John Kim Bell 1952–
First Aboriginal Canadian Symphony Conductor
John Kim Bell has been a musician for most of his life. When Bell was young, his parents took him from Canada to Ohio to study music. He studied piano at first. Later, he studied violin and saxophone. In high school, he played piano for a Broadway musical touring company. After a year, the company hired him as a conductor. Bell became the youngest professional conductor in the United States at the age of 18. And, in 1980, the Toronto Symphony hired Bell, making him the first Aboriginal Canadian symphony conductor.
In 1983, Bell appeared in a television documentary. After seeing Bell, a Mohawk Indian, on television, other Aboriginal Canadians wanted to know how their children could study music and succeed as artists. Soon, Bell received many requests for information.
This experience inspired Bell to help Aboriginal Canadian students get scholarships to study the arts. In 1985, he started a foundation called the Canadian Native Arts Foundation, now called the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. The foundation has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships. It organizes a series of career fairs for Aboriginal youth.
Bell also started the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 1993 to celebrate professional achievement in Canada's Aboriginal community. The awards show has become the largest Aboriginal cultural event in Canada.
Critical Thinking
What word would you use to describe John Kim Bell? Explain your answer.