Together the father-daughter duo have been able to work closely to ensure Mr. Parker’s legacy, of providing quality auto repair services at an affordable price, stays alive. “I came on board as co-owner roughly nine months after stepping in to help with office work at the garage,” Ms DeRoza explained. “Once we made the decision to partner, we had to sit down and discuss what my new role would be, how we would navigate the father daughter dynamic and also gain the respect of the staff and clients. I would no longer be ‘just the secretary’, and I think for a lot people, even now, I’ve had to earn their trust seeing that I’m a young lady in a male dominated industry.”

In a bid to be taken seriously, Ms DeRoza became certified in estimation and collision repairs. Now when her dad isn’t at the office, she’s able to answer clients’ questions confidently and address their needs on her own.  She’s also taken several entrepreneurial courses, offered through Bermuda College and the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), to add to her knowledge toolbox.

She said: “What I’ve found is a lot of times entrepreneurs work in the business, but we don’t work hard enough on the business. So while we may know the day to day operations of what’s going on, we neglect to dedicate enough time to the back end and administrative tasks. Those things are overlooked; however, those are the anchor for your business and are what will ensure you’re around for years to come.”

Over the past nine years, Ms DeRoza has learnt a lot of valuable lessons – such as how to account for every penny that comes into Parker’s Auto World and not to overlook the weaknesses of the business, facing them head on instead, so the company can become better and stronger. While there are ups and downs that come with being an entrepreneur, they both say working together has been extremely rewarding.

“Acting as a team definitely makes us stronger,” Mr Parker said. “Often times, if I miss something she’s able to pick up on it and vice versa if she overlooks something. Using the combination of our strengths and skills has been extremely important to growing and thriving the business.”

Ms DeRoza admits that much of her childhood was spent at the Bermuda Motors garage, where her father worked for over three decades. She spent time after school and on weekends watching him in his element and asking questions along the way. “I’ve been around cars nearly all my life, so I’m not surprised that I’m working alongside my dad now,” she confessed. “One of the best things about working with family is that if you have a great relationship before working together it’s a huge benefit. There are times when you may not agree or see eye to eye, but you know how to communicate and work things out.”

This article was presented by the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation.

The post Mr Parker’s legacy: what matters most in family business appeared first on RG Magazines.

The Wreck Hill Rhum & Coke

Ingredients

-3 ounces Fever Tree Cola or Coke-Cola

-1 ounce Gosling’s Aged Family Rum

-1/2 ounce Gin

– 2 dashes bitters

-1/4 lime [preferably Key lime]

– Dash of club soda

Directions

Combine ingredients, mix and enjoy!

Local bartender Ryan Gibbons, from Barracuda Grill, created this cocktail in tribute to Bermudian music heritage, the Gombeys and our island culture. It took quite a bit of trial and error to get the flavors exactly right, he admits. As peach was coming into season, he paired that with the delicate taste of Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum. The drink’s sweetness comes from mango puree, brought to life with a pop of lime, dash of honeyed apricot and smoked hickory bitters.

Dancing Warrior

Ingredients

-1oz lime juice

-0.5oz mango purée

-0.75oz Peachtree peach schnapps

-1.5oz Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum

-5 drops Honeyed Apricot & smoked hickory bitters.

Directions

1) Add all ingredients to a mixing glass

2) Fill the glass with ice, cap with a shaker tin and give a vigorous shake.

3) Keeping the liquid in the shaker, release the seal between the tin and glass.

4) Strain cocktail into a short tumbler glass filled with ice.

5) Garnish with a grapefruit twist and enjoy.

This article was originally featured in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post Drink to that appeared first on RG Magazines.

