Here's a recommendation that you see the feature film "The Soloist," which opened nationwide over the weekend. It's a story of the power of music and the importance of friendship, based on the 2008 book of the same name by L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez.
What you may not know is that Nathaniel Ayers, the "soloist" and brilliant musician beset by mental illness, was a classmate of Yo-Yo Ma (Bryan Series, Oct. 26) at Julliard. Lopez learned this in conversation with Ayers on the streets of Los Angeles.
Lopez described a meeting between Ayers and Ma when he appeared on the Tavis Smiley's PBS talk show in April 2008:
Lopez: One day I go to see Nathaniel and he has -- he's wearing a shirt and on it he has written "Yo-Yo Ma" and the date of a concert at Disney Hall.
And I said, "What's that?" And he said, "Yo-Yo Ma is coming to town." And I said, "Well, that's great." And he said, "Yeah, can you get tickets?" And I said, "Well, sure, we can just call our friends at the L.A. Phil. You're a VIP there; of course we can go." (Laughter) And he says, "Well, I want to see him, that's my old classmate." And I did not know that he had been at Juilliard with Yo-Yo Ma.
Smiley: With Yo-Yo Ma.
Lopez: And they had been briefly in the same orchestra. So he was very excited and he got dressed up and he was very concerned about how he looked and patting his hair down in the mirror. And we go up there and he sees the performance and he's just awestruck.
So we're here at Disney Hall and we see the performance, and later we go backstage. And here's this meeting, and before Yo-Yo Ma comes in, Nathaniel's nervous. He's on his toes, he's looking in the mirror, he's not sure what he's going to say.
Yo-Yo Ma walks into the room and is so gracious, it was unbelievable. And looks over at him and had read the columns and knew the story. Goes over, shakes his hand, puts his arms around him and said, "We're brothers. We are brothers in music. I really appreciate anybody who loves music as much as you do, and we are brothers." And Nathaniel just didn't even know what to say.
And Yo-Yo Ma then hands him his cello and says, "I've got to go out and meet some other people. Why don't you give it a try?"
Read the transcript of the Tavis Smiley show interview here.
Read Lopez's October 2005 L.A. Times column about a visit by Ayers to Disney Hall here.