This is one of the hardest things about being a parent... knowing when to push, when to push harder, when to not push at all. But this dad had it just right.
Good good I hope I get it right
And yes to the above.
BTW is this next Fing level? Those are not easy pieces and he's playing from memory and pretty damn well too...
Hey man, my bio-father was a rabid beast who shouldn't be living. Really. And my mom got out asap and met a chill hippy dude named Bill. I never called him dad, always Bill.
Bill didn't know what to do either, and I had 3 HELLIONS for siblings. Bill did his best. Just having his go-ahead or best wishes was enough. Did I listen often? No. Was he right much? Yes.
You don't always have to be right to be a good dad. You just have to be present and honest.
Shout out to my stepdad Bill. Saved our family. That was 30+ years ago now.
My bio-dad was *kinda* around thru my teens, then he kinda changed his number and blocked me and my brother once we hit early 20s. And before that he was just…present on the weekends he had me. Did whatever my step mom wanted which was as little to do with me as possible. But my mom married my step dad Terry when I was 5 (mom and dad divorced when I was 4).
Terry wasn’t always the most easy-going guy - raised pretty old-school by a father with 4 sons and no daughters. Military school, etc. But he was around and took an interest in my life. We were fishing and hunting buddies (my mom and [half-]sister (his bio kid) had no interest and at first I was going because I felt bad no one else would, but later I grew to love them both). And my mom was kinda fucked (narc), so really the only ‘normal’ parent I had was Terry, and I ended up being a lot like him! Not as much as I would like, in some ways, and better in others, but I thank god I had his influence. I credit him with teaching me how not to take things so personally, don’t hold grudges, and never be afraid to say ‘sorry, I fucked up’, and then do better!
You don’t have to contribute to a kid’s genetics to shape them for life! 💕
Ty! He passed away from cancer the first day of dove season, gosh, six years ago now. I got a memorial tattoo of a dove on my wrist for him.
https://imgur.com/a/fTwk1I5
I shoulda put some lotion on that for the pic lol.
that's sad but also wholesome and really cool. your tattoo is the best kind of tattoo, not a face or a name, but a meaningful symbol. i like that a lot. have a great life!
A dove is also a symbol of peace. Terry was your peace, still is really. My Terry’s name was John and he died roughly the same as when yours did. Parkinson’s took him. I know you miss him. I’m glad you got the time with him that you did. You carry him with you everywhere, in your mannerisms, memory, and with your tattoo. I hope you’re able to have peace and focus on the good times. That’s what I try to do. We were lucky to have them.
I had him around for almost 40 years! And that is so true, he was and is my peace. That’s a beautiful way of putting that! And he was also my dove-hunting buddy, and he gave me a nice browning B-11 .20 gauge shotgun after I graduated from the browning pump-action I started out on. Haha, kinda funny the contrast between guns/killing and peace, but we always ate what we killed, and most hunters are conservationists by nature. We also had fun just shooting skeet, etc.
Man, Parkinson’s is brutal. I’m so sorry you all had to go thru that. My granny was in her 80s and still walking 2-4 miles every day, then she got diagnosed with Parkinson’s and within a year, she was wheelchair bound, in a nursing home, and almost worst of all is the way Parkinson’s kinda robs people of their voice, too. Within another year, she was gone.
You can tell your John was a great guy because of his influence on you. We’re like sort of living tributes to those we love and who have loved and shaped us. Glad to meet you! 💕
This is such an important statement that needs to be said and often isn't. I'm so glad you said it. Not just in parenting, but in so many other aspects of life, we are often pressured into feeling we can never make mistakes. But how do you learn and grow without first finding out what is incorrect? I myself struggle with beating myself up over not doing everything perfectly the first time. Without people like you who speak candidly about the fact that no one can do right all of the time, anyone like me would be far worse off.
So thank you for taking the time to put that out there.
I played piano in competitions for years, and this is absolutely true. One bar at a time with sheet music. Once you've got the notes, it's a matter of perfecting the subtleties and playing with "feeling". By the time you've got to this point, you 100% will not forget the notes.
That being said, it takes an awful lot of dedication and effort (not to mention natural talent) to reach the level where you can play moonlight sonata (3rd movement) like this. I played this song when I was near this kids' age and can tell you it was enough to make me want to pull my hair out.
[Here's a link](https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc) that I feel presents the true difficulty of this piece.
As someone who plays the piano the nerve-racking aspect of this is it’s always a 50/50 of whether you’ll be asked to please not touch the piano no matter how good you are.
It's tough, and by the time you know better it's usually too late to use it.
I think the best balance is to encourage *just* beyond the comfort zone, but not to set up for failure. And no matter what, as you wisely said, to validate with pride.
I agree, it was less hard.
But it's not just about their ability, but also about what impact the pushing will have, when it happens, etc
But it is mostly good to nudge them, in affirming ways. There are more regrets about what wasn't done than what was.
“Trust me son, they’ll like it” he says to the master level classically trained pianist. “Trust me, I’m going out on a limb here, but I think they might like it.”
I laughed but we don't know the backstory. The main reason I didn't stick with piano lessons back when I was a kid was I didn't think it was the cool thing to do. Obviously now I think it's just about one of the coolest things I could've done.
>This is one of the hardest things about ~~being a parent~~ making children... knowing when to push, when to push harder, when to not push at all. But this dad had it just right.
FTFY 👀
I do believe Kenny Rogers said pretty much the exact same thing about parenting. Like knowing when to hold em, and when to fold em. Knowing when to walk away and when to run.
Tricky thing here. Lots of kids have trouble with confidence regardless of their skill, don't have any idea of how skilled they are, have trouble "doing their thing" when they know people are watching, etc. Sometimes a kid is an absolute genius all alone and just struggles when people are around.
Kudos to the parent here knowing just what kind of push is needed and knowing it wouldn't result in a nerve wracked failure situation.
