BY ERIC KUNG
My name is Eric Kung and I am the president of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic board of directors. I am also the associate director of neurology and an adviser for the Chelsea Piers Concussion Center at Stamford Hospital. As a young boy my family and I immigrated to Stamford. My parents wanted me to play an instrument, but we could not afford private music lessons. When I was old enough I joined the school strings program. When I had the opportunity to take private violin lessons, it was my good fortune to meet an extraordinary music teacher who taught me to love music and the orchestra. His name was Salvatore Princiatti, Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic founder and my mentor. While under the maestro”™s baton, I started playing in the junior string orchestra, then middle string orchestra and finally the senior orchestra ”” Young Artists Philharmonic or as we often refer to as YAP.
Despite graduating and going off to college and then medical school, I never lost touch with my musical roots. Now having two children of my own, I realize how important music is to a strong educational foundation. Music is not just about playing notes on a page. Music making engages the areas of the brain beyond just cognition, according to our latest research, but also that of executive function. Music involves the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for working memory, reasoning, regulating behaviors, task flexibility and problem solving. Since executive functioning is a strong predictor of academic achievement, even more than IQ, music education has powerful implications for academic success.
Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic has been a big part of my life. It”™s been part of our community for the past 55 years. When I had the opportunity to give back and join the board of directors as president I was truly honored. I realized that my life had come full circle and I was truly blessed.
Eric Kung is board of directors president of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
