Van Cliburn

There's an obituary for the pianist Van Cliburn in the LA Times this morning.  When I was a very young teenager, Van Cliburn played at the college in the town where we were then living.  My mother had season symphony tickets, but she scored tickets for her three youngest children who still lived at home.  My brothers and I were way in the back of the balcony, but it was still a magical experience to hear and see him play.  Well, it was magical for me and John.  Mark slept through it.  In Mark's defense, he was one of those kids who played hard and then fell asleep as soon as he quit moving.  John is probably still annoyed.