OLIVIA HAMILTON – THE DIVA
After singing for years at local concerts, weddings and private functions, it may seem as though Olivia Hamilton is finally getting her chance to shine internationally. The songstress recently returned from her biggest gig to date in Australia, as part of an international tour with Savvy Entertainment. Just in the last 18 months, she performed in Troika’s highly acclaimed production of The Colour Purple; graced the stage in front of designers, bloggers and influencers at the Bermuda Fashion Festival; and served as the opening act for R&B artist Keri Hilson.
But while things are currently progressing nicely for the Bermuda native, she insists it has been a long time coming. Olivia first started singing in her grandfather’s church as a child. Her first paid gig was at the age of four when she was asked to sing at a teacher’s wedding – even early on she admits performing came naturally to her. “I was always the kid they called upon to speak at presentations or to thank a guest speaker at school. I was never really nervous or shy. My entire life, I’ve been on the stage singing and acting – that’s always been my dream.”
However, the road to stardom hasn’t always been easy for the 28-year-old. Olivia admits her biggest hurdle to making it big has actually been herself. “I didn’t believe in myself as much as I should have,” she confessed, “but I stuck to the wicket, and now some of the runs are starting to come.” “I’ve learned in this industry you just have to keep at it. There will be doors slammed in your face and people who say ‘no’, but you have to allow your own voice to be louder than that of the naysayers.”

JAYLYNN HINES – THE NEWBIE
Unlike some who spend years hustling just to get a taste of stardom, JayLynn Hines found her way into the music industry almost overnight. On a whim, someone she met in her social circle encouraged her to enter the ‘Quest for the Best’ soca song competition, hosted by Intense Mas Carnival Band. Without hesitation, she went for it. Earlier this year, she sat down for two days to write the song lyrics. Next, she found an instrumental beat to go with it, got the rights to use it and then started recording. “I flew back to Bermuda the day before I was supposed to record ‘Feeling For Ya’ and the next day we put the final touches on it and submitted it,” JayLynn said.
She didn’t expect to win – “not in a million years” – but it beat out entries from dozens of other local entertainers. “This is something totally out of the box for me. I’m normally doing video production and working behind the scenes, so it took a while for the win to sink in.”
Growing up, JayLynn was always an avid music lover. Her father, Jonathan Trott, was one of the founding members of the recording studio Spanish Town Entertainment, so as a youngster she spent hours in the sound room and backstage at events while he worked. “There was something fascinating about going around these big productions, seeing the stage, the lighting, the sound-system and feeling all the excitement backstage. I always got this buzz from that.”
Still, getting her song out to the masses outside Bermuda has involved plenty of effort over the last few months. As part of her $5,000 prize package for the competition, JayLynn has been working to get dubplates into the hands of DJs in places like Toronto, Trinidad, the U.S., St. Lucia, Barbados and England. The goal is to garner as much hype and energy around the song as possible and see how far this opportunity can take her. “There are people who have been singing for much longer than me, but I’ve realised we all have different paths we take to become successful. I just hope through my journey I can inspire a few people and prove that anything is possible.”

HARRY DUNKLEY – THE PARTY STARTER
At the age of three, Harry Dunkley got his first taste of music when his parents enrolled him in violin lessons with the Bermuda School of Music. Shortly after that, he started drumming at the Bermuda Drum Institute – a road he imagined would one day lead to him playing in a band.
But destiny had other plans. When Harry was just 16 years old, a friend introduced him to some electronic music – immediately he liked it and sooner or later he was hooked. “I spent hours researching about it, got into it myself and eventually became obsessed,” the DJ said. “I never thought I’d end up here, but I’m so glad the path evolved, and this is what I get to do.”
He eventually enrolled in the renown Berklee College of Music, studying DJing and music production, but again life threw him a curveball. In 2012, after securing an internship at a recording studio, Harry decided to leave college and move to New York. He got his foot into the electronic music industry door by going out to events, meeting people and honing his craft. He says the recipe to his success involved part passion and part industry connections.
Today the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ is making waves internationally for his skills on the turntable – having performed at huge festivals with up to 50,000 music enthusiasts like Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in New York and Las Vegas, Nocturnal Wonderland, as well as at the iconic Webster Hall in the Big Apple. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, but I also feel like I want to do some more,” he said. “My hope is to keep doing what I’m doing now and making music, but I also want to start playing at bigger events and just grow upon what I have.”

