I just got back from this amazing concert. Wes Crawford, the drum instructor here, brought 3 of his students to perform today. Two of these students, Stu and Jeremy, were born with Williams Syndrome and the third, Kentrell, “faced many prenatal challenges and was born prematurely weighing only 1 lb. 13 oz.” and has just begun learning to read (first Italian while studying Opera and now he’s started reading English.) I’ve done several research papers on music and its affects on the brain especially in autistic children and I’ve considered going into some form of music therapy so when I heard about this concert I was pretty excited to go. I knew it would be unlike any I had gone to before. And in fact I was right.
These young men are definitely special. When I sat down they were warming up and fiddling around on the piano sitting in Merrick but as soon as they saw me they ran up very excitedly and introduced themselves, asking me my name, and telling me how excited they were to be performing. Stu started telling me about his extensive gong collection and Kentrell told me how excited he was to be performing and how he hoped they could come back next year before Wes came over and ushered them out into the lobby probably to give them some last words of encouragement (which they clearly did not need: the were pumped.)
Each student played two pieces. One was a scripted and rehearsed “play-along” with a pre-recorded track of the melody and bass parts and the second was a partially outlined improvised interpretation of other pieces (Pictures at an Exhibition, Seventy-Six Trombones, The Star Spangled Banner.) I wasn’t as much interested in the pieces they were playing (although played skillfully.) I was more focused on watching them playing and feeling the music. Stu and Kentrall were very energetic. In the middle of one of Stu’s pieces he called out “YE-HAW!” and after each of their performances there were so excited and loved playing so much that after their applause they sat back down and started playing again so gleefully Wes had a hard time making them stop so we could move onto the next performer. And when listening to the other performers these two were bouncing around in the seats, keeping time with every fiber of their beings. Jeremy was more intensely focused. He didn’t bob around with the music as much but his facial expressions conveyed how deeply he was feeling it. My favorites were their own improvised interpretations when they were able to completely let loose. Playing with the tracks they had to stay within these guidelines, stay within the lines, but with their interpretations they were able to just let everything fly free and fully express themselves. And yet I was still able to hear the original piece mixed in with their being which was just incredible.
I loved watching them because as a performer and lover of music I know the feeling of having the music INSIDE of you, of feeling like if you were to be cut in that moment instead of blood pouring out music would pour out, of not knowing where you stop and music starts. It’s so intense and you could physically see this as three young men performed. I tend to be a very still performer. I don’t convey much. My parents always tell me how statuesque I look even when my insides are screaming out their own music. But these guys didn’t hold anything back. Jeremy was part of an MTV show called “How’s Your News” where a bus of handicapped people went around the country interviewing celebrities. As Wes said, they were able to ask these celebrities that everyone else WANTS to ask but feels too modest and held back from saying. Most people filter out those questions but Jeremy and the others weren’t afraid to ask these questions and didn’t bother filtering them out. I felt like that’s what they were doing with their performances as well.
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