Pianist Tanya Bannister Performs to Benefit Seacology
Yale student and classical pianist Tanya Bannister recently donated to Seacology $2,500 in proceeds from a concert she performed in her London home. We asked Tanya to write about her decision to share her musical talents and hold this performance as a benefit for Seacology.
I first heard about Seacology from my parents, who told me about all the amazing work Dr. Cox and Seacology had done for the indigenous people from whom we have learnt so much. When I visited Kauai Island with my parents, who are Hawaiian Blue Diamonds representatives with Nu Skin Enterprises, I was inspired to do my part in contributing to what I thought was a very important and worthy cause.
As a pianist I thought it would be a good idea to give a concert in support of Seacology. Music can sometimes be so abstract in the way it reaches and touches people. I wanted to have a concrete result from what I could do, even though it might only be in a very small way. I prepared a program that I felt would appeal to all sorts of people. I played a mixture of solo and chamber music works that included composers such as Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Messiaen and Liszt. I decided that for once it would be fun to play in my own home on my own piano for people that enjoyed music and were interested in helping Seacology. The recital was followed by dinner in the garden provided by my parents, and the event was attended by 45 people.
My goal as a musician is to share the music that I respect and love in what I think is the best possible way at that moment. It gave me a great deal of pleasure to know that through my playing, I could make a difference to the lives of people even though they could not hear the music.
