The selection process for these punters is still a mystery, but they are clearly a far cry from a random assortment. Everyone has a good story to tell or a revelatory taste in music. The Instagram-ready young blonde Brooke turns out to be a law student who loves classical music and plays Poulenc’s Novelette in E Minor, though narratively speaking she is beaten by Ellis, a boxer from a rough council estate (“high crime rate but we’ve got a Costa, so it’s all good,” he says, deadpan) whose mother saved up to buy him a keyboard from Argos when he was four. There was no money for lessons so he learned through council-funded schemes and his own hard work. He plays Chopin’s lyrical, lovely Ballade No 4 and takes everyone’s breath away. “Do you think he’s aware of how difficult this piece really is?” says Mika. Is that an odd thing to say? I feel it’s an odd thing to say – as if anyone from a council estate who can play such a piece must be a kind of idiot savant rather than a true musician.
It's a nice feelgood show about music talent so yes, you are overthinking this. But you wouldn't be a 'Guardian' columnist if you couldn't somehow manage to shoehorn your political viewpoint into absolutely anything you're given, would you?
Look, an old man can still play! Look, a nine-year-old who seems to be on the autistic spectrum can play with emotion! There is an unspoken agreement that it is as amazing Amy has pink hair and still likes Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as that she is self-taught, via tutorials on the internet.
*sighs*
What a patronising fuckwit; but they're never out of place at the Grauniad.
ReplyDeleteBeethoven himself came from a pretty dysfunctional family, and although his father was a musician of sorts and wanted Ludwig to be the next Mozart, there was nothing to indicate that he would turn out to be brilliant.
ReplyDeleteStonyground.
"...but they're never out of place at the Grauniad."
ReplyDeleteIt must be written into the interview panel guidance.
"...there was nothing to indicate that he would turn out to be brilliant."
Way to confound expectations!