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The LittleThe Little Maestro Maestro

Prepared: VaroujPrepared: VaroujAuthor: unknown Author: unknown (edited)(edited)Music: Ayman Music: Ayman (Doorways)(Doorways) The Lake of The Lake of southcroftsouthcroft

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A mother wishing to A mother wishing to encourage her young encourage her young son’s progress on the son’s progress on the

pianopiano

took her boy to a took her boy to a Paderewski concert.Paderewski concert.

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• He was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the third Prime Minister of Poland.

• Paderewski was born in the village of Kuryłówka in the province of Podolia, then in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). His father was an administrator of large estates. His mother, Poliksena died several months after Paderewski was born, and he was brought up by his distant relatives.

• From his early childhood, Paderewski was interested in music. Initially he took piano lessons with a private tutor. At the age of 12, in 1872, he went to Warsaw and was admitted to the Warsaw Conservatorium.

• Paderewski decided to devote himself to music, and in 1881 he went to Berlin to study music composition with Friedrich Kiel and Heinrich Urban. In 1884 he moved to Vienna where he was a pupil of Teodor Leszetycki It was in Vienna that he made his musical debut in 1887.

• He soon gained great popularity and his subsequent appearances (in Paris in 1889, and in London in 1890) were major successes. His brilliant playing created a furor which reached to almost extravagant lengths of admiration; and his triumphs were repeated in the United States in 1891. His name at once became synonymous with the highest level of piano virtuosity.

Ignacy Jan PaderewskiIgnacy Jan Paderewski HollywoodHollywood

Boulevard StarBoulevard StarLegacyLegacy

Nov 1860 –Jun 1941Nov 1860 –Jun 1941

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• Paderewski established a certain standard of behavior that, when he played the piano there was to be no talking. When people began to talk, he would stop and say, 'I am sorry to interrupt your conversation. I deeply regret that I am obliged to disturb you, so I am going to stop for a while to allow you to continue talking.' You can imagine the effect it had..."

• During one of his tours in 1941, Paderewski's was taken ill was diagnosed pneumonia he died suddenly in New York, on June 29. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington Virginia, near Washington D.C.. In 1992, his body was brought to Warsaw and placed in St. John's Cathedral. His heart is encased in a bronze sculpture in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa near Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

• Today, every major city in Poland has a street named after Paderewski. There are also streets named for him in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Buffalo, NY. In addition, the Academy of Music in Poznań is named after him.

Ignacy Jan PaderewskiIgnacy Jan Paderewski Hollywood Hollywood

Boulevard StarBoulevard StarLegacyLegacy

Nov 1860 –Jun 1941Nov 1860 –Jun 1941

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The story goes…The story goes…Once arriving to theOnce arriving to the

theater they were seated.theater they were seated. The mother noticed aThe mother noticed a

close friend in the close friend in the audienceaudience

told her son to not leave told her son to not leave and walk down the aisleand walk down the aisle

to greet her friend.to greet her friend.

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The boy inThe boy inadmiration and curiosityadmiration and curiosity seizes the opportunityseizes the opportunity to explore the wondersto explore the wonders

of the concert hall,of the concert hall, the little boy rose and the little boy rose and

eventually explored his way eventually explored his way throughthrough

a door markeda door marked "NO ADMITTANCE.""NO ADMITTANCE."

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When the theater lights When the theater lights dimmed and the concert was dimmed and the concert was

aboutabout to begin, the mother returnedto begin, the mother returned

to her seat and discoveredto her seat and discovered that the child was missing.that the child was missing. There was a sudden panicThere was a sudden panic

of fear set in her heart of fear set in her heart

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Suddenly,Suddenly,

the curtains partedthe curtains parted

and spotlights focusedand spotlights focused

on the impressiveon the impressive

Steinway Piano on stage.Steinway Piano on stage.

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In horror of embarrassmentIn horror of embarrassment the mother saw her little the mother saw her little

boy sitting before the boy sitting before the piano keyboard, innocently piano keyboard, innocently

picking out the tunepicking out the tune "Twinkle, Twinkle…"Twinkle, Twinkle…

Little Star." Little Star."

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At that moment,At that moment, the great piano master the great piano master

made his entrance on made his entrance on stage,stage,

quickly moved towardsquickly moved towards the piano, and whisperedthe piano, and whispered

in the little boy's ear,in the little boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing.""Don't quit. Keep playing."

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Then leaning over,Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down Paderewski reached down

with his left hand and with his left hand and began filling in a bass began filling in a bass

part.part. Soon his right arm Soon his right arm

reached around to the reached around to the other side of the child and other side of the child and

he added a running he added a running obbligato.obbligato.

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Together,Together,

the old master and the the old master and the young novice transformedyoung novice transformed

a frightening situation intoa frightening situation into

a wonderfully creative a wonderfully creative experience. And theexperience. And the

audience was fascinatedaudience was fascinated

and mesmerized.and mesmerized.

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Whatever situation inWhatever situation in

life and history;life and history;

however however outrageousoutrageous,,

however desperate,however desperate,

reach to HOPEreach to HOPE

the anchor of your the anchor of your faithfaith

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Whatever…. Whatever…. The dry spells in the The dry spells in the

spirit.spirit.

The dark nights in the The dark nights in the soul.soul.

God is whisperingGod is whispering a reminder in the deptha reminder in the depth

within our beings,within our beings, "Do not give up or quit.”"Do not give up or quit.”

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Keep playing.Keep playing.

You are not alone;You are not alone;

together we will together we will transformtransform

the broken patternsthe broken patterns

into a masterwork ofinto a masterwork of

my creative art.my creative art.

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Together,Together, we will captivate and we will captivate and mesmerize the worldmesmerize the world

with a tune of music with a tune of music the silent language the silent language

soundsound of peace for all.of peace for all.

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We all have a littleWe all have a little voice inside of us to guide voice inside of us to guide

us..us..

If we shut out all the noise, If we shut out all the noise, clutter and distractionsclutter and distractions

from our lives thus listen from our lives thus listen to that voice it will lead us to that voice it will lead us

through a pathwaythrough a pathway in our destiny to lifein our destiny to life

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Faith, Love and HopeFaith, Love and Hope

begins with the first stepbegins with the first step

even when you don’teven when you don’t

see the whole staircasesee the whole staircase

(Martin Luther King)(Martin Luther King)

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To the mind that is still,To the mind that is still, the whole universe the whole universe

surrenders (Chang Tsu)surrenders (Chang Tsu)

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Life is an Echo; Life is an Echo;

What you send out What you send out comes backcomes back

(Chinese Proverb)(Chinese Proverb)

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