The collage of people #4

The pianist


Audience: All ages, those who have a passion for something


Purpose: To show people that if you love to do what you do, stick with it


Flowing through the second floor of the apartment is the sweet sound of a piano being played by Henry Williams. Henry lives alone in apartment 207, and every evening you can hear him practice his beautiful music. Sometimes, during crisp nights in the Spring, he leaves his balcony door open and his piano playing gently pours out into the parking lot for everyone to hear. He never plays the same piece, each night is a different song. He has stacks of music books piled all over his living room. He'll practice and practice on each new piece until he can play it perfectly. Henry simply loved the piano. In fact was the very thing that made him famous many years ago.

Henry is is around his late 70's now, but back in the day, he was a well known concert and jazz pianist in the Toronto area. He played everything from solo pieces to concertos, and his career started at Roy Thompson Hall. He started doing his own recordings and sold several records of pieces he composed himself. His fame was so well known in Toronto, that it expanded all throughout Ontario, and eventually stretched to other provinces! Pretty soon, he was travelling far and wide, from Ontario to British Columbia. However, he had trouble keeping up with all the travelling. It was too much for him having to fly all over Canada. He could never find the time to be close with his family since he was frequently going back and forth to perform in different provinces. He decided to retire as a concert pianist and became a part-time piano teacher.

Henry misses it though. Part of him still wishes he was back performing on the stage. It was quite an amazing experience for him. During that time he met and worked with several other musicians just as passionate and talented as he was. It gave him joy to perform with them as the audience watched them in awe. However, becoming a piano teacher gave him a chance to do something he's never done before. Before, he played piano for his own needs, but now he plays piano to inspire others. Being able to teach others about the piano gave him a sense of purpose. Knowing that his students might one day play for themselves as he did was quite rewarding.

Even though Henry no longer plays the piano in huge concert halls, gives the neighborhood free recitals every evening. All you have to do is wait in the parking lot around six o'clock and you'll be able to hear his beautiful melodies coming from the inside of his balcony door.