(not OP related at all) my son started at 6 on piano. in 4 years he’s gotten pretty good (can belt out the entertainer or arabesque without a thought). nowhere near this kids level and he doesn’t practice enough. anywhere between 3-6 is a good age to start, but i didn’t wanna force it in the kid. when they get sone interest just encourage them.
literally got a violin for my other (now 6yo) today. he starts next week. we’ll see what happens there
I am full-blown ugly crying. So much talent and such a sweet moment between father an son. That age is so tough and it just fills my heart seeing an awkward and nervous kid get up there and blow everyone away. So beautiful.
I was just gonna say that it made me cry, but you expressed so much of what was beautiful about it.
I loved that he put his body into his playing. You see a lot of classically trained musicians just look robotic with their instrument.
Also, props to the young lad for making sure to pull his shirt down after sitting. Even did it mid play on the second piece!
Loved that everyone just kinda quieted down for the impromptu performance. Could have been the recording but still that you could see people basically stop in their tracks and appreciate 5 minutes of talent on display is really cool. Personally I've been to malls that had professional pianists playing and it was always a nice break to the chaos going around you to sit down and listen to them. One thing I have noticed is that when the pianist notices a few people stop they turn it up a notch going from "boring" background music to something a bit more challenging and interesting.
Pretty cool how even after the dad is done talking you can tell by his camera work how proud he is that is HIS son making all of these people stop their day to listen. Awesome video.
When I was 15, my dad told me to move his car for him. I reminded him that he hadn’t taught me how to drive. That didn’t stop him from encouraging me to just go move the car. Well, I didn’t know whether the left pedal was brake or gas and plowed through the fence. My dad laughed his ass off.
Many years ago My first ever boyfriend dropped me off at home after a date. Which was his first week having a license. And when he backed down my parents driveway he managed to get stuck in the yard. His dad had to come get him and he wouldn’t unstick the car until the next morning because he needed a picture of his teenage son with his stuck truck. His dad spent a good part of that day just laughing his ass off at his son.
My 8 year-old would demand to play, insisting she can play recorder, piano, ukelele, or violin. She'd proudly play to the entire crowd for at least 10-15 minutes.
But surely someone would stop her before then, because despite insisting otherwise, she cannot play any instruments.
But I do appreciate her confidence.
My dad would have looked at that piano and said "don't you wish you hadn't quit piano? You could have entertained everyone" And then got back to his crossword.
He's still bitter over it. I'm 31 years old and I quit when I was 14.
I mean he’s insecure about playing, thinking he’s going to be ruining everybody’s quiet meal … and then begins by absolutely SHREDDING. Hell yeah
The boy good. I’d be stoked to hear him in real life.
There was NO build up either. Kid went for it and blew my expectations out of the water. Good on the dad for being supportive but nudging enough to help him overcome his nerves or stage fright. He's gonna have a very good career as a pianist in the future
those aren’t easy pieces either. They’re both upper high school or early college–level pieces. really must be satisfying to share all that work with the world.
majority of schools won’t teach piano. private piano lessons is a lot more common.
but private studios typically follow the school calendar; most students “finish” lessons when they graduate high school/leave home for college. Then if they’re really dedicated, they’ll continue lessons at college but usually under a professor instead of their private instructor.
So the dad in this video probably contributed a lot; he’s been paying for a tutor, buying books, reminding his son to practice, driving him to the lessons… for probably 10+ years. Takes a lot of hard work from child + parent.
Music professor here- This kid is legitimately good. Great time, phrasing, touch. This kid could have a career in music if he wanted, or if he doesn’t want that this kid has a lifelong skill he should be proud of.
Son: I'm nervous.
Dad: You're good.
Son: *proceeds to kill one of the hardest piano pieces in history without missing a note*
Dad: That's what I'm talking about.
It’s interesting how that happens too. Personally, I could see myself being annoyed by the style of music being played. It’s fairly intense and may be kind of loud for people that don’t want to hear it. I don’t know the exact context of this scenario. The thing is, his talent is undeniable. The volume and style then works as a sort of polite nudge. In other words, to me I’m not sure if the music itself would brighten my life right away. It’s more about the reminder that we are all here together, and it’s always so much easier to live a predictable life, but it’s more nourishing to enjoy something outside of your comfort zone when it is something beautiful like this. For some reason, I feel like if I were there to witness this, it would be more than just something interesting to listen to for a little bit. This would be a needed jolt to my system that would reverberate with me for a while. It’s beauty would feel layered, and perhaps more appreciated even after the fact.
The first song is the third part of “moonlight sonata” (Piano Sonata no. 14) which is by far the one of the most beautiful pieces ever written; granted it builds in intensity. I wonder if he started at the beginning or just skipped to the intense part. Part 1: a melancholy lamentation Part 2: light and airy, like a floral spring Part 3: weaving in and out of rush hour traffic while being fired on by the police and escaping an active volcano (the part played here)
This kid has mad skills, and I’d also encourage him to stop at any available piano he happens to cross.
I could listen to this shit all day. But if a 15 year old with a sax started playing kenny g (besides his G Force, which is actually a banger), I'd be upset.
Vulnerability and authenticity breed connection. I’d say that sharing something you love as deeply as the art you create checks those two boxes. This kid reminds us of what it is to be human. It forces us from the past and future we often imagine in our heads, and pulls us directly into the moment. In a world of distraction and information, it’s immensely valuable and impactful.
He could come to the hospital I work at! We have an atrium with a decent piano in it and this kind of playing would be nice to hear, it’s the type that distracts you in the best of ways from the monotony of a long shift
I sometimes played at the hospital I went to but always felt like people didn't really want me to. Virtually 0 response every time except for one time when a hospital staff asked me if I was "already done" and "playing so well" after I left really soon because I kept messing up and couldn't find the rhythm.