JESSE SEYMOUR – THE CROONER
It was just six years ago that Jesse Seymour decided to first sing on stage in front of a large crowd. It was a Soca VS Reggae party – and he was invited to open up for dancehall star Wayne Marshall and local artist Mitchell “Live Wires” Trott. “I was given a two-minute segment before Live Wires started his piece – and right there and then I knew I was destined to sing,” Jesse said. “The response I got from the crowd was just amazing. Bermudians are the hardest critics. You could be really good, and they would just say ‘You’re okay’. From the response I got that night, the people loved it, and it just gave me a complete rush.”
Jesse was born into a musical family and got started performing in the church. Once he decided to pursue music more seriously, he set about creating a band of his own to perform with called Fire and Ice. Success followed the singer wherever he went – first by winning the Bermuda Idol competition in 2016, then a year later when he was picked as the frontman for the 4-Forty-1 band at the 35th America’s Cup.
More recently, he was signed to be part of the three-piece group, Big Chill. Starting on May 4th, the popular trio will be performing at various locations throughout the week, starting with The Terrace on Front Street on Wednesday nights; Elbow Beach on Thursdays and Friday nights; and at Hamilton Princess and Beach Club on Saturdays. “I’m looking forward to bringing a different flavour, a different vibe to the Big Chill,” Jesse said.  “It’s going to be great. I’m excited about it. I’m finally in a place where singing is my full-time job, and I don’t have to go out and work construction anymore. I’ve accomplished about half of what I want to do. Probably my next goal will be to start singing on the world stage.”

MIKE HINDS – THE COMEBACK KING
Some music artists are a one-trick-pony, but not Mike Hinds. The singer, songwriter and ukulele player, got his start in music in his 20s working at local clubs and performing in musical theatre productions, before finding his voice as the front man with bands like The Kennel Boys. At age 41, he found his true calling, after getting his first ukulele as a gift for his birthday.
Over the years, Mike has found fame locally and internationally – gracing the stage at the John Lennon/ Peace Concert alongside local songstress Joy T Barnum; and overseas at the Ukulele Festival in Scotland and Grand Southern Ukelele Festival in the UK. “Honestly music is everything to me,” Mike said. “For a while, I was learning at least one new song a week. Right now, I have a repertoire of over 1,200 songs I can play. It’s been a lot of hard work and luck to get this far in my career. For me, luck is just the ability to be able to recognise and jump on any opportunities that come your way.”
The multi-talented artist recently went through some health challenges after being hit with emphysema, among other things. He was in the hospital, in constant pain for long periods of time and on a lot of pain meds. “I would turn the music on and let it take me away. I wasn’t able to listen and enjoy it for about six to eight weeks, but I had to have music around me.” It’s been a tough road to his health recovery, but Mike was able to get back to performing his favourite weekly gig (from Thursdays to Sundays, 7 pm until 10 pm) at The Dock at The Waterlot Inn, starting this past May. The first time he played at the Southampton spot, a friend had invited him to sing for three hours. He wound up entertaining the crowd for twice that length of time. “I feel so at home there, and after a pretty difficult year, it feels so good to be back,” he said.

Photographs: Kondwani Williams

Wardrobe and Art Direction: Perri Furbert

Make Up: Calshae Minors of FaceTyme

Hair: TK Hair Salon

This article was originally featured in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post Cover Story: Music to our Ears appeared first on RG Magazines.

What’s your connection to Senegal

My husband is Senegalese so my first visit in 2015 was one to meet the family. A North American in West Africa will quickly find that “family” over there means your entire network of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and the guy who works at the fruit stand across the street. My favourite lesson has been learning that “African Unity” is not just a saying, but a tangible thing — everyone helps everyone. I’ll quote my husband, “no one can go hungry in Senegal,” and it’s true because everyone shares what they have – be it money, food or good vibes. Now, having been there three times, going back always feels like going home.

