Apr 08
14
Piano Concert
Posted by Stephen14
Tags: Daniel, learning, music
POST OF AN OLD DRAFT. Originally dated Monday, April 14, 2008.
Debbie recently took Daniel to a piano concert at the central library. He’s learning to play, and she wanted him to see the talent and abilities of a concert-caliber musician. Besides, she wanted to attend the concert herself, and “furthering Daniel’s education” was a good-enough excuse to go.
Daniel was impressed with the pianist’s technical abilities, particularly during parts of the music where her hands crossed over, the left hand playing the higher notes. He had nothing to say about the music itself, the composition, the rhythm, the tempo. His focus was strictly on technique. Debbie and I had to chuckle. Attention to mechanical details but not to artistry? What else would you expect from the child of two engineers?
His enthusiasm was very real though. When he got home he sat up at the piano and informed the world at large that he was going to perform a concert for us. Mummy had to sit quietly with Joel and Micah, so as to not disturb the pianist. This was pure irony, because Daniel sitting quietly is a contradiction in terms.
Once the audience was suitably arranged he began to play, paying special attention to the position of his hands. At one point he demonstrated his cross-over technique. After all, that’s what real pianists do.
Daniel wasn’t playing from any music sheet or from any memorized piece, it was just semi-random notes. After a while Joel lost interest and wandered off to start a CD playing, effectively ending the “concert”. But Daniel had seen a professional and was inspired. He wanted to play the piano.