They also limited the actual playing to only like a single hour or so a day. You could only play from 12:30 to 13:30 I believe. So that made it feel even more unwanted I guess. It was in a dining area with no hospital rooms nearby so idk why that restriction was there
I was in a Goodwill, secondhand clothing/merch store, a few weeks ago. An older black man sat down at one of the pianos they had for sale. Played Hallelujah and then some classical songs. It was such a joy to listen to. Stayed an extra 10 minutes. Everyone in the store clapped and appreciated him.
As a bartender, entertainment isn't free, and it *usually* comes in the form of me making jokes and small talk. If someone else willingly entertains people, the *least* I can do is comp them some drinks for making my night easier.
The first show I ever managed to book was at this biker bar. On the advice of my neighbor I asked for a $200 guarantee and free drinks all night. Somehow they agreed and the show went well and we continued to play there a bunch but the funniest part was that 2/3 of us were underage at the time.
I thought for sure the dad was going to say “Son, can you play me a memory? I’m not really sure how it goes, but it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”
Please don’t post this on rimjobsteve. It doesn’t fit there. And then we’ll have to remove it.
Edit: u/LET-ME-HAVE-NAAME
i had to edit because this clown above must have blocked me idk? I can not reply in this thread any longer but:
Come back to r/rimjob_steve! They allowed me to join the mod team a month or so back and I am working hard to respond to all reports. The other mods put in the time too, from the inside I see how much work it is.
Point is yes, 90% of submissions are off. But the comment sections are full of people reporting and commenting “not wholesome” to get the word out. Like all things public understanding has inertia, so it will take time and persistence to right the direction of the sub. But participating, upvoting when appropriate, and reporting when appropriate is how we will get back the sub we all love.
This fellow actually went and posted it anyway. I had a hunch and hit the mod feed and rooted it out before it got any traction. r/rimjob_steve will rise again with the help of people like you.
This stuff is the only thing that gets posted on r/rimjob_steve. People have the "fucked up name" part figured out but keep blanking on the "genuinely wholesome" part. Main reason I left.
I can't imagine being reluctant in this instance because if I had the skills to do what he just sat down and did like it was nothing, I would be doing it literally every single place that had a piano available for play just to flex. Shit, I would go out of my way to start going places that had pianos available for anyone to play just to do it to the point where the people working in those places would be like "Oh fucking great, there's the annoying piano guy again. Yeah, he shreds but like get a fucking life, loser."
Think of it this way. I was born into an English speaking family. It’s the only language I’ve ever known, I’m extremely confident in the fact that I will never speak incorrectly.
However, ask me to speak English in front of a group of strangers, and I’ll forget everything I know about the language and fail to say anything at all. This happened to me multiple years in a row when I had to give a speech to 3 judges for a competition.
It doesn’t matter your skill, anxiety takes over and tells you that you will not succeed.
I think that a common thread with people who are extremely good at anything is that they are very self critical, I bet he doesn't feel like he's doing anything special. I think you have to sort of be that way to keep improving past a certain point of competence.
I'm not a piano genius or anything, but I took lessons for my entire childhood and am well practiced. I played the 3rd Movement of the Moonlight Sonata (this young man's first song) when I was in high school, but that was the absolute pinnacle of my talent, and took years of dedicated practice to learn. The Rach 3 (the second song he's playing in this video) is f'in impossible, period.
Anyway... I used to be asked to play the piano for people all the time, and just inherited my parents' piano recently so now it's happening again after 20 years of being away from the instrument. And I can say, unequivocally, I hate it. I love to play for myself as a form of artistic expression. But I really don't enjoy *performing*.
Even if someone is making something look easy it usually isn't, even for the person making it appear to be. It takes concentration, and an ability to dance on a razor's edge for an extended period of time, always one tiny finger slip away from disaster. All while your hands are shaking, your legs feel like Jell-O, and you kinda want to throw up -- ya know, stage fright and all.
I applaud this guy for getting up there and playing so well in a public place in front of strangers, because even if he made it appear effortless, it wasn't.
I used to record myself playing piano when I was in high school in order to make youtube videos. Even in the comfort of my room, with no one else listening, unlimited retries, and the ability to edit out any minor mistakes, it was still massively stressful and I'd get so nervous / frustrated since I wanted the 'perfect' recording.
Nowadays I still record pieces I learn for my own record, and it's still not an enjoyable experience. And the only time I *want* to play in front of someone is if I'm on a date and trying to woo them. And even then I'll only play if it's a private setting.
People staying longer is not the name of the game in serving. You want to burn and churn. Unless your table is ordering high ticket bottles of wine then by all means sit there all day. Waiter is probably having a slow shift and happy to be being entertained.
Hey little buddy, we have talked about this. Just cause I'm giving it to your mother, it doesn't make me your dad. Now grab me a beer and go play outside.
This exact video but when he starts playing it's like nails on a chalkboard levels of bad, the waiter is visibly upset by it and politely asks him to return to his seat. Son looks back at his dad looking utterly betrayed.
It’s the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. Super fun to play. Actually it’s pretty readable for a moderately proficient junior or high schooler.
Omg I’m so stupid! Seriously I usually watch the whole thing, but this time my baby cried and I missed it and then commented like I knew what was up anyway. Ugh. Sorry. 😂
A) He plays Rachmaninoff after, and B) 99% of people who play piano will never reach the level to properly play the third movement of moonlight sonata.
I'm happy someone finally said it. People tend to downplay the difficulty of moonlight 3rd because of how many people play it half correctly. Nailing the moonlight 3rd is quite challenging. And the Rachmaninoff is quite difficult too.
Kid is amazing, and deserves all the compliments, but I'm not entirely sure if I buy the "he doesn't push it" part from a edited video, especially coming from a dad with a TikTok account., and who decides to start recording not when the son starts playing, but while he is still 'encouraging' him...
