www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20141006/13-year-old-accomplished-pianist-coming-to-clintonCLINTON >> Emily Bear, at 13, is just a kid who loves to make music — though she plays everything from memory, even 45-page classical concertos and can make up a composition right on the spot if you ask her to.
Never mind that Bear has performed solo piano at the White House at 6, played concerts in China and Italy by 8 and composed her first song at 3, she does not like to classify herself as a “prodigy.”
Audience members will be able to hear for themselves on Sunday, when The George Flynn Classical Concerts series presents The New Haven Symphony Orchestra performing works by Copland, as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue featuring soloist Bear on piano at the Morgan School for free.
CLINTON >> Emily Bear, at 13, is just a kid who loves to make music — though she plays everything from memory, even 45-page classical concertos and can make up a composition right on the spot if you ask her to.
Never mind that Bear has performed solo piano at the White House at 6, played concerts in China and Italy by 8 and composed her first song at 3, she does not like to classify herself as a “prodigy.”
Audience members will be able to hear for themselves on Sunday, when The George Flynn Classical Concerts series presents The New Haven Symphony Orchestra performing works by Copland, as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue featuring soloist Bear on piano at the Morgan School for free.
In an interview via email, Bear says about the P-word, “Technically I guess so, but I don’t really think of myself that way — I’m just a kid who loves to make music!”
And Bear’s mentor, manager and producer on her CD, “Diversity,” the legendary record producer and composer Quincy Jones (who produced Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra among other superstars), has raved about her.
“She is the complete 360-degree package, and there are no limits to the musical heights she can reach,” Jones has told music critics.
Bear says about that very first composition she created at 3 for older sister Laura, now 14: “They are still fun to play.”
Bear also has a brother Benjamin who is 17.
It doesn’t take Bear long to write a song and she has written more than 250 pieces. Talk about pressure — on NPR’s Morning Edition, the young virtuoso whipped up a song for the radio station crew and staff.
Commentator David Greene had a special request for a song about them coming onto the set in the dark wee hours of the morning and wishing for the sun to come up. She did a bright, lilting piece heard at NPR’s website,
www.NPR.org.
So how long does it take for Bear to compose a ditty, you might ask? “As long as it takes to play it,” she answers.
Interestingly, concert organizers in Clinton had never heard of the young girl with the enormous talent in the close-knit classical music world. It was after six appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (the first when she was 6), says Elaine Godowsky, a founding member of the local classical concert
series, when they finally learned about her.
When Bear performed in August in her first concert in Clinton, playing original jazz compositions and standards with her trio, Godowsky recalls, “First of all, she has the command of an older person and still has the magic of a child.”
Indeed, from the photo of that performance, she looks like any 13-year-old girl, sitting at the piano with ease, flashing a big smile to the audience with her brown hair held back with a barrette, prettily framing her face.
“That just had them eating out of her hand,” Godowsky adds.
“Every time she picked up the microphone, they were enthralled.
She does improvise.” She would ask the audience for ideas for songs to make up right on the spot.
And there onstage, Godowsky says, “She would develop a composition on the story they gave her.”
But like any 13-year-old girl, Bear likes some of the same pop stars that her friends do. She had just gone to a Katy Perry concert (“She was great”). She is also a fan of singer-songwriters Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran and Sia (jazz singer).
Bear looks up to John Williams, considered “America’s composer,” conductor and pianist; and she is inspired by Quincy Jones, and puts the record Grammy winner in with company like Gerswhin and Debussy.
She likes to play jazz licks on piano, too. “I have a few solo concerts and several with my jazz trio which are always fun!”
Bear says about playing Carnegie Hall, debuting there when she was 9 years old, that is was, “amazing — definitely surreal and a lot of fun! There is such history at the theater.”
She has a full schedule booked with dates from Santa Fe to Canada, NYC and Boston. When Bear did the interview through email (sprinkled with lots of exclamation points!), she was enroute to a gig in Alaska.
So how does she squeeze in school, homework and all that stuff about being a teenager in between dates?
“With difficulty!!” she says. “I love school. But I also wish I could compose and make music all day!!”
When she is at home she likes to “hang out with my friends, jet ski, bake and cook.”
She adds, “At this time of year, I especially like to go to the apple orchard to pick apples and get cider donuts and (go) to my brother and sister’s high school football games.”
While on the road she enjoys her downtime.
“I love to explore and get to know whatever city I am in — I love to travel and learn about different cultures and traditions.”
Sometimes taking time off from music is hard to do.
“This fall is especially busy! I am playing concerts with four different orchestras — original music that I composed, as well as Rhapsody In Blue by Gershwin,” she says. “I have a few solo concerts and several with my jazz trio, which are always fun!”
She looks forward to the concert in Clinton.
“I love Connecticut — my Grandma grew up in New Britain and my great Grandpa was a judge in Hartford so we have spent a lot of time here since I was little.”
The George Flynn Classical Music concert folks are counting on Bear and the NHSO to bring in the crowd, so they moved the concert from the auditorium at Andrews Memorial Town Hall which only seats 450 to the Morgan School which can accommodate 750.
The group is reserving an extra section of front row seats for youngsters and students and their families.
“We’ve been trying to get the local schools into this,” Godowski says, adding that they are giving 100 seats to “moms, dads and kids.”
“Hopefully all these little kids would be in the front watching her play.”
The concert in Clinton will also include original works for piano and orchestra composed by Bear. William Boughton will conduct the Copland part of the program, while Christopher Jahnke will conduct the second half of the concert that features Bear.
The concert is at the Morgan School Gagnon Auditorium in Clinton. Tickets can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to George Flynn Classical Concerts, PO Box 473, Clinton, CT 06413 or calling 860-669-1208.
For information, visit georgeflynnclassicalconcerts.com.