So, tell me about your recent project to create a school library for the children over there. What inspired that?  

I was the type of child with a strong internal voice, asking lots of questions about the world. This project is five years in the making and is deeply rooted in my childhood memories at the library. In the 90s, the “diverse book” was not a thing, you just read what was on the shelf, what was most accessible for librarians, meaning white characters. About 8 months ago, I started giving interactive workshops that surrounded multicultural children’s books. The goal was, first and foremost, to help kids foster a love of reading, but also encourage self-identity, while building empathy and appreciation for different cultures. I didn’t want to replace the current school curriculum (which tends to focus on local culture) but have them sit parallel, introducing books about geography, peoples, tradition, music, dance, language, etc. that they may not have heard much, if anything, about.

What happened next?

Kind of on a whim, we thought it would be a good idea to bring the reading workshops to Senegal. It quickly turned into a building idea: build a reading culture, a bookshelf, a library for a school that needs it. It was supposed to be straightforward, but it ended up being my most rigorous, but rewarding challenge so far. A lot of the books that I had in mind for this project are expensive – inaccessibly so. I’m talking about the books that matter: with content that makes a child think critically. We didn’t have the money to do it all ourselves. We decided to start a gofundme campaign to raise funds. To our surprise, people came to us from all over the world wanting to donate. We raised close to $2,500 in a month. We also had authors from the UK, indie bookstores in Germany and around North America sending books, money and cards of support through the mail. We were in Senegal from February 1 to 27, 2018 and were able to fill three bookshelves with books, maps and flashcards for a school in Thiès village, three hours outside of Dakar. The school was run by a woman who has devoted the last 40 years of her life to educating neighbourhood children from her home. She recently found a formal space and divided it into three classrooms: this was École Mame Mariema Diouf.

What was it like being able to finally start this library and bring this dream to fruition?

Before this project, the kids had about 10 books to share between the 40 of them. Now there is a corner dedicated to reading. To inaugurate the books, we placed them all on tables and let the kids explore – and they did just that. Cover to cover, they went through, touching and looking closely at the details and asking questions, starting conversations. We were in the presence of discovery, and I was grateful to be a small part of the process of creating a value for reading that might not have been so strong. I don’t think I’ve ever been so present, but afterwards feeling like I wanted to do it again very soon. I’ve worked for a handful of international NGOs, but I’ve never felt like I’ve made such a big difference as when we were standing in that small classroom. This experience really showed me that we can all make a positive impact – and it can be started in the living room.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post Big World: To Senegal with love appeared first on RG Magazines.

“My husband Bryon and I were contemplating moving back to Bermuda because it’s my home and he had never lived here. Being newly married we wanted to think of our next adventure, and he agreed he wanted to live in Bermuda for a while.

“I have a home on the Island that belongs to my family, but it was rented out at the time. My aunt who lives on a boat in Dockyard suggested ‘Why don’t you think about living on a boat?’.  It just so happens Bryon is from Newfoundland in Canada, where boats and water are in his blood, and he was totally excited about that option.

“We started looking at Emoo and Bermuda Boat Traders for something suitable for living aboard, and we ended up looking at several. In the end, we found Free Spirit, a 43ft Carver Cabin Cruiser.

“When it comes to living on a boat, you have to also look at the outdoor living space, as that’s where you’ll be spending a lot of your time.

“We took my aunt with us to look at the boats, and when we saw Free Spirit she was shaking her head in approval the whole time saying ‘This is very nice’.

“It had a lot of natural daylight, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Between us, we have four grown children, so we wanted them to have a place to stay when visiting Bermuda.”

“We moved to the marina in Dockyard on May 1, 2015. It was a different change of pace, but I loved it almost from the word go. I had left behind a 3,500 square foot house on 35 acres in St. George, Ontario, a rural town 45 minutes west of Toronto.

“We had 25 animals including horses, alpacas, dogs and cats. It used to take me three hours to cut the grass. I spent every weekend weed whacking, maintaining fences, hedge cutting, sweeping the barn and in the winter shovelling snow. I had a perpetual to-do list that never ended.