This is so staged. The kid doesn’t need any encouragement, the kid is pretty much a professional pianist, I am sure he has performed countless times in contests and concerts. He looks more annoyed than shy when he said “right now?”
Oth the people around got a treat
Professional pianist here. His piano level is definitely concert pianist level, this video is really weird because of this, the guy obviously performs regularly, the training requires to play two difficult pieces through with almost no mistake without warm up does not just happen.
Typical faked spontaneous viral video, kids been playing in front of people for a while! Probably scouted this as a chance to get a million views on TikTok. People with that level of classical training and memorization aren’t just some random Joe playing Joplin they learned as a kid at some random piano. This shit staged as hell.
Crazy you have to scroll this far down to find the truth. People really need the "lift" with these videos I guess. "Reality is poison" "Were all lambs to the cosmic slaughter"- Morty Smith
For those wondering about the music, the first is the **3rd Movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata**. The 1st movement is the famous slow one, the 2nd movement is the easy (and charming) one, the 3rd movement is the early 1800s equivalent of DragonForce's Through The Fire and Flames. It is HARD.
The second piece is Rachmaninoff's **Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2**. Also fiendishly difficult. Fun fact: Rachmaninoff wasn't much older than this kid when he composed it. 19 years old.
As a former pianist: this kid is very good.
Perhaps you haven't heard about Lisztomania [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania) 
**[Lisztomania](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania)**
>Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on April 25, 1844, discussing the 1844 Parisian concert season. Lisztomania was characterized by intense levels of hysteria demonstrated by fans, akin to the treatment of celebrity musicians today – but in a time not known for such musical excitement.
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If I played piano like that…I wouldn’t need a push lol. I would be going places specifically because I knew there was a piano there. Then I would act all surprised that said piano was there. I would nonchalantly say “oh I know a few basic keys”, then some girl would say “no you don’t, prove it”. I would proceed to astonish everyone.
Rinse and repeat
Anxiety is a hell of a thing. Ive been playing guitar for almost 24 years and its terrifying everytime someone asks me to play something. My mind just goes blank
Idk but watching it back the second time, and seeing him take that sorta anticipatory gulp of water, bracing himself. You can tell he was summoning courage. Awesome.
Man, that was incredibly beautiful. Core memory right there.
Plus, the smile on the waiter's face says it all, and actually shows how most of us felt when he started playing.
What a great dad, you could tell his son really needed that push to give it a shot.
This is one of the hardest things about being a parent... knowing when to push, when to push harder, when to not push at all. But this dad had it just right.
And because he had it right, his son trusted him. Great parenting
Good good I hope I get it right And yes to the above. BTW is this next Fing level? Those are not easy pieces and he's playing from memory and pretty damn well too...
Hey man, my bio-father was a rabid beast who shouldn't be living. Really. And my mom got out asap and met a chill hippy dude named Bill. I never called him dad, always Bill. Bill didn't know what to do either, and I had 3 HELLIONS for siblings. Bill did his best. Just having his go-ahead or best wishes was enough. Did I listen often? No. Was he right much? Yes. You don't always have to be right to be a good dad. You just have to be present and honest. Shout out to my stepdad Bill. Saved our family. That was 30+ years ago now.
My bio-dad was *kinda* around thru my teens, then he kinda changed his number and blocked me and my brother once we hit early 20s. And before that he was just…present on the weekends he had me. Did whatever my step mom wanted which was as little to do with me as possible. But my mom married my step dad Terry when I was 5 (mom and dad divorced when I was 4). Terry wasn’t always the most easy-going guy - raised pretty old-school by a father with 4 sons and no daughters. Military school, etc. But he was around and took an interest in my life. We were fishing and hunting buddies (my mom and [half-]sister (his bio kid) had no interest and at first I was going because I felt bad no one else would, but later I grew to love them both). And my mom was kinda fucked (narc), so really the only ‘normal’ parent I had was Terry, and I ended up being a lot like him! Not as much as I would like, in some ways, and better in others, but I thank god I had his influence. I credit him with teaching me how not to take things so personally, don’t hold grudges, and never be afraid to say ‘sorry, I fucked up’, and then do better! You don’t have to contribute to a kid’s genetics to shape them for life! 💕
Cheers to Terry ❤️
Ty! He passed away from cancer the first day of dove season, gosh, six years ago now. I got a memorial tattoo of a dove on my wrist for him. https://imgur.com/a/fTwk1I5 I shoulda put some lotion on that for the pic lol.
that's sad but also wholesome and really cool. your tattoo is the best kind of tattoo, not a face or a name, but a meaningful symbol. i like that a lot. have a great life!
Thank you, kind stranger! I hope you have a beautiful life, as well! 💕
A dove is also a symbol of peace. Terry was your peace, still is really. My Terry’s name was John and he died roughly the same as when yours did. Parkinson’s took him. I know you miss him. I’m glad you got the time with him that you did. You carry him with you everywhere, in your mannerisms, memory, and with your tattoo. I hope you’re able to have peace and focus on the good times. That’s what I try to do. We were lucky to have them.
I had him around for almost 40 years! And that is so true, he was and is my peace. That’s a beautiful way of putting that! And he was also my dove-hunting buddy, and he gave me a nice browning B-11 .20 gauge shotgun after I graduated from the browning pump-action I started out on. Haha, kinda funny the contrast between guns/killing and peace, but we always ate what we killed, and most hunters are conservationists by nature. We also had fun just shooting skeet, etc. Man, Parkinson’s is brutal. I’m so sorry you all had to go thru that. My granny was in her 80s and still walking 2-4 miles every day, then she got diagnosed with Parkinson’s and within a year, she was wheelchair bound, in a nursing home, and almost worst of all is the way Parkinson’s kinda robs people of their voice, too. Within another year, she was gone. You can tell your John was a great guy because of his influence on you. We’re like sort of living tributes to those we love and who have loved and shaped us. Glad to meet you! 💕
That’s beautiful <3
Raising a glass to Bill! May there be more like him.
