It was a sellout crowd in the majestic auditorium in downtown London when savant musician Derek Paravicini stepped up to the piano. With the entire accompaniment of the London Symphonic Orchestra, young Derek started with Gershwin’s unforgettable Rhapsody in Blue and played it to perfection to a standing ovation.
There was however, an exceptional difference of piano greats in the world. Even with the immortal Amadeus Mozart who could listen to any score for the first time and write the music in its entirety and play it perfectly, Derek also found his place. The difference with this amazing talent, who introduces himself only as Derek, is blind and severely handicapped. He could not see the orchestra conductor nor have a single note of written music to follow. Derek was not just blind, he could not hold up three fingers and has no idea even how old he is.
Derek was born three months early and weighed one and a half pounds. He was soon diagnosed of his destined inabilities so his parents were advised he would only be able to reach a minimal level and nothing more. But that certainly is not the end of this story and only the future will know what that level might be. It might not be his ability to button his clothes or even operate a zipper, but he can recall any piece of music he has ever heard and play it on the piano to perfection!
At a very early time in his life or around two years of age, his prominent family (by the way, his aunt is Camilla Bowles, wife of Prince Charles), bought Derek a toy piano. That was just part of this miracle. Banging on the keys seemed to bring him great joy though it was little more than banging. But he happened to hear a piano teacher teaching a fellow student in the school for the blind. His fascination was so incredible the child insisted he must be taught to play his piano yet he was only three years old then. He loved that toy so much he would not allow anyone to touch it.
Derek began his lessons to the amazement of his shocked teacher. Sitting side by side of this small child, the teacher would explain the notes on his piano for the child to repeat the sound of the same notes on the boy’s piano. It wasn’t long that the surprised parents came home from church one Sunday and the youngster went straight to his toy piano and played a hymn he had just heard in church.
From that point Derek became the center of attention in countless concerts plus public appearance of many kinds including performing to the aged folks in rest homes. Any of his astonished audiences would give explosive applause when he would take request of any song one might have heard. He would say, “Oh, I know that song. What key would you like and what style; blues, swing, ragtime or any other?” Then he would again perform perfectly that very song as requested.
One of the latest appearances was on none other than 60 Minutes to world wide TV audiences. The program began with a picture of his constant care after birth. When grown the TV anchor walked with him in the garden of his home in England and they would chat freely with each other. She asked Derek (who was then thirty one years of age) if he could hold up three fingers. He would hold up both hands. She would ask him again and he would kindly say, “Please show me.”
The 60 Minutes show continued with some of his performances as he stunned the crowd with his piano teacher at his side to announce his next musical feat. As Derek responded to his admirer’s request, a subdued smile would appear on his face to indicate his complete pleasure of being able to do what few other people in the world could do but without the slightest hint of being anything but ‘just’ Derek.
The program interviewed his proud father that told of a recent church attendance when the Archbishop of Canterbury was in charge of the service. Upon leaving they paused and he said to Derek, “Derek I’d like you to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury.” Derek said, “Hello Archbishop of Canterbury, I’m Derek.”
The final line of the TV show, the anchor asked Derek while he was at his piano, if he would compose a song on the piano that started with only “Tick Tick Tick” (the prelude of every 60 Minute show). He did so with a delightful performance as usual. Derek is on the Internet; check him out.
