Be Inspired By These Two Piano Lovers’ Stories

There is so much that a passionate person can do! All the inventions that have been made in the world have a person behind them who was unrelenting in his or her desire to make a difference. It is no different in the world of music. Despite the fact that learning an instrument has its own challenges and discouragements, there are some who have beaten all odds to become inspirations for others. Norman Malone A Sad Beginning Norman Malone was not born with any health challenges.  In fact, he had a very promising piano future by age 5. It is when he was 10 years old that tragedy struck. Their father attacked him and his two smaller brothers in their home using a hammer on their heads and then committed suicide. This left them partially paralyzed on their right sides, but alive. Relentless Malone, still passionate about his desire to play the piano, kept looking for opportunities to continue learning with his left hand only amidst discouragement. Or so everyone told him. But Malone refused to accept that verdict, spending years trying to find someone who would teach him to play the instrument with one hand — someone, anyone who knew there was a vast repertoire of piano music written for left hand alone. Via Chicago Tribune Persistence That Wore Out Resistance He continued on his journey and his passion caught the attention of the public. His age didn’t limit him and slowly but surely, within a year, things changed, after over half a century of continuous practice and determination. Malone’s story of tragedy, trauma and aspiration became the subject of several Tribune stories starting last year, and that’s when the pianist began receiving invitations to give concerts. Malone accepted several of them, in effect launching his concert career more than 70 years after he originally had hoped. Via Chicago Tribune A Grand Opportunity Eventually, he got the opportunity to perform with an orchestra and since his story had become well known, it was a major event. He had worked on this left-hand piano piece and it was finally time to showcase his efforts. Yet there he was on Sunday afternoon, seated at the 9-foot Steinway grand in the theater of Kingswood Oxford School, looking sharp in his newly bought tuxedo. The 60-plus musicians of the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra awaited conductor Richard Chiarappa’s downbeat, a packed house eager to hear Malone’s rather belated orchestral debut. Via Chicago Tribune As every good conductor does, Malone got the chance to practice and polish up on his skills before the event and the butterflies weren’t absent in his stomach. However, he gathered himself and got ready for the opportunity he had been waiting for. When he was done, the applause said it all. He had accomplished his dreams, against all odds. When the orchestra re-entered the fray in the climactic last bars, Malone and his orchestral colleagues were in sync as never before, ending the piece with an exclamatory fortissimo that inspired […]

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