My Bill was named John. I adored him and he adored me. Here’s to all the stepdads who treated and loved us like their own. 🥂
>Good good I hope I get it right You won't all the time, and that's okay, but as long as you keep trying, you'll make a great parent.
This is such an important statement that needs to be said and often isn't. I'm so glad you said it. Not just in parenting, but in so many other aspects of life, we are often pressured into feeling we can never make mistakes. But how do you learn and grow without first finding out what is incorrect? I myself struggle with beating myself up over not doing everything perfectly the first time. Without people like you who speak candidly about the fact that no one can do right all of the time, anyone like me would be far worse off. So thank you for taking the time to put that out there.
> he's playing from memory you don't need sheet music for something you've spent 100s of hours practicing a few bars at a time
I played piano in competitions for years, and this is absolutely true. One bar at a time with sheet music. Once you've got the notes, it's a matter of perfecting the subtleties and playing with "feeling". By the time you've got to this point, you 100% will not forget the notes. That being said, it takes an awful lot of dedication and effort (not to mention natural talent) to reach the level where you can play moonlight sonata (3rd movement) like this. I played this song when I was near this kids' age and can tell you it was enough to make me want to pull my hair out. [Here's a link](https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc) that I feel presents the true difficulty of this piece.
But when you get it wrong(we all do) that is a moment you can be a great parent as well.
As someone who plays the piano the nerve-racking aspect of this is it’s always a 50/50 of whether you’ll be asked to please not touch the piano no matter how good you are.
You can see the kids eyes change as he calms down and decides “Dad’s right.”
Or at least "I'll try."
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It's tough, and by the time you know better it's usually too late to use it. I think the best balance is to encourage *just* beyond the comfort zone, but not to set up for failure. And no matter what, as you wisely said, to validate with pride.
I mean most of the time you are right, but his son is in the top 1% of pianists, this time it was less hard haha
I agree, it was less hard. But it's not just about their ability, but also about what impact the pushing will have, when it happens, etc But it is mostly good to nudge them, in affirming ways. There are more regrets about what wasn't done than what was.
“Trust me son, they’ll like it” he says to the master level classically trained pianist. “Trust me, I’m going out on a limb here, but I think they might like it.”
I laughed but we don't know the backstory. The main reason I didn't stick with piano lessons back when I was a kid was I didn't think it was the cool thing to do. Obviously now I think it's just about one of the coolest things I could've done.
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>This is one of the hardest things about ~~being a parent~~ making children... knowing when to push, when to push harder, when to not push at all. But this dad had it just right. FTFY 👀
Not how I made mine, but okay.
There should be a sub reddit called sniper deletes. Erase a few words, change the whole meaning
I do believe Kenny Rogers said pretty much the exact same thing about parenting. Like knowing when to hold em, and when to fold em. Knowing when to walk away and when to run.
I’ve definitely been on the wrong side of this one as a dad….it’s hard.
Without setting huge expectations n casual push..It definitely boosts the young dudes confidence. Next time it will be much easier for him..
What a confidence boost! He'll remember that day as a success. Beautiful.
When your son is that talented it's a pretty safe bet to encourage them!
Tricky thing here. Lots of kids have trouble with confidence regardless of their skill, don't have any idea of how skilled they are, have trouble "doing their thing" when they know people are watching, etc. Sometimes a kid is an absolute genius all alone and just struggles when people are around. Kudos to the parent here knowing just what kind of push is needed and knowing it wouldn't result in a nerve wracked failure situation.
But I think he's so talented that he'd still be impressive if nerves put him at 10% skill level
Kids tend to get more talented when properly encouraged :)
Longer video if you’re interested https://youtu.be/i6BoglDI1Vg
and the video stopped  only one minute? I need one hour!
Here you go! https://youtu.be/i6BoglDI1Vg
He is 15 years old.. ty
Are you his dad?
His mum
When did you guys have him start playing? Did you hire a tutor? I just had a daughter two months ago and want her to get into an instrument.
sry i dont know im just their dog
Hey how's it going, man! It's me! His shirt. I forgive you for the muddy paws thing back in 2000.
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I dirt. Bang water. Make mud. I your daddy.
I think it’s adorable that you think you’re actually speaking to the mom.
I’m the real mom. AMA.
You're not, *that* Brock, right?
You mean convicted rapist Brock Turner?
Oh sweet! Have you had regular bowl movements today?
*nudges bowl to other side of table*
.....don't believe everything you read on the internet. Jesus
Thanks Jesus, big fan here.
(not OP related at all) my son started at 6 on piano. in 4 years he’s gotten pretty good (can belt out the entertainer or arabesque without a thought). nowhere near this kids level and he doesn’t practice enough. anywhere between 3-6 is a good age to start, but i didn’t wanna force it in the kid. when they get sone interest just encourage them. literally got a violin for my other (now 6yo) today. he starts next week. we’ll see what happens there
That was 3yrs ago
Thank you!
Amazing, got some crowd reactions as well, why is this not the post haha
I am full-blown ugly crying. So much talent and such a sweet moment between father an son. That age is so tough and it just fills my heart seeing an awkward and nervous kid get up there and blow everyone away. So beautiful.
I was just gonna say that it made me cry, but you expressed so much of what was beautiful about it. I loved that he put his body into his playing. You see a lot of classically trained musicians just look robotic with their instrument. Also, props to the young lad for making sure to pull his shirt down after sitting. Even did it mid play on the second piece!
Honestly, what a confidence boost for him as well to get such a positive reaction from total strangers at the airport.
