Generation Z: Interview with Brandon Goldberg

He plays piano with utmost passion and excitement, and his smile is contagious to anyone who catches it.  Brandon Goldberg (MGBH), an 11-year-old Floridian, a gifted jazz piano player, has conquered the hearts of many, including mine.  Will he win yours, too?

PPM: Please, tell us about your participation in the TEDx. Did you have to practice your speech a lot? Did you have help writing it or did you do it yourself?
BG: My mom made me write the speech by myself. She said, “Just tell your story.”  So, I went to my room, and I wrote it down. Then, she helped me organize my thoughts and put it all together. The whole TEDxYouth@Miami experience was great – all the kids selected to participate would meet at the Cushman School every Saturday morning for several months to rehearse in front of each other.  Arvi Balseiro (MGBH), Principal of the Cushman School, and Lisa Herbert (MGBH) would give us feedback on our speech. They did it in such nice a way that it gave everyone the confidence to present in front of a big audience. At first, some of us were nervous, but at the end, everyone memorized their speeches. They helped us become better speakers and it was fun getting to know the other kids.  On the last practice day, they brought in the red circle that TED is famous for, and we all had to practice speaking and staying on the circle.  It was fun.

PPM: How did you first start composing music?
BG: I first started composing music when I had an idea and I wanted to develop it.  I really wanted to express my thoughts.  I asked my parents for some manuscript paper and then I just went from there.  Soon enough I started using Sibelius and Finale, and eventually I started using Logic Pro X to record.