134 Waves

Hello again, from Kunming!

Yesterday, Ellen and I did two separate assembly-programs for Kunming International Academy.  (http://www.kia-china.org).  This school is one of the most diverse student-populations I have ever seen!  Our two programs were twenty-five minutes each: first for the primary grades (age 5-11), and the secondary school (age 12-18) followed.   

Since each program was only 25 minutes long, and especially with the age of the primary-school children, we did not want to play long excerpts or even whole movements.  We spoke a little about each piece, and we played selections of Albeniz, Boccherini, Vaughn Williams, and Clarke.  

The audience was absolutely delightful.  Especially the younger ones - they sat on the EDGE of their seats, as if we were about to show them a Harry Potter movie.

I had asked the children before the Vaughn Williams (Romance, opus posthumous) to imagine that the surface gestures in the piano part were waves, like what Vaughn Williams would have seen in the English Channel.

Ellen and I played the first part ... 

And then, after the applause, a small boy in the third row says, "One hundred thirty four!"

And Ellen and I just look at each other, and we glance at his teacher ... and we continue.  We had no idea what this was about.

He kept repeating it more adamantly and with more strength.  "134! 134! 134!" 

Finally, the teacher got a little annoyed and urged him to be quiet.

Then, he said, "There are one hundred and thirty-four waves in that piano part.  I counted them!"

He was right.  I went from being slightly annoyed with the boy to immediately choking up.  He had listened so attentively, with such focus!  

And I will admit that - I had never "counted my own waves" before this performance.  

He was right.  134.  

The photo is of Ellen and I with our wonderful host Mari, holding the incredibly generous gifts which KIA gave to us following our performance.  Thank you!