After almost twenty years with the same piano teacher, Bryan recently switched to a new instructor closer to home. Settlement Music School proved to be too far of a commute for all involved, so he began lessons with a new teacher several months ago. Though he dearly misses his old teacher, he has now settled in with Mr. Anthony. Interestingly enough, lessons and recital are at the site of where he used to study all those many years ago at the former Conservatory.

He is taking piano lessons, but this recent recital featured Bryan singing a song he had done with his old teacher – recorded at our home on an earlier blog – entitled “Thankful” as sung by Josh Grobin, Bryan’s favorite singer.

The music school kindly allowed Bryan to be first on the program so that he could leave following his performance for his nephew’s second birthday party. He began his solo very strongly, but one page in he stopped, turned to his accompanist and explained his dilemma: the pages were not in the correct order. Flustered, Bryan talked to his teacher, put his music in the right sequence, and they began again. This time he sailed through to the end, a rather lengthy four-minute piece. He did well and the audience kindly erupted in applause when he finished. Bryan bowed and acknowledged his accompanist like a true gentleman. The rest of the performers to follow had a mean age of nine or ten! Nevertheless, he was nonplussed.

After the performance, he turned on the drama, clutching his chest and heaving heavy sighs as he drank his water in the lobby. It WAS a little over-the-top, but he claimed anxiety due to the page snafu. After calming him down we traveled to the party where he changed his clothes and sat off to the side in the living room, hoping that someone would come over and beg to see the video which his father had taken during his recent performance.

No one came. The excitement of a two-year-old and his 4 month-old brother claimed most of the family’s attention and rightfully so. Bryan sat by himself and pouted. Finally, after trying to solicit interest, his aunt came over and viewed the video, heaping praises on Bryan’s head. He loved it. Other family members promised to view the video. This appeased him a bit. He didn’t quite grasp that this wasn’t HIS big day, but his nephew’s. Sometimes I wish he had developed more of an ability to “read a room”, rather than everything being all about him.

A week later after his father’s and my concert in which we sang the Rachmaninoff “All Night Vigil”, the video came back out while we waited for dinner with friends and family. He had a captive audience. No one was otherwise occupied and were destined to stay put for at least an hour and a half. He brought up the video and showed our friends, who paid the proper amount of attention and “oo-ed” and “ah-ed” over the performance, giving thoughtful and glowing feedback to a smiling Bryan.

And later I thought, Bryan is always taking a back seat to his singing, performing parents and sister. He is always the audience member, not the performer. This recital was his chance to feel a part of the singing and performing family tradition that began with his grandparents and which legacy he continues in his own small way.

Kudos to you, buddy. Even though we don’t always give you the attention you crave, we are very proud of you and YOUR musical ability!