Aydan's ambitions: 10-year-old plays drums, chess and sprints

TENISHA SYLVESTER

Aydan De Bique is a competitive and energetic ten-year-old with a passion for drumming, track and field and chess!

The standard three student of Sacred Heart Boys’ RC Primary School has been drumming for the past three and a half years, competing twice in NGC’s Sanfest. Aydan along with 12 other boys representing his school took the title of Best Afro-Caribbean Drum Performance with their piece A Trini Mix at NGC Sanfest 2017.

“The best part of drumming is the practice sessions because drumming is usually easy for me and I get to spend more time with my friends,” said Aydan in an interview with NewsdayKids.

He also plays two types of drums, the base and cutting. “The bass carries the rhythm and cutting holds the melody. If the bass falls apart then the rhythm falls apart, so you need the bass to carry the song.”

During any performance, he prefers to play cutting because of its versatility in carrying the melody.

“In 2016, I first competed for Sacred Heart Boys’ and we came second in the Afro-Caribbean category. In 2017, I felt victorious when I heard we had won our category, we started to sing and dance because we were so happy.”

The group of 13 boys taught by drumming instructor Leon Grey would practise for two hours every Friday and as the competition came closer they would spend as much as four hours perfecting their performance. “We put a lot of effort into our performance and our instructor made sure we had fun while doing so.”

Aydan also enjoys running as he is a member of the Concorde Track and Field Club where he won an award for outstanding juvenile male in 2016. “Running is my life because I enjoy winning races.”

He is coached by Clayton Walkes, Natakki Dasant and Kieve Wilson. Apart from running with Concorde, Aydan has also taken part in Sagicor’s Phoenix Walk Run 2017 5k, Massy Stores Food Run 5k in 2016 and 2017 and with The National Association of Athletics Administrations where he won a silver and two bronze medals in an 80 metre and two 60 metre races.

Aydan also enjoys playing chess because it challenges him to think strategically in order to beat his opponent. His favourite subject is maths because it also tests his ability to solve equations. “I like things that make me think hard in order to solve them.” He placed third in a chess competition hosted by Sacred Heart Boys’ in 2015.

He is also an altar server at St John the Baptist RC Church, San Juan.

What are his goals?

“I would like to become a pilot, gynaecologist and own a cyber security firm because I like technology and that’s where the money is at. I would also be able to help my family.”

Aydan, who lives in San Juan, is encouraged by his mother Nakisha De Bique, aunts Tynelle, Nykelle and Korysé, grandfather Gregory and grandmother Beverly Roach-De Bique to always follow his dreams.

“Mrs Syms and Mr Peters who are teachers in school also support me. My class teacher Mrs Clemendore is the best and so is the drumming instructor Mr Grey.”

Aydan attends lessons for maths, social studies and science for an hour each on Wednesdays and Thursdays with his class teacher and makes time for track and field training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“I manage school, training and drumming by pacing myself and getting my homework done after lessons or right before I go to bed.”

He hopes to attend Holy Cross College, Fatima College, St Mary’s College or Trinity College when he sits the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam in 2020.

His advice to everyone is, “Don’t be afraid to do what you like and never give up.”