Aspiring Musicians Park Forest Performance

Two young talented musicians will perform a selection of songs, all made famous before they were born, to entertain the senior residents at Victory Centre of Park Forest at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, August 22, at the Supportive Living Community located at 101 Main Street, Park Forest, IL. The public is invited to attend this free performance.

Singer Ian Koziara and pianist Eric Hayes, both college students and accomplished performers already, are at the brink of their careers and eager to share their melodious gifts with the senior audience. They have created a playlist including jazz favorites like “Take the A Train,” “At Last,” and “What a Wonderful World,” as well as classics like “Danny Boy” and Shubert’s “Ave Maria” that will surely strike an emotional chord with the audience.

“Music is a wonderful way to connect with others,” says Ian, who has sung on four continents with the most recent performance at La Musica Lirica’s Opera Program in Italy. “It’s amazing for us to experience the power of the songs from the past through the audience as they smile, tap their toes or sometimes even sing along.”

Ian Koziara from Itasca, IL, is pursuing a double major in Choral/General Music Education and Vocal Performance at the renowned musical conservatory at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Ian earned the Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for the highest Conservatory GPA in 2011 and has placed three times at the Annual Wisconsin National Association of Teachers Singing (NATS) auditions. Aspiring to a career in either performance or education, next year Ian will apply to graduate schools for performance.

At the age of eight, Eric learned an extended variation on Pachelbel’s Canon in D completely from ear. After discovering his talent, Eric studied classical and jazz piano and has gone on to perform with the professional jazz combo, H&H Jazz. Eric is pursuing degrees in music and computer science at Elmhurst College, where he has been part of the Jazz Combos program, played in Canada, and has been invited to play in the New Orleans Honors Jazz Ensemble at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference this fall. He currently gigs with jazz combos such as Martini Lunch and H&H Jazz, and plays across the country in the rock/pop band Blood Red Boots.

            Victory Centre of Park Forest is a vibrant Supportive Living community that offers “assisted-style living” with private apartments, beautifully-appointed common areas, assistance with personal care needs, opportunities for socialization, and transportation services for adults 65 and older, who seek to maintain their independence. For more information, please call 708-283-2921 or visit www.PathwaySL.com.