Inspiring Americans

I saw a concert that shook me out of the malaise I felt due to the state of things in general, especially the US.

It was free piano marathon at Merkin Hall, an opportunity for the venue to show off it's renovated facilities, with a variety of pianists playing all sorts of styles - traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, classical, and many hard to classify genres.

What did it for me was to see two young teens, an African American and and Asian Amercian, play a two piano duet. They didn't play one of the obvious war horses, but a piece by an American composer, John Adams. Hallelujah Junction contains some very tricky syncopated rhythms. The score was so big, one of a page turners, all of 3 and a half feet, had to walk around the bench to turn pages. They pulled it off amazingly and got a huge standing ovation.

A great concert, full to capacity, young minority students playing a contemporary American piece, fully appreciated by a variegated American audience, free of charge. That's good stuff.