the beauty of it. She has discovered that creating and playing beautiful music helps her think deeper and more effectively.
Merhan believes that music is a manifestation of one’s emotions, personality, and mental state, whether that’s reflected through how one plays or the pieces that one creates. Sometimes, it is difficult for people to describe what they’re going through in words; they weave and embed it into their music instead. To Merhan, music is a way for her to connect with her family and express her emotions. She feels like music has helped her become a better person and provides something that she can always be proud of. Over the years, Merhan has definitely improved a lot, and her tastes have also changed. However, she’s always believed that the most important thing about music is self-expression. For any aspiring artists out there, Merhan’s advice for you is to simply keep going. She elaborates, “It’s very generic but if you stick with it, it will create something very unique and beautiful.”
In the future, Merhan doesn’t plan on going into music as a career, but she hopes to continue playing music, as she believes that through music, she will discover more about herself.
By Grace Yao
Hear a song bellow:
At school, Merhan’s favourite classes are Biology 11 Enriched, Pre-calculus 11, and Jazz Band. When asked why, Merhan explains: “they’re my favourite subjects because I really enjoy the topics and it helps me learn how the world works.” One of Merhan’s hobbies is playing musical instruments. She plays piano recreationally and plays the alto saxophone for her Jazz Band class at school. For sports, she has been playing soccer on and off, and this is her fifth year playing in Canada. Merhan typically spends the rest of her time finishing her homework, but she loves reading and spending time with friends as well.
She started playing piano when she was around 5 years old. At first, she played because her parents wanted her and her siblings to play an instrument. However, today, Merhan continues to play the piano because she has fallen in love with it.
The person who inspires Merhan and her music the most is her grandmother. If she could ask her grandmother one question, it would be about her favourite artist. Merhan herself does not have a particular artist who is her favourite, but she loves playing classical music. From time to time, Merhan will take an examination, but she does not participate in competitions, as she plays piano to enjoy the beauty of it. She has discovered that creating and playing beautiful music helps her think deeper and more effectively.
Merhan believes that music is a manifestation of one’s emotions, personality, and mental state, whether that’s reflected through how one plays or the pieces that one creates. Sometimes, it is difficult for people to describe what they’re going through in words; they weave and embed it into their music instead. To Merhan, music is a way for her to connect with her family and express her emotions. She feels like music has helped her become a better person and provides something that she can always be proud of. Over the years, Merhan has definitely improved a lot, and her tastes have also changed. However, she’s always believed that the most important thing about music is self-expression. For any aspiring artists out there, Merhan’s advice for you is to simply keep going. She elaborates, “It’s very generic but if you stick with it, it will create something very unique and beautiful.”
In the future, Merhan doesn’t plan on going into music as a career, but she hopes to continue playing music, as she believes that through music, she will discover more about herself.
By Grace Yao
Hear a song bellow: