Mum discovers son's incredible secret after his death in freak accident
A grieving mum has discovered an incredible surprise in a notebook belonging to her son, following his tragic death in a freak accident last month.
Kyan Pennell, 12, died on January 31 when he was caught between a trailer and a gate at his family's Tuchekoi property, southeast of Gympie, Queensland, leaving the family heartbroken.
The young boy, who had a passion for classical music, taught himself piano just seven months ago, and unbeknownst to his parents, started writing his own composition before his death.
Now, after finding an unfinished song in a blank notebook of his, his mother Amanda Brierley is desperate to see his music come to life ahead of his funeral on Sunday. She never got to hear her son's piece.
"Kyan was composing his own classical (I could be wrong but I think he said ‘modern’ classical)," she wrote in a post on Facebook.
"I never heard what he was composing. Is there anyone that can read music and play it and send it to us? It would mean the world to us to hear his composition."
According to the heartbroken Amanda, Kyan wanted to be a concert pianist and "spent every waking hour on the piano he scraped and saved to buy."
The family is hoping the finished piece could offer "just a little insight into his mind”, she said on 4BC radio.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, she said Kyan was "so much more than the way he died".
"He had 12 years of life. I want people to remember him for that.
"We've named the song ‘Corvus, Etude #1, in C minor'. That's because he used to enjoy quoting Latin words.
"Corvus means raven, which he said he wanted to become if he was ever reincarnated, and Cor means heart, which he had a lot of."
Amanda describes her son as being "full of life, with a beautiful mind".
In a tribute on Facebook, she said: "He was diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD and used that superpower to become an incredibly beautiful and unique human who just wanted to learn and excel at everything he could, about everything there was.
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"Piano was his calling, he was 12, and had 7 months of learning, teaching himself music theory, performance and composition.
"He had committed to memory multiple classical pieces and some modern pieces (but just so he could bring a crowd in, and then educate them with the beauty of classical he would say cheekily)."
Kyan 'composed his own funeral song'
Amanda is calling for musicians to complete the music as Kyan had intended, with "repeated bits, a changed tempo and with light and shade".
"He imagined it to be performed by wind and string instruments, and of course his beloved piano," she continued on Facebook.
"He would have been so chuffed that all these wonderful people are now playing his music. Little did he know he was actually composing his own funeral song.
"He did tell me that many people have to die to become famous, well my beautiful boy, here we are," she concluded.
Amanda's post has garnered over 200 responses and has been shared almost 190 times.
So far they've had "some lovely renditions come in" but Amanda continues to encourage anyone to contribute to "his beautiful unfinished work" and hopes more come through before his funeral.
"I am extremely humbled by the responses of people,” Amanda told ClassicFM.com.
"It makes me see beauty through adversity."
According to the ABC, 16 members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra will record Kyan's song on Friday, with the aim to have it complete for Sunday's funeral.
Support for the Pennell family
Following the death of Kyan, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by a family friend to "help the beautiful Pennell family out during this difficult time".
Currently, $24,955 has been raised to help support funeral and bereavement costs, far exceeding the $10,000 goal.
Following the tragic death, Kyan's father Ian Pennell shared the devastating news with friends and family on Facebook, Daily Mail reported.
"As many may already know Amanda, Lauryn and I lost our beautiful, creative, quirky, smart, talented, funny, animal-loving son/brother Kyan yesterday in a freak accident," he wrote.
"Just wanted to thank everyone for their heartfelt messages of love and support.
"Also special thanks to the amazing flight doctors, paramedics, police personal and our neighbours who fought for over an hour in an attempt to save him. His injuries were simply too great.
"I know many will have questions and in time I will answer any personal messages. We will notify funeral arrangements when we have it organised."
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