“With two kids who did all the sports, my garage looked like a sporting goods store. We had to scale our stuff down and decide what to sell, keep or donate. In the end, Bryon and I moved here with just two suitcases and two storage containers. The whole process of downsizing was very liberating. Now it takes me an hour to clean my boat top to bottom.

“Living on a boat is very economical. Plus, Dockyard has all the amenities and restaurants you could want. We get up early, and I watch the sunrise while drinking my morning coffee. Then on a Friday night, we untie the boat and go somewhere different for the weekend. We just drop anchor, swim, snorkel or fish, take naps, I read like crazy and just chill. That’s my absolute favourite thing about living aboard. It’s simplified living.”

This article was originally published in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine. 

The post Testing unchartered waters appeared first on RG Magazines.

Sally Aggarwal had used Airbnb previously for family trips and always had good experiences. Then when a waterfront property became available for sale across from her home, she figured it would make for the perfect short-term rental for the Bermuda market. It had an amazing view and was in a great location within walking distance to Church Bay and local restaurants, as well as on a bus route.

BRING THE OCEAN FEEL INSIDE:
Let’s face it, one of the Island’s biggest selling points are the beaches. Capitalise off of that by creating a light, modern and coastal feel with the décor. In Sally’s case, she also put in glass railings to maximise the view of the South Shore.

ALWAYS HAVE FRESH LINENS

There’s nothing better than checking into a hotel and getting that first whiff of clean, fresh sheets. Try to recreate that experience for guests by having plenty of white sheets on hand for each bedroom and ample white towels in the bathrooms. Having at least three sets for each room allows Sally to prepare for a quicker turnaround between guests. Also, make sure linens are high quality and able to withstand repeated washing.

COMMUNICATE WITH GUESTS IN ADVANCE
Many guests come to the Island for a special occasion, such as an anniversary or birthday. Communicate with them in advance to make sure you understand their expectations and can assist with any pre-planning, such as having taxis waiting for them, groceries in the house or any baby/ toddler items ready.

Sophie Francis and her husband Matt decided to put their spare apartment up for rent on Airbnb to generate a rental income, while also ensuring more privacy for themselves than with a long-term tenant. They were doing a full renovation of the space anyway, so opted to stick to neutral décor and brought in a few Bermuda-inspired decorations as well, such as a retro poster and Bermuda kite on the wall.

DON’T FORGET THE LITTLE DETAILS
Guests will need everything from cutlery, to a kettle and beach towels – and don’t forget to stock up on extra toiletries. In the event someone arrives to the Island on a late flight, this way they’ll still have the basic necessities to get a shower and settle in for the night before finding a grocery store the next day.

SECURE AND INSURE YOUR HOME
While vacation rental sites like Airbnb state they offer host liability insurance of up to $1million, the Francis’ learned this coverage didn’t apply to homeowners in Bermuda. To protect themselves, they went back to their home insurance provider and added additional coverage – in the event, a guest takes a nasty fall on the property, or something out-of-the-ordinary should happen.

THINK LIKE A GUEST
We all look forward to our vacations – sometimes months or even years in advance. That’s why it’s important to make sure guests have all the information and resources at their fingertips to get the most out of their time in Bermuda. The Francis’ have included a guest book in their property, which is filled with restaurant recommendations, sightseeing suggestions, public transportation routes and other tips for tourists to read up on.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post Breath of fresh air: 6 tips to thriving in the Airbnb market appeared first on RG Magazines.

In just one summer in 1998, he drew around 30 black and white chalk pieces on canvas – paying homage to the musicians who inspired him most. From blues great BB King, jazz singer Nina Simone and reggae legend Bob Marley, to rock icons like Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler.

Then, to make a long story short, he took some of the pictures he had drawn that summer, put them in a box and packed them away for over a decade.

