by Glynnis Hayward

Created on: July 06, 2009   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

Emily Louw's day jobs helped pay the bills for her passion, the piano. She played with a group of musicians at gigs around Northern California, or with the San Jose Symphony Orchestra, and when she was very lucky, she was invited to play with the San Francisco Symphony in Davies Hall. But she couldn't survive on those earnings so Monday through Friday, day in and day out, she taught music in the mornings at an elementary school followed by piano lessons in the afternoons in private homes.

Most of her students seemed musically inept. The afternoon piano lessons were the most trying as children's fingers stumbled over scales so that a monotonous metronome seemed tuneful by comparison. But one student, Benny Tam, was different. His fingers flew nimbly across the piano and his body language showed passion. No challenge was ever too daunting. At nine years old, he was playing better than any of her older students and he had only been learning for two years. She had first noticed his exceptional ability at school where he shone in music classes. When she spoke to his parents at back-to-school night, she gleaned that they had come recently to the Bay Area from Hong Kong, and that his mother played the violin. When Emily suggested that Benny would benefit from learning to play an instrument, his mother shook her head vigorously and threw her hands in the air.

"I work long hours," she had explained. "When I get home, Benny is tired and I am tired. There is no time for music any more. I can't teach him. Maybe one day there will be time, but not now." She shook her head sadly and said, "When I was a child, we had time to play as well as learn. But now, children must just learn. They must have a good education."

Emily tried to suggest that learning an instrument was part of their education, especially when someone was as talented as Benny. His mother was adamant that an instrument would not get Benny into a good college one day. "He must learn academics," she insisted.

The following week Benny came to music class and handed her a note very shyly. She looked quizzically at the envelope that bore her name and Benny said, "It's from my grandmother. She lives with us." He smiled.

When she opened the envelope, it contained a letter and $40. His grandmother explained that she concurred Benny should learn to play an instrument, and if Miss Louw would agree, she would like her to come and teach Benny how to play the piano. She would find whatever

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