Last year I was asked if I would meet a 12 yr. old in a Jewish family in The Annex who was looking to learn how to play something on the piano for his Bar Mitzvah. We arranged to meet. Was a nice meeting, liked the boy’s mother and father, we had things in common about perspectives and living in Toronto. We moved to the piano room, a beautiful grand piano and their son took a break from video games, came downstairs and joined us. Shy guy with bright green hair, parents left us alone to talk.
.
I told him about my piano work and indicated whatever he might want to know I might have useful ideas about where to start. After a while he said,
“I want to write a song for everyone at my Bar Mitzvah.”
“Sure, I could help you with that. I write songs and produce records where songs get put under a microscope you could say. Is there anything you want to know about right now?”
“Can I ask you anything?”
“Yes sure.” I answered.
“Why are we here?”
“Why are we here… like you and me now?”
“Like why are we in the universe?”
“Right. Well nobody knows but some people believe there is a plan to everything, even life after we die, some think there is a God and that God has a reason for our existence others think just because there appears to be arrangement in the world it doesn’t mean there is anything more to existence and basically for those people the question of why are we here presumes incorrectly that there is an answer. You follow me?”
“Ya.” Long pause between us.
“So, I guess if you want to work on a song, if you want some help or some piano ideas your father has my number. Ok?
“Ya, all right.”
.
Never heard from them again but each time I subsequently walk by that house I glance at the window and like replaying that brief conversation and how surprising his question was which on the surface didn’t have anything to do with key signatures or rhythms but also did.