- Ambar Ashraf, 11, 6th grade
- Daniel Ashraf, 9, 4th grade
- Arbor Montessori School
The creative juices are clearly overflowing from siblings Ambar and Daniel Ashraf, residents of Brookhaven Fields. These rising 6th and 4th graders, respectively, are full of artistic energy and musical talent, and are the epitome of the definition of artistic.
Ambar, 11, is a self taught computer animator, and, combined with her love of cats, helps to create animations that play along with music. She decided one day she wanted to learn how to create the animations she enjoyed watching online, found free software and taught herself to animate, much to her mother's amazement.
"I was fascinated that she did it, she just went on YouTube, read all the reviews, found the software she could download and started doing it!" said Neely Sood, their mother.
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While on break from school for the summer she is working on an animation for an original piece of music from local band The Cat Daddies that features, you guessed it, cats!
"She gets to think about how she wants it all laid out, listens to the music, and does it however she likes," explains Sood.
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And while Ambar gave up playing the piano to perfect the art of animation, her younger brother, Daniel, is picking up where she left off with the ivory keys. This young pianist is studying the Suzuki Method, which was originally developed in Japan, and recently graduated from the first book of seven which make up this style of piano playing.
"He practices 10 to 15 minutes every day, and is very disciplined," Sood said.
He is also taking a cue from his older sister, and has recently asked to take some art classes.
The Ashraf siblings certainly are on their way to an artistic future, and Brookhaven couldn't be more excited to see what they turn out!