WEBVTT 00:03.000 --> 00:04.432 JOHN COVELLI HAS MASTERED 00:04.434 --> 00:06.032 THE UNIQUE MUSICAL TALENT OF 00:06.034 --> 00:07.366 BOTH PERFORMING AND CONDUCTING 00:07.368 --> 00:09.232 AT THE SAME TIME. 00:09.234 --> 00:10.932 UP NEXT, THIS AMERICAN PIANIST 00:10.934 --> 00:12.765 TALKS ABOUT HIS MUSICAL 00:12.767 --> 00:14.132 PASSIONS AND THE EVOLUTION 00:14.134 --> 00:15.265 OF HIS SPECIAL TALENT. 00:17.133 --> 00:26.999 ♪ 00:27.001 --> 00:28.332 WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, 00:28.334 --> 00:29.565 I STARTED PLAYING THE PIANO 00:29.567 --> 00:32.332 SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS DRAWN TO 00:32.334 --> 00:35.099 IT BY IMITATING MY TALENTED 00:35.101 --> 00:37.932 SISTER WHO WAS PLAYING MUSIC 00:37.934 --> 00:42.898 THAT MY MOTHER WAS TEACHING 00:42.900 --> 00:44.433 HER, AND WHEN SHE LEFT THE 00:44.435 --> 00:45.598 PIANO, I WOULD GO UP ON THE 00:45.600 --> 00:48.466 PIANO AND PLAY EXACTLY WHAT 00:48.468 --> 00:49.332 SHE DID ONLY BY EAR, 00:49.334 --> 00:50.565 AS THEY CALL IT. 00:51.666 --> 01:04.332 ♪ 01:04.334 --> 01:06.332 I STARTED CONDUCTING 01:06.334 --> 01:09.598 BECAUSE I HAD THIS ANXIETY 01:09.600 --> 01:11.433 WHEN I WAS IN MY HIGH SCHOOL 01:11.435 --> 01:13.831 BAND AND ORCHESTRA IN ONE OF 01:13.833 --> 01:15.199 THE GREAT SCHOOLS IN THE 01:15.201 --> 01:17.166 MIDWEST IN CHICAGO, 01:17.168 --> 01:18.466 AND I WASN'T HAPPY 01:18.468 --> 01:21.466 WITH THE CONDUCTOR. 01:21.468 --> 01:24.099 I WOUND UP CONDUCTING MY 01:24.101 --> 01:25.998 ORCHESTRA IN HIGH SCHOOL, 01:26.000 --> 01:27.565 AND I GOT THIS BUG THAT SAID 01:27.567 --> 01:29.831 THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY 01:29.833 --> 01:34.598 WOULD LIKE TO DO. 01:34.600 --> 01:36.598 MY FIRST TRIP BEING ASKED TO 01:36.600 --> 01:38.466 GO TO MOSCOW WAS, OF COURSE, 01:38.468 --> 01:41.032 VERY, VERY EXCITING. 01:41.034 --> 01:43.432 THE WHOLE IDEA OF GOING TO ONE 01:43.434 --> 01:48.432 OF THE GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE 01:48.434 --> 01:50.665 WORLD, BEING ABLE TO PERFORM 01:50.667 --> 01:52.198 IN ONE OF THE GREAT CONCERT 01:52.200 --> 01:54.698 HALLS IN MOSCOW, PLAY WITH 01:54.700 --> 01:56.565 THEM AS WELL AS CONDUCT THEM, 01:56.567 --> 01:58.298 WAS A GREAT HIGHLIGHT. 01:59.666 --> 02:09.465 ♪ 02:09.467 --> 02:12.999 I WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR HAVING 02:13.001 --> 02:16.165 TRIED AND HAVING ACCOMPLISHED 02:16.167 --> 02:17.999 AS MUCH IN AS MANY FIELDS 02:18.001 --> 02:21.332 OF MUSIC. 02:21.334 --> 02:23.965 I'M MOST PROUD OF BEING A 02:23.967 --> 02:26.665 PIANIST AND OF A CONDUCTOR, 02:26.667 --> 02:28.632 BUT I AM SO GLAD THAT I HAVE 02:28.634 --> 02:30.398 BEEN INVOLVED VERY HEAVILY 02:30.400 --> 02:32.398 WITH THE WORLD OF OPERA, 02:32.400 --> 02:33.565 CHAMBER MUSIC, BROADWAY, 02:33.567 --> 02:35.965 BALLET, BEING A GUEST 02:35.967 --> 02:37.698 CONDUCTOR, BEING INVOLVED WITH 02:37.700 --> 02:40.999 ORGANIZATIONS AS LOFTY AS THE 02:41.001 --> 02:45.499 BOSTON POPS AND HAVING SPENT A 02:45.501 --> 02:47.365 LOT OF MY YEARS IN THE WORLD 02:47.367 --> 02:50.665 OF POPULAR SYMPHONIC MUSIC. 