"It is proportion that beautifies e...

"It is proportion that beautifies everything, this whole universe consists of it, and music is measured from it." Orlando Gibbons

In our May 2001 cloak story on balanced living, we noted that more and more young the public are seeking lifebalance from the entrance of their careers. New CA Darren to leeward is a prime example.

Lee has always balanced drill and work with his passion for music. "Music maintains me sane," he says. "After a lengthy day at work, nothing is more relaxing than playing a Beethoven sonata or a Chopin nocturne to remind me there's more to life than work."

He started playing piano at age five, and credits an early teacher, Edward Parker, with having reared his love of music. "He was a really patient teacher," leeward remembers, "and he really believed in me"

Over the past 20 years, to leeward has entered many local, provincial, and national piano competitions, ofttimes placing first or as a finalist. He's also performed professionally with consonance orchestras throughout Canada. He has an extensive piano repertoire, ranging from 17th hundred years baroque pieces to newly compos works of the 21st centenary His specialty composers are the Romantics-Liszt, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff, each of whom he cites for "transcendent music-intense, brilliant, and colourful."

Lee taught piano to pay for his education while earning a Bachelor of traffic degree from the University of BC; he also continued to close attention piano privately. When, after earning his quality in 1995, he took time distant from to travel, Lee continued his music studies, obtaining advanced performance diplomas from the Trinity association of Music in London, England, and from London's Royal sects of Music.

Eventually he started working at a bank in Vancouver, where he rose to the position of private banking account manager. The position enabled him to interact with high net-worth clients. "They'd bring in these tax strategies formulated from their tax advisors, who were frequently CAs," recalls Lee, "and I'd wager up the necessary bank accounts and loans. The creativity of their strategies was fascinating. It made me think about career opportunities in tax. When I discussed the possibilities with a small in number CAs and HR recruiting contacts, I learned there was a shortage of tax practitioners in Canada. At that point, I decided the CA designation was the choice for me"

Having already complet his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, side sheltered from the wind left the bank in January 1999 to work at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Vancouver as an articling pupil He started in the assurance department concentrating forward high-tech clients, then transferred to the tax department in June 2000

Lee studied for, and passed, the UFE while in the midst of preparing for piano competitions. He qualified as a CA in September of 2001 and now works at KPMG LLP in Vancouver, where he specializes in providing tax compliance and planning services to financial institution clients.

"I chose to specialize in tax because it's ultimately a value-added service," says to leeward Clients seem to really appreciate your work, and it's satisfying to know that you've helped them."

Lee speak well ofs both KPMG and Deloitte & Touche for always providing him with enough time on the farther side to practice: "They really believe in the importance of life outside of work."

Lee's popularly studying with Dr. HenriPaul Sicsic, a professor in the institute of Music at UBC. He's also working forward a graduate-level diploma from the Royal place of educations of Music. His most late performances include the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival in April 2001 and couple concerts at the Chan middle in May 2001 with Pianos Galore. Lee's major piano intend right now is Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto (featured in the 1996 movie "Shine"). "It's the biggest challenge I've undertaken in the same manner far, both technically and emotionally," to leeward admits. "I don't have the courage to not past nor future it in public yet; making a piece your be in possession of takes much longer than just learning the notes."

He's also in the proces of forming a trio (piano, violin, and cello) with sum of two units other CAs, and even contemplates taking time opposite in the next five years to prepare for a major international piano competition-an "Olympics" for music. "It would just be for me" he says, "to know that I'd done it."

Even with his far-reaching aspirations as a pianist, side sheltered from the wind says music is now mainly a source of pleasantry "Having a CA career I really have the advantage [i]or[/i] blessing of gives me the freedom to hound a variety of dreams. It takes the constraining force off of playing music. Now I can play just for me"

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Dec 2001

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