Tucked above the bustling hum of Bergenline Avenue among stores of every kind is a haven for musicians, students of all ages and songwriters looking to bring their art to aural life – run by a Dominican-born, classically-trained musician.
Kennedy Ng (pronounced "ing"), the founder of Kennedy’s Music World in Union City, is a pianist who began his life in the Dominican Republic. Ng holds three music degrees: a BA in music, a BA in Music Therapy and an MA in Music Education.
Ng also works as Union City’s Community Development Association director and has seen a couple of community-minded programs to fruition. He also has seen well-renowned musicians pass through his studio, which he started in 1987 on the second floor of 3608 Bergenline Ave.
Said Ng, "Music is everything to me. Over the years, I have grown as a person though the help of music. I’ve been teaching and recording for 25 years, and we’ve heard nothing but great things about [the studio]. It’s a place for Latino musicians to come and record and feel that they are in a community."
The rooms of Kennedy’s Music World have seen some of the giants of Latin music pass through them, including Cuco Valoy, a popular figure in the meringue style.
Also, according to Ng, one of his students composed "seven or eight" songs on Enrigue Iglesias’ debut album Enrique Iglesias.
And while photographs of famous recording stars line the walls of the studio, Ng has never forgotten the community in which the studio resides. To him, it’s all about the betterment of the community.
One program he has run has Ng and other musicians going into senior centers to play music for them. Utilizing percussion instruments, piano and voice, the program, which runs every other Sunday, endeavors to engage seniors, who might otherwise spend the day staring out a window.
And the reactions, said Ng recently, are worth the effort it takes.
"It’s incredible to watch the seniors’ reactions to the music," he said. "The reactions are amazing. A lot of them have the same routines everyday. With the music therapy, it brings them out of their shells and helps them socialize. We use the music as a way to get them to communicate and talk about their lives."
Lucio Fernandez, who also works at City Hall as the deputy director of public affairs, and is a bandleader in his own right, collaborates often with Ng and also works with the senior music therapy program.
Said Fernandez, "The seniors love it. I’ll tell you what – no kidding – you go in there expecting to make the seniors feel good, but you leave there feeling like a million bucks."
Fernandez made sure to give Ng credit for all he has done, but especially for the kind of person he is.
Said Fernandez, "The striking thing about Kennedy is that he does all of these things for the community. He has his job and his studio, but he remains totally humble and above all else, professional."
The studio features both analog and digital recording suites as well as every instrument one could imagine. Lessons are also offered on guitar, bass, voice, drums and piano, all at affordable prices.
Said Ng, "When I came from Santo Domingo, there were no Latino-run music schools or recording studios, so I saw a need to continue the tradition of Latino music in the community, to keep it alive."
Song for the mayor
Ng also used his studio recently to create a special treat for the mayor. Ng put together a tribute CD with a song in Spanish and English about Mayor Brian Stack.
"I was having a bad night," said Ng of the song’s inception. "I couldn’t sleep and I started to think about how hard Brian works for the city and that while I was in bed, he was probably still working. I felt I had to write something in appreciation of all the hard work he does for the city and especially for people in need."
Guests that arrived at Scheutzen Park on November 4 (Election Day) for a political celebration were not only inundated with the sweet smell of success (Stack, who was running for assembly, was victorious), but were given a copy of the compact disc at the door. The CD was composed and recorded by Ng and Lucio Fernandez.
The song is called "A Man’s Mission" and is, according to the CD’s artwork, "an anthem for the leader Brian P. Stack." Stack is pictured on the cover floating in the clouds along with an American flag and a Union City banner.
Certainly, this would be a curious move under normal circumstances, but according to Ng, his desire to write and record the song was nothing but heartfelt.
Ng said that when he presented the CD to Stack, the mayor got choked up and was very thankful. "He got tears in his eyes," said Ng.
Said Stack last week, "I was very surprised by it. It shows you how talented and caring Kennedy is."
Contest
Ng’s other project is what is called "Buscando Voces," or "Searching for Voices," a vocal competition that features folks of all backgrounds and abilities competing for the prize of having their voices recorded with a full orchestra and band at Ng’s studio. 2003 is the third year that the competition is held and, according to Ng, it becomes more successful each year.
"The competition is open to anyone from 18 to 90," said Ng. "This was, when it started three years ago, the first Latino vocal competition in the state. People from all over the state come and compete at Scheutzen Park."
The next competition will be held in January. The competition gives the entrants the chance to perform in front of an audience and to test their abilities in a live music setting, yet at the same time, doing it in front of a local, friendly audience. The winners get to record at Ng’s studio backed by an orchestra and full band – no computers.
Said Ng, "There’s a lot of talent out there, but there is certainly a lot of it here in Union City."
Lyrics
A sample of the lyrics written by Ng and sung by Lucio Fernandez show a man who is definitely confident of Mayor Stack’s abilities:
There is a man thinking in the night
Contemplating his city in his dreams
Always trying to help the people
Without care of race or color of skin
There’s a man working without rest
Someone that listens and feels out needs
That suffers if we suffer and feels happiness
When helping someone in need…
Said Ng, "My purpose behind the song is not to show people what it is I do, but to let others know that Mayor Stack is doing a great job and has a great heart."