Impromptu Concert

The crowd enters reverently, voices hushed, shuffling in across the plush crimson carpet. Purses and programs clutched in sweaty, trembling hands, the audience breathlessly anticipates a voluminous performance from the master. The excitement in the room is palpable. Even though many have beheld this conductor before, a montage like today is savored by the throng in attendance for its multiple layers of sound and unexpected lyrical surprises.

Once all are seated, and the cacophony of the tuning of instruments is completed, the maestro dutifully taps his baton four times. The expectant crowd instantly attuned to the meaning of the signal to get quiet, swiftly bring conversations to an end. The conductor lifts his arms heavenward. The entire patronage of the auditorium eagerly sits upright and gazes toward the orchestra pit. The prelude is over, and the symphony is set to commence.

Silence from the masses. Then the first notes of the piece emanate from behind the conductor. Sound flows down from the rafters of the hall and envelopes the increasingly mesmerized crowd. The director has chosen a familiar tune to all. Fingers snap rhythmically, feet tap energetically, and heads bob along in a trance-like manner to the orchestra’s beat.

Soon the conductor, now acting as lead singer as well, kicks into high gear and belts out the words, “Little ditty about Jack and Diane,” in full throated glory. The leader of the band now turned vocal performer, smiles at the spectacle he’s created.

“A child prodigy!” breathlessly whispers a well-dressed woman in the front row. “Just look at the way he keeps perfect time, even with the difficult syncopated beats of the drums attempting to upend the entire orchestral composition.”

The emboldened performer, in addition to his singing with the voice of an angel, begins to thump along rhythmically with the tympanis. His directing baton magically has now transformed into a drum stick. A half-filled coffee cup, cracked saucer, and daisy-adorned glass vase become his drums. Mom’s change purse and Dad’s custodian-sized keys serve beautifully as cymbals. And the splendid cornucopia of sound reverberates.

The audience, now enthralled with the melodic spectacle of the performance, follows along intently. The artiste seems fully aware of the eyes staring at him from the expensive orchestra seats near the front to the nose bleeds in back. He smiles mischievously as he sings and plays. A song sung initially to bring joy only to him, has now captured the spirit of others as well.

As the last few measures wind down, the patrons in the coffee shop, with scrambled eggs and slices of pancakes on their breakfast plates growing cold, stare transfixed, open mouthed, with food covered forks hovering just out of reach. The final notes drift off and become history, and the audience erupts in approving laughter, wide smiles, and deafening applause.

A standing ovation is given by the woman and her husband in the front row. The woman lunges for the stage, and boldly wraps the conductor up in her arms and covers him with proud kisses. No call to security is needed. It’s just another typical day in the lives of a Mommy and Daddy, proud parents of an amazing 4 year old.