Teen Kush Swami releases debut album by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff 23 | Friday, January 16, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Sheridan Oakville grad Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon 2 is nominated for best animated feature film for the 87th Academy Awards. | Twitter photo courtesy Sheridan College Oscars nod for Sheridan Oakville grad's animated film The good news keeps flying in for Sheridan alum Dean DeBlois. His film How to Train Your Dragon 2 received an Oscar nod Thursday when nominations were announced for the 87th Academy Awards, which recognizes the best in film. The animated movie is nominated for best animated feature film alongside Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, Song of the Sea, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. This year's Oscars ceremony is on Feb. 22 and will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. The award nomination came just days after DeBlois' animated movie won the Golden Globe Sunday for best animated feature film. DeBlois was at the 72nd Golden Globes awards night in Beverley Hills, Calif., and accepted the hardware alongside producer Bonnie Arnold. DeBlois wrote, directed and was the executive producer of How to Train Your Dragon 2 for DreamWorks Animation. The 3D fantasy action film is the second in the trilogy that follows the adventures of a young Viking hero and his dragon, and features the voices of Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel and Cate Blanchett. DeBlois graduated from Sheridan Oakville's animation program in 1990. Being a local artist who works his way to the top of the music industry is Oakville teen and hip-hop artist Kush Swami's dream. Music is very much a part of the 16-year-old Garth Webb Secondary School student's life -- he has released his debut album, Supreme, to iTunes, hopes to release a second EP featuring industry artists, and is currently composing a classical piece for the Halton Mississauga Youth Symphony. "I have been playing the violin since I was five years old and I have been making music for two years," said Swami, whose full name is Kush Yegnaswami. "I started out in my bedroom just like any other small musician, but I have now grown to a point where I'm working with industry level producers and sitting in on countless studio sessions." Officially released to iTunes in May 2014, the album features 14 tracks that blend inspiration from Swami's favourite artists with his own unique style. "Some songs follow the style of Drake with smooth vocals and heart-felt rap verses, while some of the other songs have a more mean, rap sounding vibe to it," he said. "The album contains other genres in it including EDM (electronic dance music) and the interlude classical-based, which I composed using orchestral synths. It took me two full months to create this album as well as countless studio sessions and collaborations from professional producers." Swami says while composing his original works he looks to industry artists Drake and Kanye West. The former, because he is a Toronto native who created his own brand of hip-hop, and the latter because Oakville teen Kush Swami. | screenshot from Youtube video he incorporates starkly different music genres and ideas into his songs, explained Swami. The local teen says he decided to try his hand at making his own music when he would hear songs playing on the radio or YouTube and be inspired to change certain things "in order to make it sound better." "Making my own compositions, that's how I put my creativity to the test," he said. Swami also has a music video for his song Long Nights, which is can be viewed on YouTube. He says he hopes his album will help grow his fan base and become a stepping-stone to eventually being signed to a record label. For more information on Swami, visit his website at www.swamiproductions.webs.com or www.facebook. com/KushSwamiMusic. Oakville Galleries gives a look into Depth of Perception It's a battle between the screen versus solids in Oakville Galleries latest exhibit Depth of Perception. The winter show, which opens Sunday (Jan. 18), is a group exhibition that considers how "perception and physicality have been altered by the ubiquitous presence of screens in our daily lives," said a news release issued by Oakville Galleries. It will feature 15 artists, including Trisha Baga, Peter Campus, Alex Da Corte, Anne de Vries, Christoph Girardet and Matthias Müller, Hadley+Maxwell, Marisa Hoicka and Johnny Forever, Oliver Husain, Vishal Jugdeo, Owen Kydd, Linda Quinlan, and Judy Radul. The opening of the show at Centennial Square, 120 Navy St., runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. and will be followed by a reception at nearby Gairlock Gardens, 1306 Lakeshore Rd. E., from 3:30-5 p.m. Depth of Perception will stay on display until March 15. Tickets on sale for OCPA season Tickets are now on sale for the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts' (OCPA) winter 2014/spring 2015 performance series. "It includes some extraordinary and inspiring Canadian and internationally acclaimed musicians, famously funny comedians and artists from a variety of genres -- pop, rock, jazz, world music and dance," Robin Howarth, OCPA manager, SHERWOOD HEIGHTS said in a press release. SCHOOL The line up of artists includes: ukulele musician A private coeducational school offering a comprehensive and well-rounded Jake Shimabukuro; Alan Parsons Live Project; Jocurriculum from preschool to grade eight. hannes Linstead; YellowJackets; Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal; Great Lake Swimmers; Soulpepper; Bettye "Small Class Sizes with Personal Attention & Care" Lavette; Jann Arden; and veterans of Saturday Night Enriched Curriculum with a Strong Emphasis on Core Subjects Gr. 5 to 8 High School Academic Preparation Program Live, to name a few. Advanced Computer, Business & Technology Studies . French at all Levels The series opens on Thursday, Jan. 22 with Daryl Full & Part-time Kindergarten Programs . Indoor Gym/Outdoor Playgrounds Stuermer of the group Genesis. Computer, Music & Library Areas . Transportation Available Johannes Linstead has a concert on Saturday, Jan. 24 Extracurricular Clubs . Before/After School Care Programs while an intimate evening with Yellowjackets is set for Kennedy Campus Erin Mills Campus Thursday, Jan. 29. 5870 Kennedy Rd., Mississauga 3065 Glen Erin Dr., Mississauga A complete list of performances is available in the (one block south of Britannia) (one block north of Dundas) online edition of the OCPA's LIVE! brochure at www. (905) 569-8999 (905) 712-4343 oakvillecentre.ca. Tickets are available at the OCPA's website, by phone OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, January 24, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at 905-815-2021 or in person Monday-Saturday from www.sherwoodheights.com - info@sherwoodheights.com 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the 130 Navy St. performance centre. C SHERWOOD HEIGHTS SCHOOL NC E X E K NOW LED GE E LL CON F E NC E ID E