MEET ABIGAIL HUANG

What is…

Your name? Wey Wey (Chris) Wong

Your spouse's name? Danny Huang

Your children’s names? Abigail Huang* and older brother Jaden (JJ) Huang.

Your dog's name? Teddy Atticus, our Corgi puppy.

*Answers below are provided from Abigail’s perspective:

When did you move to Harmony? Twelve months ago.

What street do you live on? Bluestem.

What do you love most about Harmony? The natural surroundings and the lakes.

What are your kids’ favorite things about Harmony? Abby and JJ love to take long walks in Harmony. JJ goes swimming at the Swimming Club weekly, and practices golf swings often. They both really enjoy the outdoors here in Harmony.

Where did you move from? Dr. Phillips.

What do you miss most? Some of the conveniences and retails, e.g. Target and some really amazing eateries in Dr. Philips.

What is your background? I am Abby and me and my older brother, JJ, were born here in Orlando—Winter Garden, specifically. I am 12 and JJ just turned 15. I am a rising 7th grader this year. My mom is from Texas, and my Dad is from New York. My mom is in education, and she operates a Huntington Learning Center, a school district partner in helping students improve their academics. My brother and I both attend the private school that my mom runs. We have the best personalized education there. My dad has a restaurant in Orlando and he brings us yummy food from the restaurant all the time.

What is a good story about Harmony? We went house hunting 18 months ago and visited a beautiful house in the Harmony Estates, but eventually my parents bought the house on Bluesteam Road as it fits my baby grand piano better! The house is also beautiful, charming and it's on the water. The piano is my life… I will explain…

It was clear from the moment I was born that music was to be my destiny. I can say humbly and without ego that I’m not your average little girl playing the piano. My parents discovered my musical talents at the age of 3.5, and under the stern tutelage of my music teachers, I am working hard to fulfill my calling in music. It’s my life’s work to express those emotions and feelings that can only be conveyed through music.

I am very fortunate to have won many state and international competitions. Some of the bigger stages I have performed were the Carnegie Hall in New York, the NBA games’ opening and half-time for two years, and two charity concerts before the pandemic. The pandemic didn’t slow me down but allowed me to focus more on learning music theory, sharpening my performance and technical skills, as well as expanding my creativity. I was so fortunate to meet one of the best music producers, Michael Frankin, who produced two of my first albums. The first album was my Christmas music collection, and the second one was Michael’s project for me to record the “Children Songs” by the Jazz Pianist legend, Chick Corea, to commemorate his brilliant work in the music industry.

I am now working under the mentorship of Dr. Cullear, a Piano Master, performer, educator, clinician, and composer, from The University of Texas at Austin (DMA, MM), The Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, Spain.

What is unusual or unique about Harmony, in comparison to your previous home? The Harmony house sits in front of the water, has a very pretty water view, and overlooks the dog park, while our old house is large and beautiful, the backyard faces a busy street. This house is homey and cozy, and allows me to look out the massive windows and enjoy the water view while playing my music.

My piano now sits on a Juliet-styled balcony and the acoustic effect takes my music to every corner of the house. I used to practice in a music room, but I love this open balcony! My puppy sits under the piano and keeps me company while I practice sometimes.

What is your favorite weekend activity? I practice a lot—an average of 5 hours per day—to keep my skills sharp and my creativity flowing with more new pieces I want to compose. I love taking walks with my brother,

JJ, and joining him, my dad, and my teachermentor, Mr. Will, on the golf course and watching them practice their swings.

Is there a neighbor experience you are most proud of? I am proud to see a lot of neighbors helping each other with things they need or have to share on Facebook groups. I have not seen this level of neighborhood interactions in other areas of Central Florida where we lived. This is a very nice change of pace to see people care and still be willing to help one another. I am proud of the Harmony Community organizer for putting all the wonderful farmer’s markets and seasonal events in the Town Square and we would love to see more of them, especially the food-truck nights!

Are there any recommendations for other neighbors? Yes, we would highly recommend other people to Harmony. At the same time, I think the neighborhood in Harmony can also have smaller groups, such as a blockparty if they want to gather more often and on different schedules. I am always willing to provide the music for any street/block party.

Do you do any charity or non-profit work? My charity foundation is the Make-A-Wish Foundation. My last two concerts’ proceeds were donated to them. I hope to have another concert by the end of this year. You can find out more of my charity work on my website: www.abigailhuang.com

Do you have a cause or business that you would like to promote? My mom’s learning center has helped over 300+ students during the last two and a half years of tough pandemic years. I have improved academically as well and am now focusing on getting the best grades so I can begin exam prepping. If families in Harmony have any educational needs, please see her website and schedule an academic evaluation and get them the help they need. https://huntingtonhelps.com/ center/st-cloud-fl

Who is your role model and why? I really admire Chick Corea and his ability to play different genres of music and his jazz piano pieces are amazing. For classical piano, I like Mozart and Chopin the most.

What do you do for fun? Music is my life so just about everything I do for fun is music related. I play note games on my iPad, compose my own music, and also practice music flash cards. I also love to color and draw and make my own “talk-show” videos sometimes.

What is the last movie that you have seen in the theatre? I have not seen many movies in the theater, but the recent one was “Disney Coco”, and I love the story, all the colors, and the music in the movie!

What is your favorite TV show? I like “The Office” because they are funny!

What else should we know about you or your family? We are fun people that love music, food, and enjoying good company. I would like to jam with other musicians in the neighborhood and even have free concerts for our Harmony community, especially during festivals and holidays! Let’s do it! n