I was just upstairs watching Nick practicing Gershwin's An American In Paris, which he's doing for...whatever the end-of-the-school-year recital thing is called. He's really quite amazing to watch. There's so much going on in learning a big piece like that which I can hardly fathom. I remember hearing him talk about his teacher going over fingering with him--he played part of a piece in a lesson and his teacher, cooly studying him, asked why he played it that way. Nick hesitated for a split second..."okay, you don't know," he chuckled and showed him an easier way to arrange his fingers on the keys. This is something I've never considered even though as a guitarist, I do it all the time. Synapses firing faster than I can move: left index to A string, fourth fret. Only I'm hopelessly slapdash in comparison. Nick practices a piece for months, learning it inside and out until what finger goes to what key is no longer a decision, it's muscle memory. It's intriguing hearing him through the ceiling, going over a section, skipping a few pages and going through another section containing the same theme like he was jogging the steps at the Georgia Dome. Slowing down, dropping the bass clef, repetition, repetition repetition. Until the night of the concert when he ascends the stage and nails it like he always seems to do. Being there for the performance is always amazing, but being around for the training is truly extraordinary.  ¶ 2/11/2006 11:24:00 AM