When they grow up, my sons want to be Percy Jackson, Spiderman, and Leonard Bernstein.
I’m sure there are lots of conductors, composers, educators who feel the same as Danny.
Bernstein’s shadow is long for all American musicians. Consider his accomplishments. I’ll highlight a few:
- Longtime visionary music director of the New York Philharmonic.
- Composer of music ranging from Broadway (West Side Story, On the Town) to orchestral (Candide Overture, Chichester Psalms) to opera (Trouble in Tahiti) and film music.
- Championed the revival of Gustav Mahler’s music.
- Created and mastered the Young People’s Concert in national TV broadcasts.
He also was a skilled pianist who would perform concertos while conducting from the bench.
Pick just two of the achievements I highlighted and you a have a storied career. Achieve all what Bernstein did and you seem like a musical superhero.
That’s the superhero Danny wants to grow up into.
It might be easier for him to become Spiderman…
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