At first, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be offended or outraged by the Facebook reel, or not. Was I witnessing envy, racism, bullying, insecurity, and microaggression in action? All I know, is that the rabbit hole I happily went down, to discover the exceptional pianist, who so humbly shut down an unappreciative listener with music, was worth it.
Somehow, this morning, I stumbled upon the wonderfully talented, Camden Bonsu-Stewart.
After watching that first reel several times (just for the pure satisfaction of it), I watched other videos of his, on Instagram and YouTube.
I do love piano, but you knew that already, didn’t you?
I'm not sure how the videos and reels led me to "LeVar Burton Reads" on Apple podcast, but I'm glad it did. His words, concerning "The Appropriation of Cultures" by Percival Everett, summed up the initial reel I'd seen of Camden, in which he was being challenged by a guy to play a composition I'm sure (for whatever reason) the guy didn't think Camden could possibly know. When Camden masterfully played and sang his own composition, instead, it was clear that the guy couldn't handle the excellence, nor the atmosphere. He was flabbergasted. He could hardly keep still, or stop talking. He didn't know whether to embrace what he heard, or refuse to hear and acknowledge it. The more he fidgeted, and struggled to fix his face, the more gloriously Camden played. It was a classic example of one not being able to hide the content of one's own heart, and it was such a joy to watch Camden not being the least bit distracted, discouraged, nor thrown off by the guy's antics.
Yeah. Camden Musique has a new fan in me.
I'm so ridiculously happy for young people who have learned early, how to let stuff roll off of their backs. They don’t lash out defensively, or react inappropriately. They just gather themselves, and soundly handle the small minded, difficult, and annoying among us, whose exhausting behavior and words can often be the difference between someone pursuing a goal, or abandoning it. I love that any young person is so secure in their ability and self--not arrogant, or unteachable-- but so secure, that they won't dare shrink, be afraid, cry, run, quit, be intimidated, sabotage themselves, nor hide. They'll just confidently smile, like Camden did, and continue shining their light in the face of doubters and hecklers. I hope that young people remember that for every person who comes to dim, question, or ridicule their light, there are multitudes who see it, want it, encourage it, and celebrate it.
LeVar Burton said, "As an artist should, he finds himself in the song...He takes that, and makes it his own...It just blows people's minds, and short-circuits them. By engaging in a radical act of "confuzzlement",
one can take the sting out of the impossibly painful."
"Confuzzlement". Yep. That's an absolutely perfect word for what was happening to that guy in the video. The poor thing simply didn't know what to do with himself...lol...What did the late, great Maurice White sing? "Ain't it funny that the way you feel, shows on your face?" That guy was shook! lol...It's too bad he didn't just instinctively listen, watch, and applaud at the end. That's what the moment, and the musical gift he didn't know how to embrace, truly deserved.
Bravo, Camden.
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