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Piano Profiles: McKenna Flekman BY BIANCA HEY WARD
Sing for Hope Piano artists Judi Donin (left) and McKenna Flekman (dark shirt sitting) Credit Vince Bucci
An incoming high school senior, 17-year-old McKenna Flekman is the youngest name on the roster of talented artists participating in the Sing for Hope Piano project in Beverly Hills. Designed in homage to music and performing arts, the piano features brightly colored musical notes, stringed instruments,
AUGUST 20, 2021
and words written in calligraphy such as “harmonic,” “dramatic,” and “dynamic” over a painted white base. Titled “Practice,” the piano is located at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, along the fence at North Canon Drive, and available for public use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily through Sept.
6. Flekman worked alongside lead artist Judi Donin, who is involved with GRoW @ The Wallis, the outreach and education arm of the Wallis. Flekman is an active volunteer with the Miracle Project, an organization that provides fully inclusive theater, film social skills and expressive arts programs for individuals with autism, other disabilities and abilities. “I was initially drawn to Sing for Hope because I’m a very creative person,” Flekman told the Courier. “I love to paint and draw, and I also love performing arts and singing. So, it was a sort of blend of those two passions of mine. I love the meaning behind creating these amazing pieces of art that can then be used to create more art. And so, I just loved the whole concept.” According to Flekman, music has been a passion of hers since she can remember. However, her focus is on musical theater. “I read music and I can play some chords, some notes, but I don’t call myself a piano player by any extent,” Flekman told the Courier. Throughout the course of four four-hour sessions, Flekman helped Donin paint a piano destined to be played by the masses. “Well, the first thing I did was I helped cover the whole entire piano the white base coat, and that takes a while,” Flekman said. “I painted some of the musical notes and I also did all of the gradient color detail work.”
Outside of school, she spends her time volunteering at the Wallis with The Miracle Project. For the past five years, she has participated in programming and helped others with different abilities learn how to express themselves through the arts. As a volunteer, Flekman assumes the role of “co-actor” and students are “actors” to level the field among cohorts participating in the same class. “It’s more so the position of I’m in the class with everyone else, but I’m there to support and help in any way that anybody needs, really,” Flekman told the Courier. “It’s a very welcoming and inviting program where, as a volunteer, I’m part of the class with the students.” After Sept. 6, the piano will be placed in its “forever home” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for future programming. “I love that it’s going to be relocated somewhere where I’ll be going,” Flekman told the Courier. “Hopefully, I’ll return to in-person classes there soon with my volunteer work, but I’m excited for it to be going somewhere that I get to see the outcome being in that location. I hope that everyone there enjoys the piano and enjoys using it.”
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