HAMLET – We all know of many outstanding students, and it is during this time of year (i.e., end of school session, graduations, etc.) that accolades and kudos are bestowed upon such individuals.
But there is one particular young man in Richmond County whose talents are so profound as to defy the imagination. Caleb Dickens, son of Jill and Mitchell Dickens, was recently accepted into the North Carolina School of the Arts and, though you may not realize just how big of an honor that is, consider this: he could have possibly matriculated at NCSA in two, if not three, different areas of study.
To put this in perspective, consider athletes drafted by professional teams in TWO (or more, on occasion – google Dave Winfield from the University of Minnesota in 1973) different sports! It is highly unusual, obviously and to say the least, for anyone to have sufficient talent in any one area as to be coveted at the highest level of “competition,” but to be so blessed with skills that one is able to awe the professionals in TWO or more such fields, well … quite impressive, wouldn’t you say?
That essentially was and is the scenario for Caleb Dickens; he is a super-talented artist in relation to the visual arts (e.g., drawing, sketching, painting, etc.) in his own right, having won numerous art contests and receiving glowing reviews of his artworks.
“He was about 11 or 12 when he drew that,” said his mother, pointing to a portrait hanging in her office that, at first glance, appeared to be an actual photograph of a young boy – it was a sketch done by Caleb.
But Caleb will not be attending NCSA as a visual artist. Rather, his passion lies in the field of music, the piano to be precise.
Although his superb skill as a visual artist was readily apparent (and, as noted, has won him tremendous degrees of recognition in Richmond County and elsewhere), it was music that attracted him the most as he grew up in Hamlet.
Under the early training of music teachers at Temple Christian School (it was here in the 4th grade that Caleb first “discovered” his desire to pursue his artistic endeavors) and later at Hamlet Middle School as a 7th grader, he knew what he wanted to do when he grew up: play the piano and eventually obtain a doctorate in the musical arts.
After observing his older sister Amber taking piano lessons, Caleb had immediately found himself attracted to the allure of the keys, so to speak. Thus, it is the piano that commands his undying love and affection, and he plays it with the dexterity and flair of a Liberace.
Even as a youngster, Caleb knew that he would require intensive training if he were to achieve his dreams. Under the tutelage of Joe Ford, a renowned local pianist of international acclaim, Caleb has now blossomed into a prodigy whose musical skills evidently surpass even the original expectations of those who have been around for the duration of this journey. He has performed at several events (e.g., Old Fashioned Christmas, Ghost Town in the Sky, etc.) and venues during the last few years, and has been highlighted in various publications (e.g., Richmond Observer, Richmond County Daily Journal, Richmond Community College’s The Torch, etc.) in the area.
Oh, and just as a casual pastime, Caleb dabbles in clothing design as well. Indeed, he has also developed into a designer of some note, at least locally; at a recent art show at Cole Auditorium, it was his “masking tape dress” that was the talk of the crowd – and it wasn’t even on display! Caleb has also more recently designed and produced another unique piece: as dress made entirely from newspapers.
So, the trifecta has been achieved for Caleb Dickens – he is sufficiently gifted in the three areas of music, visual arts, and clothing design as to effectively be able to excel in any, if indeed not all, of these areas of focus.
This writer has already had the foresight to obtain Caleb’s autograph; perhaps you should do the same and thus have proof of your contact with greatness.