“The box had come with me when I moved from the States to Bermuda in 2000 and had stayed in my closet in Somerset until 2013. It wasn’t until I moved that I discovered the box again. I said ‘I bet you all these pictures I drew were destroyed’.

“One night I was sitting in my new apartment on Harbour Road and decided to open the box, and as I pulled out the first picture, I was like ‘Wow, this is pretty nice. I need to start back doing this’. That’s what kicked my passion for art back off because I had time again to devote to it and it was something I really wanted to do.”

Growing up Lee had always had a natural aptitude for art. Around age eight or nine, he would doodle and draw his favourite cartoon characters in his sketchpad. But as he got older, he stopped seeing the artistic pastime as “cool” and chose to instead focus on sports and education.

 Even up until now, he admits he’s pretty confident about most things, yet when it comes to art, he’s struggled with accepting the ‘artist’ label.

Three years ago, that all began to change when Lee started visiting different local galleries like Masterworks and Bermuda Society of the Arts: One day, he showed local curator Nzingha Ming some of his pieces – she suggested Lee could put on an exhibit of his own.

“I started laughing,” he said. “I said ‘Not me’ because I was still at that stage of comparing myself to other artists.”

Instead of hosting a big display, he started small by posting his works on social media. He was overwhelmed by the response that poured in through comments and likes. It gradually built his confidence.

Eventually, in December 2016, he gathered up the nerve to host his first exhibit at BSOA. “I went into that art show with no expectations, and the feedback, encouragement and positive words I got from everybody was just so incredible,” he said.

“People reminded me that God didn’t give me this talent to keep to myself; He has given me this ability to show people and if what I’m doing inspires someone else then great. If someone likes and appreciates it then awesome.”

More recently, his works have allowed him to pass on his love of music to his daughters. The girls often ask about the musicians or celebrities in the pictures; Lee uses it as a teaching opportunity. “All of the people I draw are people I admire,” he said.

“They have contributed something back either through civil rights, activism or charitable giving. While I was researching with my girls, I was learning things I didn’t know. The best part is I’m able to teach my children history in a non-traditional format through art.”

This story was originally published in the Summer 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post The Accidental Artist appeared first on RG Magazines.

Heart pounding, Indigo Adamson faced one of her biggest fears when she auditioned in front of a panel of judges for a chance to take the stage at the Bermuda Festival for the Performing Arts.

The 11-year-old singer delivered her song ‘a capella’, but couldn’t be sure if the judges were impressed; their expressions looked blank.

She was shocked therefore, when a few weeks later she received an email at her school, explaining she was one of six acts selected to perform in the festival’s youth competition.

“I was so happy, I nearly fainted,” the Saltus student said.

Indigo is just one of 20 gifted young people whom have been given a platform to shine through the 2018 Bermuda Festival for the Performing Arts, which runs until March 17.

The Festival’s Executive Director, David Skinner said the event series had always served to “celebrate our own artists and be as inclusive as possible”. However, in the past three years organisers have made ever greater strides to increase local participation.

“We want this to be a festival that serves the entire community and is an opportunity to bring people together, so if that’s our goal then our actions need to follow suit,” said Mr Skinner. “It’s really as simple as that.

“There’s a lot of talent on this island and unfortunately, it just doesn’t get an opportunity to be showcased as often as it should.”

In the case of Cedarbridge Academy musicians Brothers In Music, a band made up of seven high school students between ages 13 and 17, performing in the festival counted as their biggest gig to date.

Band member Shaqcoi Fox, 17, called the experience “exhilarating”.

“It was just amazing because how we practice here at school – a lot of the time we just jam out – so to be able to take that to the stage, which was full of energy and so much excitement from other people, was great.”

Tylar Jones, the band’s co-leader, said one of the highlights of the experience was getting to meet Shun Ng, an award-winning guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his unique fuse of jazz, funk, soul and blues genres.

“Just listening to how his life was when he first started music was amazing,” Tylar said. “He’s from Singapore, but born in Chicago, and had some learning challenges with dyslexia.