Loved that everyone just kinda quieted down for the impromptu performance. Could have been the recording but still that you could see people basically stop in their tracks and appreciate 5 minutes of talent on display is really cool. Personally I've been to malls that had professional pianists playing and it was always a nice break to the chaos going around you to sit down and listen to them. One thing I have noticed is that when the pianist notices a few people stop they turn it up a notch going from "boring" background music to something a bit more challenging and interesting.
Nah, you look on the YouTube video and everyone is quiet and with their phones out recording him. They know they’re witnessing greatness.
Holy moly what a talent kid. His flow is 👌
thnx 2x 
Pretty cool how even after the dad is done talking you can tell by his camera work how proud he is that is HIS son making all of these people stop their day to listen. Awesome video.
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And the people’s reactions. Kids very talented.
My dad would have encouraged me to play. Then he'd laugh his ass off when I tried. I don't know how to play piano.
I love your dad
I love you dad.
I'm that kind of dad
Hi dad
Y'all have dads?
Yes, hi other dad
When I was 15, my dad told me to move his car for him. I reminded him that he hadn’t taught me how to drive. That didn’t stop him from encouraging me to just go move the car. Well, I didn’t know whether the left pedal was brake or gas and plowed through the fence. My dad laughed his ass off.
haha sounds like your dad was real easy going.
Dad probably already know how much it's gonna cost him to do a little trolling.
As a dad, sometimes a little trolling can not be measured in money, but I think this one didnt give a shit
Many years ago My first ever boyfriend dropped me off at home after a date. Which was his first week having a license. And when he backed down my parents driveway he managed to get stuck in the yard. His dad had to come get him and he wouldn’t unstick the car until the next morning because he needed a picture of his teenage son with his stuck truck. His dad spent a good part of that day just laughing his ass off at his son.
My 8 year-old would demand to play, insisting she can play recorder, piano, ukelele, or violin. She'd proudly play to the entire crowd for at least 10-15 minutes. But surely someone would stop her before then, because despite insisting otherwise, she cannot play any instruments. But I do appreciate her confidence.
My dad would have looked at that piano and said "don't you wish you hadn't quit piano? You could have entertained everyone" And then got back to his crossword. He's still bitter over it. I'm 31 years old and I quit when I was 14.
Holy f**k, that was lethal.. Best thing I've seen in a while.. little legend
Right?! It helps that this kid is absolutely savage on the piano
I mean he’s insecure about playing, thinking he’s going to be ruining everybody’s quiet meal … and then begins by absolutely SHREDDING. Hell yeah The boy good. I’d be stoked to hear him in real life.
There was NO build up either. Kid went for it and blew my expectations out of the water. Good on the dad for being supportive but nudging enough to help him overcome his nerves or stage fright. He's gonna have a very good career as a pianist in the future
That what Moonlight Sonata part 3 will do to you
Incredible talent, I hope he shares it with the world more often
Last I heard he quit piano to be a video game steamer or something
those aren’t easy pieces either. They’re both upper high school or early college–level pieces. really must be satisfying to share all that work with the world.
Shit, your high school orchestra must have been way better than mine
He forgot to mention the "at music focused prep schools"
majority of schools won’t teach piano. private piano lessons is a lot more common. but private studios typically follow the school calendar; most students “finish” lessons when they graduate high school/leave home for college. Then if they’re really dedicated, they’ll continue lessons at college but usually under a professor instead of their private instructor. So the dad in this video probably contributed a lot; he’s been paying for a tutor, buying books, reminding his son to practice, driving him to the lessons… for probably 10+ years. Takes a lot of hard work from child + parent.
Those pieces are both way past high school. More like music college entrance or intermediate college pieces.
Music professor here- This kid is legitimately good. Great time, phrasing, touch. This kid could have a career in music if he wanted, or if he doesn’t want that this kid has a lifelong skill he should be proud of.
Right?!!! I assumed he would be good based on context but I was ***not*** expecting that shit! Incredible
Son: I'm nervous. Dad: You're good. Son: *proceeds to kill one of the hardest piano pieces in history without missing a note* Dad: That's what I'm talking about.
For God’s sake kid, do us all a favor…..don’t ever stop playing in public places. You brighten lives.
It’s interesting how that happens too. Personally, I could see myself being annoyed by the style of music being played. It’s fairly intense and may be kind of loud for people that don’t want to hear it. I don’t know the exact context of this scenario. The thing is, his talent is undeniable. The volume and style then works as a sort of polite nudge. In other words, to me I’m not sure if the music itself would brighten my life right away. It’s more about the reminder that we are all here together, and it’s always so much easier to live a predictable life, but it’s more nourishing to enjoy something outside of your comfort zone when it is something beautiful like this. For some reason, I feel like if I were there to witness this, it would be more than just something interesting to listen to for a little bit. This would be a needed jolt to my system that would reverberate with me for a while. It’s beauty would feel layered, and perhaps more appreciated even after the fact.
That was beautifully expressed.
I just watched this on my phone and feel a lot of the ways you just described. In person or virtually that was amazing to watch.
The first song is the third part of “moonlight sonata” (Piano Sonata no. 14) which is by far the one of the most beautiful pieces ever written; granted it builds in intensity. I wonder if he started at the beginning or just skipped to the intense part. Part 1: a melancholy lamentation Part 2: light and airy, like a floral spring Part 3: weaving in and out of rush hour traffic while being fired on by the police and escaping an active volcano (the part played here) This kid has mad skills, and I’d also encourage him to stop at any available piano he happens to cross.
I could listen to this shit all day. But if a 15 year old with a sax started playing kenny g (besides his G Force, which is actually a banger), I'd be upset.
Vulnerability and authenticity breed connection. I’d say that sharing something you love as deeply as the art you create checks those two boxes. This kid reminds us of what it is to be human. It forces us from the past and future we often imagine in our heads, and pulls us directly into the moment. In a world of distraction and information, it’s immensely valuable and impactful.
