REALLY DAZZLED

Evan likes to compose music.

It is his identity.

He has a black zip-up hoodie from school, upon which he had the word "Composer" embroidered.
People ask him what he is going to do after graduation (Yikes! Is that really coming up so soon?) and he immediately replies, "Work on my composing."
When talking about what he will study in college he ignores all recommendations to focus on his general ed classes, and insists he must take composition 1 through 1000.

Being a composer is important to him.

Monday night there was a choir concert/talent show at the high school. Every year students audition to compete in this show. Several acts perform, and audience votes are tallied up at the end of the night to proclaim a winner who is then awarded with, as Evan would say, "Mula."

Evan was chosen to be in the show this year, playing, with two good friends of his, one of his compositions, arranged for three pianos.

This was very important to him.

(The sad truth is, I wasn't equally excited.
The sad truth is, I am not a very nice mother.)

After hearing him banging away on the piano for hours--if not years--on end, I have, admittedly, been more likely to remind him about doing his laundry than I have been to encourage him to pursue his passion.

Perhaps it's a good thing he generally ignores me. And that I do laundry.

Here is the video we took of Evan, dressed in a freshly washed tuxedo shirt and clean socks, wearing the black shoes I made him find rather than the brown ones he tried to walk out the door in, playing his song "Starburst." The video is muddy, shaky, and very long. But it's him.

So, not only was he chosen to be a part of the talent show,
not only did he and his friends perform beautifully,
not only did they receive a spontaneous standing ovation from the entire house,
but,
he also took first place, and got some "mula."

Congratulations, Evan. I mean, Composer.
It really was wonderful, and well-deserved. It was also very, very important.