Member profile: Darren Lee, CA

Beyond Numbers, Dec 2001 by McRae, Michelle

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

In our May 2001 cover story on balanced living, we noted that more and more young people are seeking lifebalance from the outset of their careers. New CA Darren Lee is a prime example.

Lee has always balanced school and work with his passion for music. "Music keeps me sane," he says. "After a long 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 fostered his love of music. "He was a really patient teacher," Lee remembers, "and he really believed in me."

Over the past 20 years, Lee has entered many local, provincial, and national piano competitions, often placing first or as a finalist. He's also performed professionally with symphony orchestras throughout Canada. He has an extensive piano repertoire, ranging from 17th century baroque pieces to newly composed works of the 21st century. 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 Commerce degree from the University of BC; he also continued to study piano privately. When, after earning his degree in 1995, he took time off to travel, Lee continued his music studies, obtaining advanced performance diplomas from the Trinity College of Music in London, England, and from London's Royal Schools 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 by their tax advisors, who were often CAs," recalls Lee, "and I'd set 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 few 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 completed his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, Lee left the bank in January 1999 to work at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Vancouver as an articling student. He started in the assurance department concentrating on 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 Lee. Clients seem to really appreciate your work, and it's satisfying to know that you've helped them."

Lee commends both KPMG and Deloitte & Touche for always providing him with enough time off to practice: "They really believe in the importance of life outside of work."

Lee's currently studying with Dr. HenriPaul Sicsic, a professor in the School of Music at UBC. He's also working on a graduate-level diploma from the Royal Schools of Music. His most recent performances include the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival in April 2001 and two concerts at the Chan Centre in May 2001 with Pianos Galore. Lee's major piano project right now is Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto (featured in the 1996 movie "Shine"). "It's the biggest challenge I've undertaken so far, both technically and emotionally," Lee admits. "I don't have the courage to present it in public yet; making a piece your own takes much longer than just learning the notes."

He's also in the process of forming a trio (piano, violin, and cello) with two other CAs, and even contemplates taking time off 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, Lee says music is now mainly a source of fun. "Having a CA career I really enjoy gives me the freedom to pursue a variety of dreams. It takes the pressure off of playing music. Now I can play just for me."