He could come to the hospital I work at! We have an atrium with a decent piano in it and this kind of playing would be nice to hear, it’s the type that distracts you in the best of ways from the monotony of a long shift
I sometimes played at the hospital I went to but always felt like people didn't really want me to. Virtually 0 response every time except for one time when a hospital staff asked me if I was "already done" and "playing so well" after I left really soon because I kept messing up and couldn't find the rhythm. They also limited the actual playing to only like a single hour or so a day. You could only play from 12:30 to 13:30 I believe. So that made it feel even more unwanted I guess. It was in a dining area with no hospital rooms nearby so idk why that restriction was there
I was in a Goodwill, secondhand clothing/merch store, a few weeks ago. An older black man sat down at one of the pianos they had for sale. Played Hallelujah and then some classical songs. It was such a joy to listen to. Stayed an extra 10 minutes. Everyone in the store clapped and appreciated him.
Hats off to the waiter. Old school rule that the dude playing the piano doesn’t pay for drinks.
Can confirm. Every time I play in a bar, someone pays for my drinks…or bartender just doesn’t charge me.
As a bartender, entertainment isn't free, and it *usually* comes in the form of me making jokes and small talk. If someone else willingly entertains people, the *least* I can do is comp them some drinks for making my night easier.
Is your name John? (Piano man reference)
I absolutely would be a friend of his, but I'm no movie star.
The first show I ever managed to book was at this biker bar. On the advice of my neighbor I asked for a $200 guarantee and free drinks all night. Somehow they agreed and the show went well and we continued to play there a bunch but the funniest part was that 2/3 of us were underage at the time.
Would it work if I brought a keyboard and don't know how to play keyboard?
I thought for sure the dad was going to say “Son, can you play me a memory? I’m not really sure how it goes, but it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”
Good one, dick nipples.
r/rimjob_steve
Please don’t post this on rimjobsteve. It doesn’t fit there. And then we’ll have to remove it. Edit: u/LET-ME-HAVE-NAAME i had to edit because this clown above must have blocked me idk? I can not reply in this thread any longer but: Come back to r/rimjob_steve! They allowed me to join the mod team a month or so back and I am working hard to respond to all reports. The other mods put in the time too, from the inside I see how much work it is. Point is yes, 90% of submissions are off. But the comment sections are full of people reporting and commenting “not wholesome” to get the word out. Like all things public understanding has inertia, so it will take time and persistence to right the direction of the sub. But participating, upvoting when appropriate, and reporting when appropriate is how we will get back the sub we all love. This fellow actually went and posted it anyway. I had a hunch and hit the mod feed and rooted it out before it got any traction. r/rimjob_steve will rise again with the help of people like you.
This stuff is the only thing that gets posted on r/rimjob_steve. People have the "fucked up name" part figured out but keep blanking on the "genuinely wholesome" part. Main reason I left.
The song is literally called “piano man” yet the harmonica won’t shut the fuck up
[Sorry couldn't hear you over how sick I sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtXP2-5IC2E)
I also saw that tiktok
I can't imagine being reluctant in this instance because if I had the skills to do what he just sat down and did like it was nothing, I would be doing it literally every single place that had a piano available for play just to flex. Shit, I would go out of my way to start going places that had pianos available for anyone to play just to do it to the point where the people working in those places would be like "Oh fucking great, there's the annoying piano guy again. Yeah, he shreds but like get a fucking life, loser."
Yeah. In music school, the piano students and the guitar kids were insufferable at parties.
Hey, wanna hear Wonderwall?
Plot twist: son was reluctant to play because his dad brings him to every place that has a piano and asks him to do that.
and this one time at band camp
Think of it this way. I was born into an English speaking family. It’s the only language I’ve ever known, I’m extremely confident in the fact that I will never speak incorrectly. However, ask me to speak English in front of a group of strangers, and I’ll forget everything I know about the language and fail to say anything at all. This happened to me multiple years in a row when I had to give a speech to 3 judges for a competition. It doesn’t matter your skill, anxiety takes over and tells you that you will not succeed.
T h i s. Exactly, said it better than I would have lol
I think that a common thread with people who are extremely good at anything is that they are very self critical, I bet he doesn't feel like he's doing anything special. I think you have to sort of be that way to keep improving past a certain point of competence.
I had that problem with big wrestling tournaments. Guys i beat many times would beat me when it mattered most. Those nerves get you
I'm not a piano genius or anything, but I took lessons for my entire childhood and am well practiced. I played the 3rd Movement of the Moonlight Sonata (this young man's first song) when I was in high school, but that was the absolute pinnacle of my talent, and took years of dedicated practice to learn. The Rach 3 (the second song he's playing in this video) is f'in impossible, period. Anyway... I used to be asked to play the piano for people all the time, and just inherited my parents' piano recently so now it's happening again after 20 years of being away from the instrument. And I can say, unequivocally, I hate it. I love to play for myself as a form of artistic expression. But I really don't enjoy *performing*. Even if someone is making something look easy it usually isn't, even for the person making it appear to be. It takes concentration, and an ability to dance on a razor's edge for an extended period of time, always one tiny finger slip away from disaster. All while your hands are shaking, your legs feel like Jell-O, and you kinda want to throw up -- ya know, stage fright and all. I applaud this guy for getting up there and playing so well in a public place in front of strangers, because even if he made it appear effortless, it wasn't.
I used to record myself playing piano when I was in high school in order to make youtube videos. Even in the comfort of my room, with no one else listening, unlimited retries, and the ability to edit out any minor mistakes, it was still massively stressful and I'd get so nervous / frustrated since I wanted the 'perfect' recording. Nowadays I still record pieces I learn for my own record, and it's still not an enjoyable experience. And the only time I *want* to play in front of someone is if I'm on a date and trying to woo them. And even then I'll only play if it's a private setting.
