Brandon Goldberg plays piano with DMS Assistant Band Director Quinton Williams.
When performance pianist Brandon Goldberg came to town, Duncan Middle School and High School’s assistant band director Quinton Williams was pulled from the audience to perform with him.
Brandon Goldberg talks to Duncan Middle School students during a special performance Friday at the Simmons Center.
It happened when 12-year-old Goldberg performed for the Duncan Middle School choir and band students Friday at the Simmons Center.
Williams said he was impressed by Goldberg’s talent and was glad to get a chance to play piano with him.
“He’s really good,” Williams said. “He’s almost better than me.”
Goldberg is best known for being on “Little Big Shots” and has played piano with other famous musicians. He started playing the piano when he was 3 years old.
During his performance, Goldberg talked to the crowd and explained why he began playing the piano. he said it all started because there was a piano at home.
“I love jazz; it just fits the way I think,” Goldberg said.
The first song he played for the middle school students was “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.” From there, he took “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and made it into a jazz version.
He followed it with “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy. He also performed “If I Were a Bell” by Frank Loesser.
But like many school-sanctioned events, there were teaching moments.
Goldberg talked to the audience about his favorite types of music, focusing mostly on jazz music, developed rog music and ragtime. He also explained the difference between jazz and classical music.
It was at the end of the concert when Goldberg asked who could play the piano. It was from the audience that he selected Williams to play piano with him.