“He didn’t let those obstacles deter him, which kind of gave everyone this feeling of ‘It doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you do what you’re passionate about and give it all the effort so you can become great at it’.”

Brothers In Music first started performing together back in 2015, after a friend asked them to play backup during a performance at the Alpha Beautillion. That same friend went on to college, but the younger musicians decided to keep playing together at weddings, events and school assemblies across Bermuda.

Tiffany Fox, a music teacher at CedarBridge, has watched the young men blossom ever since – morphing from energetic middle school students to more focused and determined teens. All the students have been on honor roll throughout their time in the band, with several of the older members looking to advance to college in the autumn, she said.

About half of the group are considering one day pursuing music professionally, including 16-year-old Jessiah Talbot.

He’s been interested in music from as far back as he can remember. In primary school, he started playing violin and the drums and by middle school he decided to pick up the trumpet as well.

“You can express yourself a lot with music and make people feel certain things and certain ways when you create music,” Jessiah said. “I was two years old when I was introduced to the arts through Kinder Music and in those days it was just about having fun. I know for sure I’m going to follow a career in music, but I don’t know what specifically I’ll end up doing.”

Mr Skinner believes the festival has the power to inspire young Bermudians of what’s possible if you dream big and work really hard.

He explained that many of the international acts signed to take part in the Bermuda Festival, do so with the understanding they will have to give some time to the non-profit’s outreach schemes and partnerships with local schools.

“Our aim isn’t to try to create the next wave of performing artists or to put stars in people’s eyes about having a career in the performing arts,” Mr Skinner confessed. “If they want to pursue music professionally that’s great, but our underlying goal is to expose as many young people as possible to the life lessons that are inherent in the performing arts.

“Young people learn about what it takes to succeed in a career, no matter what that is, and the importance of values like hard work, commitment, dedication and integrity. And I think they come away understanding it takes one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration – that’s the message we are trying to get across.

“The performing arts is a platform for relating to people and passing on values to kids that are important for their everyday lives,” he added.

Naphisa Smith, a member of the Bermuda School of Music’s Senior Strings Ensemble, which won top place in the Festival’s Ensemble Onstage Competition, admits she has grown a lot personally from taking part in the performing arts.

The 17-year-old Bermuda College student has been playing violin for the last 13 years; her plan is to study music education and performance, so she can go on to teach, become a travelling performer and one day play music with a professional orchestra.

“I’m typically a shy person, but when I’m on stage I’m not,” Naphisa confessed. “Performing is something that boosts your confidence. I really love performing, I just don’t get the opportunity to do it as much as I would like to.

“That’s why performing in front of so many people at the Bermuda Festival was so amazing – and I’m sure everyone else in the Senior Strings Ensemble loved it too. Hearing everyone clapping and hearing their appreciation for our music was a major highlight for me.”

Naphisa has heard some say the Island’s music scene is losing steam. In her dad’s day, for example, the Island boasted a much larger youth orchestra made up of students from across the Island.

“You don’t hear about that many professional musicians in Bermuda and there are noticeably less young people taking part in the arts, but through the festival and its entertainers, we get to know the possibilities outside of Bermuda,” she said. “You learn to think bigger than just what is available on our tiny island.”

According to Mr Skinner, much of the magic of the festival happens behind the scenes.

Local artists get to know and interact with the international acts – sometimes they have chats in between sets, other times they go for a coffee after the show.

“We encourage those types of bonds,” Mr Skinner said. “It’s something you wouldn’t get in New York, London or Toronto, or wouldn’t happen as easily as it does here because we bring these people into our own backyard.”

Such was the case for young Indigo.

As a classical singer, Indigo initially thought Shun Ng’s brand of funky rock and roll music would be too different from her own style of music.

Then she learned through a series of workshops hosted by the guitarist, she actually had a lot in common with him – having also grappled with learning challenges and sometimes struggling in the traditional school setting.

“During the second workshop, after I sang my song, Shun Ng took me aside and spoke more about these challenges I face and how I can use my music to rise above the struggles,” she said.

