第二章: 一月三日/台上的鋼琴家

這趟回亞利桑那州,最重要的原因是陪兒子參加國際鋼琴比賽,28位19-32歲的入選的年輕音樂家,亦喬抽的是18號,今天近午演出。我在台下看著、聽著他演奏，不僅像往常一樣忘了呼吸，這一回更是淚盈滿眶。這孩子的音樂旅程，是4歲就在這個熟悉的城市上路,剛剛在音樂廳外,還碰上觀眾,因為認得這長大的男孩,開了一個半小時的路來聽他。他兩個禮拜前才滿21歲,但是歷經的,成功時分的燦爛和失敗挫折的黑暗,層層疊疊,像一個世紀的盪漾。

我坐在音樂廳裡,眼看耳聽,心裡頭想的卻是我們一步步走過的路。還記得,我們坐在家裡的客廳,很嚴肅的在討論,13歲的他告訴我,他已清楚的選擇音樂這條艱辛的路。我質疑他的選擇,要他清楚,是不是迷上舞台的光彩和觀眾的喝采,十歲便在音樂季上的大音樂廳開個人獨奏會的高潮,對一個小小的孩子來說,是否能分辨外來的燦爛和真心對音樂的渴望? 我問他是否真心喜愛,能日復一日的多半一個人,跟一台鋼琴在安靜的琴房裡? 因為,舞台、掌聲多是短暫的!但這從小就數理優秀,跳級入高中的男孩告訴我,他已經想明白:他對科學知識的好奇,可以在學習中便得到滿足;但是音樂給他創造的機會,給他對生活的強烈渴望。從那一天開始,音樂不僅僅是他要走的路,更是我們母子之間強烈、不斷的連結,我對古典音樂的愛戀,不斷地在他對音樂的真愛和誠懇中感動,我們更有了如挚友般的尊重。現在的他,不再需要我在身邊加油打氣。但是這回,我還是一路跟到亞利桑那州,因為再沒有其它的城市更有意義,讓我為他的音樂鼓掌:他的李斯特華麗典雅、貝多分成熟輕巧、巴托克自由無界。兒子我以你為榮,為你感動!!

January 3rd: The Pianist on Stage

Joey Performing at Katzin Concert Hall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwei2QVPINU

The primary purpose of this trip was for Joey’s participation in the Bosendorfer International Piano Competition that was hosted by the Arizona State University. Drawing as contestant #18, he took the stage in the late morning on the 3rd, and I watched him perform with breathes holding too long and eyes flooding too wet. This young man’s musical journey started at 4 years old, right here at this city, as a wide-eyed boy who had been drawn to the possibilities of sound, and stayed onto the course of his realized passion since age 13-through the glory of success and the darkness of defeats. He just turned twenty-one not too long ago, but it felt like it had taken the effort of a century to get him this far.

As I sat in the hall, watching, every step we took together dot-lined through my thought. I remembered that, sitting in the family room, we had a serious discussion about his proclaimed music passion as his career path at age 13. I was cautious and questioned him whether his choice was swept by the fame and spot-light he garnered since 6 years old. I asked whether he realized most of his music-making moments would a “lonely” intimacy shared mostly only between him and a piano; there will not be always glorious. An academically gifted student who had self-taught algebra and studied physics for fun, Joey offered that his yarning for science and mathematics can be satisfied by the joy of learning, but it is music of which its creativities would bring him a urging purpose in life. Since then, music was not only this boy/young man’s realized passion but became also the unbreakable connection between a mother and a son. He did not really need me by his side anymore during this competition, but I followed him to Arizona anyway.  After all, where else can be more meaningful for me, watching him perform live? This was the city that everything about his musical passion began. The Liszt was grand, Beethoven charming, and Bartok imaginative!! Bravo, my son, my inspiration!!