Those Who Can’t, Learn

Vienna, 1762. A five-year-old lad from Salzburg wearing more lace than Grandma’s dining room table sits down at the clavier. After his father blindfolds him, he begins to play the musical equivalent of Michael Jordan switching hands mid-layup in Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals: the merging of technical and aesthetic brilliance. What would it have been like to be in that chamber? Or better yet, to see the pre-kindergartner do a PowerPoint presentation on hammer velocity in legato and staccato key strikes? What if afterward you could ask him questions, which he could answer in English? That’s more or less what you get to do at New World Symphony’s “Inside the Music,” where, for free, you get to sit down with NWS’s fellows. Granted, most are in their 20s, but in terms of musicianship, there might not be a better collection of talent in the nation.

The program varies but generally involves a brief performance by the fellows, a presentation about some aspect of their work, and an audience Q&A. Any musician should jump at this opportunity, but so should any person interested in how to develop a sophisticated creative process. No ticket is required, but the event has been steadily increasing in popularity, so don’t be late.
Mon., April 6, 7 p.m., 2009