Page 8 - ROSEDALE Lifestyle Magazine December 2022

Brings Joy and Healing Through Song
Youth
Healing, growth and self-discovery can come from challenging times, and one Oakville youth is showing the world that this is true.
COVID-19 was a challenging time for many people around the world, at times feeling like there would be no end to the ongoing lockdowns and continuous waves of uncertainty. But 13-year-old Niko Ceci leveraged this forced “free time” and the flood of feelings that accompanied it, to create something that would brighten the holidays for his family, and continues to reverberate three years later.
Niko, a young actor, added “composer” to his repertoire in 2020, when he wrote his first song titled Christmas Morning. It was his way of coping with his complex emotions prompted by the pandemic, and expressing his deep love for his family.
The song, which Niko composed and created using a school app, was inspired by his grandmother, Anna Ceci.
“Niko certainly shares his love of song with his Grandmother. From early on, he would spend much time in her kitchen making pasta or baking Christmas cookies, as they sang Italian folksongs, along with some classics by Andrea Bocelli,” says Amanda Ceci, Niko’s mother and one-time translator for Bocelli.
Sadly, Niko’s grandmother passed away during Covid, but her memory lives on in his song.
Niko gifted Christmas Morning to his parents that Christmas in 2020. “We were delighted to receive this thoughtful present and proceeded to surprise him the following Christmas, by booking a recording studio for Niko to professionally record his song,” says Amanda. Now, just in time for Christmas 2022, the song has hit Spotify, for all to enjoy.
Listen to Christmas Morning on Spotify, here: https://open.spotify.com/album/42WYaQsbhfqAPLX FQERKM6?si=NDClEnmvThCh4aFKGmKZnQ
Niko’s passion for entertainment began when he first started walking and talking, recalls Amanda, when he spent time endlessly watching classic musicals like Annie and The Wizard of Oz. Niko took to acting himself, at the age of six, voicing numerous animated characters including “Corn” on Corn and Peg, “Pablo” on Clifford The Big Red Dog, “Cinnamon” on Blues Clues, and more.
Niko’s work can also be seen on television and in film, including roles as the singing and dancing "Seattle Mr. O" in Odd Squad (episode "O for the day"/TVO Kids/PBS Kids); "Darius" in the short film Resolve (Sunstone Pictures), and "Child #1" in Incorporated (CBS Television Studios). Niko continues to expand his television and film portfolio with notable supporting and recurring roles coming ahead in 2023
“From a young age, Niko has shown his creativity by playfully singing and dancing as a toddler, which now has evolved into serious dance, vocal and dramatic training. His is truly a lover of the arts and enjoys immersing himself fully in whatever he does, whether it’s developing a character for a new role in a movie, TV series or animation, preparing for a dance or singing competition, or just writing a script or song in his free time,” says Amanda. “We have truly enjoyed watching him develop his talents. Niko lives and breaths the arts, and we are thrilled that he has been able to ‘find himself.’ As his parents, we continue to encourage and support him along his journey, and we are so excited to see what come next for him!”
So, what’s next for Niko? Not surprisingly, his new goal is to star in a Christmas movie, given it’s his favourite time of the year.