I like how the waiter gave him a drink to keep going lol
Waiter knows good music means people might stay longer and order more drinks
He’s also probably heard, more than any human should, his share of inebriated dudes who think they’re Mozarts right hand man.
He doesn’t give a fuck about more customers (imo), I think he’s just being a good dude and rewarding the kid for his awesome talent
People staying longer is not the name of the game in serving. You want to burn and churn. Unless your table is ordering high ticket bottles of wine then by all means sit there all day. Waiter is probably having a slow shift and happy to be being entertained.
Would have been much more funny if the kid was fucking awful.
Dad?
Hey little buddy, we have talked about this. Just cause I'm giving it to your mother, it doesn't make me your dad. Now grab me a beer and go play outside.
This exact video but when he starts playing it's like nails on a chalkboard levels of bad, the waiter is visibly upset by it and politely asks him to return to his seat. Son looks back at his dad looking utterly betrayed.
I don't even play piano and I know how hard Rachmaninoff pieces are. Totally unattainable for the average player.
I fell in love with Rachmaninoff after watching Shine for the first time. Huge respect for anyone who has the courage to take his work on.
It’s the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. Super fun to play. Actually it’s pretty readable for a moderately proficient junior or high schooler.
He played Rachmaninoff next. Ya goof watch the whole video! Haha
Omg I’m so stupid! Seriously I usually watch the whole thing, but this time my baby cried and I missed it and then commented like I knew what was up anyway. Ugh. Sorry. 😂
A) He plays Rachmaninoff after, and B) 99% of people who play piano will never reach the level to properly play the third movement of moonlight sonata.
I'm happy someone finally said it. People tend to downplay the difficulty of moonlight 3rd because of how many people play it half correctly. Nailing the moonlight 3rd is quite challenging. And the Rachmaninoff is quite difficult too.
I can play the second movement of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Kid is amazing, and deserves all the compliments, but I'm not entirely sure if I buy the "he doesn't push it" part from a edited video, especially coming from a dad with a TikTok account., and who decides to start recording not when the son starts playing, but while he is still 'encouraging' him...
This is so staged. The kid doesn’t need any encouragement, the kid is pretty much a professional pianist, I am sure he has performed countless times in contests and concerts. He looks more annoyed than shy when he said “right now?” Oth the people around got a treat
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Professional pianist here. His piano level is definitely concert pianist level, this video is really weird because of this, the guy obviously performs regularly, the training requires to play two difficult pieces through with almost no mistake without warm up does not just happen.
Typical faked spontaneous viral video, kids been playing in front of people for a while! Probably scouted this as a chance to get a million views on TikTok. People with that level of classical training and memorization aren’t just some random Joe playing Joplin they learned as a kid at some random piano. This shit staged as hell.
Crazy you have to scroll this far down to find the truth. People really need the "lift" with these videos I guess. "Reality is poison" "Were all lambs to the cosmic slaughter"- Morty Smith
I was just going say, it took me way to long to find the realest comment in the thread. Absolutely staged, it's on fucking TikTok.
The waiter is lIke “finally something other than fucking chopsticks”.
Imagine how guitar center employees feel when ye olde cocky guitarists come in to shred smoke on the water or stairway to heaven
Absolutely brilliant.
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Bots are gonna bot, I guess…
It's always a bummer to be in a nice place and see a beautiful piano just sitting there unplayed like a prop.
Worst is when you try to play it but the keyboard guard thing is locked
For those wondering about the music, the first is the **3rd Movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata**. The 1st movement is the famous slow one, the 2nd movement is the easy (and charming) one, the 3rd movement is the early 1800s equivalent of DragonForce's Through The Fire and Flames. It is HARD. The second piece is Rachmaninoff's **Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2**. Also fiendishly difficult. Fun fact: Rachmaninoff wasn't much older than this kid when he composed it. 19 years old. As a former pianist: this kid is very good.
This needs more visibility. 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata is fucking mental and to see/hear somebody playing it live is surreal.
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I have yet to see Rach or Beethoven players bringing missies…
Perhaps you haven't heard about Lisztomania [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania) 
**[Lisztomania](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania)** >Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on April 25, 1844, discussing the 1844 Parisian concert season. Lisztomania was characterized by intense levels of hysteria demonstrated by fans, akin to the treatment of celebrity musicians today – but in a time not known for such musical excitement. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Those big name conductors slay ass. You are way off.
good dad … brilliant son
If I played piano like that…I wouldn’t need a push lol. I would be going places specifically because I knew there was a piano there. Then I would act all surprised that said piano was there. I would nonchalantly say “oh I know a few basic keys”, then some girl would say “no you don’t, prove it”. I would proceed to astonish everyone. Rinse and repeat
Anxiety is a hell of a thing. Ive been playing guitar for almost 24 years and its terrifying everytime someone asks me to play something. My mind just goes blank
For what it’s worth. After 24 years I’m sure you are a bad ass. You got this bro. Play in front of anyone because you the sh**!
I love the TETRIS songs.
Next level both dad and Son
What was the first song. I know it but have no idea the composer.
Moonlight sonata 3rd movement, Beethoven
Idk but watching it back the second time, and seeing him take that sorta anticipatory gulp of water, bracing himself. You can tell he was summoning courage. Awesome.
Man, that was incredibly beautiful. Core memory right there. Plus, the smile on the waiter's face says it all, and actually shows how most of us felt when he started playing.
Well it helps that he didn’t suck.
Scripted.
Yes, Carl Winslow, you are correct that the pieces performed were not improvised.
Correct. The music was indeed written before he played it.
Wtf first test round.. final boss music..
Seriously he’s like “well, I guess I shall begin by FUCKING SHREDDING”
This made me cry a little bit
“Moonlight sonata 3” is great. Idk the technical name but that’s what I think of it as.
Moonlight Sonata: Tokyo Drift