A career, not fame, not fifteen minutes of social media attention. A real career as a serious musician. That takes time and work away from the spotlight. Do you understand? Yes, sir. Good. Now, go celebrate with your mother. You earned it tonight.
The concert changed something. Marcus could feel it in Harrington's studio in the way Christina and the other students interacted with him in the questions he started receiving from the documentary crew. He wasn't a charity project anymore. He was a pianist worth taking seriously.
But with that recognition came new pressures. Marcus, we need to talk about next steps. Harrington said during a lesson in week 10. Your 2-year commitment is just beginning, but I'm already thinking about your trajectory.
Have you considered what comes after these lessons? After you've developed your technique to a competitive level? What do you want from this? A performance career, teaching something else?
Marcus hadn't let himself think that far ahead. Surviving each lesson, improving each week. That had been enough. I want to perform, he said finally.
I want to play in real concert halls for real audiences. I want to prove that someone like me can make it in this world. Harrington nodded slowly. Then you need to understand something.
Performance careers don't just happen. They're built through a specific path. Conservatory training, competition wins, building relationships with conductors and concert presenters. You're already behind on that path.
Most students start building those credentials at 16 or 17. You're 14 with limited performance experience. So what do I do? You accelerate.
You start entering competitions next year, small ones at first, building your competition experience. You need to audition for pre-college programs at major conservatories. Get exposure to their faculty and resources. And you need to broaden your repertoire significantly.
Right now you have perhaps 20 pieces you can perform reasonably well. Professional pianists have hundreds in their repertoire. The mountain of work ahead suddenly felt crushing. That's a lot.
Yes. Which is why I need to know if you're truly committed because if you're serious about this, your life is going to change dramatically. Less time with friends, less normal teenage activities, everything focused on piano. Is that what you want?