Tom(Tommy) fell in love with Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” from our recording of the soundtrack from the movie, The Sting. Nothing would do until his Mom taught him to play it on the piano. His Mom, Elizabeth, did a good job of getting Tom started on his way to becoming an accomplished piano player, beginning at the age of 3-and-a-half years. His Mom and I had purchased, some years earlier, an old upright piano that you could envision in an old-time Southern Baptist church. It probably contained memories of countless gospel songs and hymns in its beautiful oak wood. I recall it had the manufacturers’ name of “Bell” on the keyboard cover. At any rate, it was established in the designated guest room in the home in Plano, Texas. One day, when Tommy was still not 4 years of age, I could hear him playing the piano as I walked down the hall passing by the guest room. As I passed, I glanced in to see Tommy playing while wearing a beach-toy plastic bucket over his head, blocking his view of the keyboard. He explained he was checking to see if he could play without seeing the keys. He could. One of us took a picture of the “bucket test”, which his Mom should have still in her possession.
In time, Tommy learned all of the ragtime songs from the soundtrack recording.
Thomas David, the Dad
What a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing it.
I really enjoyed reading that too! I never heard the “bucket test” story before, but I loved it!
It’s an interesting coincidence, because over the years when I have watched the movie “Amadeus”, there have always been scenes that have reminded me of Tommy. Yet, I didn’t realize Tommy deliberately blindfolded himself with a bucket while playing at such a young age. Now I know he shared that in common with Amadeus too in the movie, although young Amadeus used an actual blindfold (no plastic beach buckets in those days): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDUZ3CtMRCI
I do remember the piano very well, as Tommy and I sat together there often, but for some reason in my memory I was thinking it had been passed down in the family. I must have been confused with the other antiques in that room.
That beautiful piano was certainly a good purchase; Tommy made the most of it from such an early age, that’s for sure! He seemed born to play. Some people take lessons throughout their childhood and never play it again, but Tommy’s passion for it never left him. His hands and fingers seemed to be made for the piano too, and moved with such ease across the keys.
It’s touching to know how much young Tommy was determined to learn every song from The Sting. The movie came out the year he and I were born. I remember I heard it for the first time when I was 4, and I loved it, so I can just imagine how spectacular it must have sounded to young Tommy… who was determined to actually PLAY it. Wow!
Found The Sting Soundtrack on YouTube for anyone who wants to enjoy it some time while imagining hearing it through young Tommy’s ears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlPZdisSGiE&list=PL50A5D167835B6F89