Later that day, Indigo got to interact even more with the international artist, after her parents invited him to their house for a cup of tea, which later turned into dinner.

He agreed to help Indigo practice some of the song they were working on for the finale performance, which took place on January 30. He also taught her how to enjoy a song and make it her own, rather than just emulating how it had been done before by other singers.

“We sat on the floor and he played his guitar and I sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and he taught me how to manipulate a song to make it more original,” Indigo explained. “In the beginning, I thought ‘why change a song that is already so beautiful’, but by the end, it was so exciting and fun to play with music and to have company.”

She admits taking part in the Bermuda Festival really boosted her self-esteem and belief in her own abilities. Before, whenever she sang, she felt “ashamed of her voice” and never wanted to perform in front of others.

“Now, I really enjoy it and want to perform more, which I never expected,” Indigo added. “I still feel shy after being on stage, and all the attention that comes with it makes me feel uncomfortable, but in the moment, when I was lost in the song, I felt truly happy.”

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Her collection of 11 to 13 pieces of art for her Warwick Academy International Baccalaureate exam received incredible feedback and also earned her top marks – a six out of a possible seven.

“This has been a really productive year for me and has taught me so much,” Selaah said. “It’s shown me that I can use my talents to help other people. I feel like it’s also helped me to unveil my purpose in life, which is to give or offer people a new perspective through my talent.

“All this actually started out as a new year’s resolution – I know how people are always making them and not often sticking to them. I kind of fell victim to that in the past as well, but I knew I wanted to make 2017 different and set a big goal for myself. I’m so happy I followed through with it.

“I set my new year’s resolution to push myself further with my art and saved it as a screensaver on my phone, and reminded myself of it every day to stay focused.”

Selaah has been dabbling in the arts since she was a child. Then, while studying at Somersfield Academy in 2015, her interest in painting was taken to new heights. For a class assignment, she decided to create a mural of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize laureate, on the walls of her school.

“I chose Malala as the face of my mural because she’s an educational activist and speaks of how education should be valued and not limited based on colour, gender, religion or economic status,” Selaah said.

“I wanted to make people more aware and introduce my perspective, so my way of approaching that was to tell a story through art, and it turned out well.”

Over the past year or two, Selaah’s art style has become more “free and lively”. She has also been exploring different ways to market her creations through social-media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.

“For my IB programme, we had two years to create a collection of art to be presented in an exhibition,” the teenager said. “I started out with a theme of portraiture because I love painting faces. It’s something I have enjoyed since I was little.

“But then three-quarters of the way through my series, when I had only a few months left to go before my art exam was approaching the end, I decided my theme was too broad,” she said. “I felt like it wasn’t showing off my full potential. I believed I could still do better and I wanted it to be stronger and more of a reflection of myself and how I see things differently, so I decided to start over.”

Racing against the clock, the teenager put down her painting brush and instead picked up construction tools, including a finishing trowel, and painting knives. “By using unconventional instruments, it allowed me to vary the texture and change the way the paint was applied to the canvas,” she explained. “It gave each piece a different look and I feel that helped me to better express myself.

“It was also more fun for me and brought the works to life. They just existed differently and truly spoke to each individual I painted and their personality so much better.

“I received so much positive feedback from people about the meaning behind the work and the tools I used. This has motivated me to further develop my technique and style.”

Although a natural at art, Selaah in fact has her heart set on studying biology and sciences in university, starting in January. Her hope is to one day become a paediatrician. “Once I feel established in my medical career, I will start my own practice or at least I plan to,” the teenager said. “I hope to implement creative sides to the business as well and would love to one day create a series of art pieces for children at a hospital or doctor’s office.”

In the meantime, Selaah admits it has been rewarding to give back through art. “Some people get quite emotional when they see my work,” she said. “It’s something I never anticipated. Some people have cried. I have given a few of my pieces away as gifts and the feeling I get from giving, it’s incredible. It’s unmatched.”

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