THE PIANO MASTER

JOYPEACE

Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked, “NO ADMITTANCE.” When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive concert piano on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit; keep playing.” Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began playing a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added something else to make that simple tune more elegant Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience enjoyed it very much.