02:50.667 --> 02:52.265 ALL OF THIS HAS ENRICHED MY 02:52.267 --> 02:53.932 LIFE, AND I WANT TO DO MORE. 02:55.699 --> 03:01.698 ♪ 03:01.700 --> 03:04.365 THE QUESTION ALWAYS COMES UP, 03:04.367 --> 03:05.832 WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST -- 03:05.834 --> 03:06.665 PLAYING THE PIANO 03:06.667 --> 03:08.132 OR CONDUCTING? 03:08.134 --> 03:09.332 AND THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY 03:09.334 --> 03:10.565 PROUD OF THE FACTS. 03:10.567 --> 03:12.398 AND I WAS ONE OF THE -- YOU 03:12.400 --> 03:14.632 MIGHT SAY, ONE OF THE FEW AS A 03:14.634 --> 03:15.999 PIANIST AND AS A CONDUCTOR 03:16.001 --> 03:20.332 THAT COMBINED THE TWO. 03:20.334 --> 03:22.632 AND SO I HAVE RELISHED THE 03:22.634 --> 03:25.698 FACT THAT I CAN CONDUCT A 03:25.700 --> 03:27.632 SYMPHONIC CONCERT AND THEN SIT 03:27.634 --> 03:30.398 DOWN AT THE PIANO AND ALSO 03:30.400 --> 03:33.165 PLAY A CONCERTO OR SOME OTHER 03:33.167 --> 03:35.198 WORK THAT'S WRITTEN FOR PIANO 03:35.200 --> 03:36.632 AND ORCHESTRA AND LEAD THE 03:36.634 --> 03:37.265 ORCHESTRA WHILE I'M PLAYING 03:37.267 --> 03:39.432 THE PIANO. 03:39.434 --> 03:41.666 SO THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION 03:41.668 --> 03:42.832 IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I 03:42.834 --> 03:47.332 LOVE THEM BOTH, AND THE 03:47.334 --> 03:48.099 INTEGRATION OF THEM HAS MADE 03:48.101 --> 03:48.832 ME A BETTER MUSICIAN. 03:48.834 --> 03:50.499 WHY? 03:50.501 --> 03:52.232 BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, 03:52.234 --> 03:54.432 IT INVOLVES WORKING WITH AND 03:54.434 --> 03:56.265 COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE. 03:56.267 --> 03:59.532 WHEN YOU'RE AT A PIANO AND 03:59.534 --> 04:00.599 YOU'RE ALSO LEADING 04:00.601 --> 04:02.632 AN ORCHESTRA, YOU'RE 04:02.634 --> 04:04.066 A CHAMBER MUSIC STYLE 04:04.068 --> 04:05.899 OR MENTALITY. 04:05.901 --> 04:06.865 YOU HAVE TO GIVE. 04:06.867 --> 04:07.965 YOU HAVE TO TAKE. 04:07.967 --> 04:10.566 YOU HAVE TO LISTEN, LISTEN 04:10.568 --> 04:14.299 VERY, VERY CAREFULLY, AND SO 04:14.301 --> 04:15.965 YOU'RE EXERCISING EVERY ONE OF 04:15.967 --> 04:17.499 YOUR FACULTIES IN MUSIC 04:17.501 --> 04:20.566 BY DOING BOTH. 04:20.568 --> 04:22.932 THEREFORE, I LOVE BOTH 04:22.934 --> 04:24.765 CONDUCTING AND PERFORMING 04:24.767 --> 04:26.199 AS A PIANIST. 04:26.201 --> 04:27.032 AND WHEN I DO THEM TOGETHER, 04:27.034 --> 04:28.299 IT'S A MIRACLE. 04:28.301 --> 04:29.099 IT'S ONE OF 04:29.101 --> 04:29.999 THE GREAT PLEASURES. 04:31.466 --> 04:38.865 [ APPLAUSE ] 04:41.066 --> 04:42.666 YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT 04:42.668 --> 04:43.532 COVELLI AT HIS WEBSITE 04:43.534 --> 04:43.798 JOHNCOVELLI.COM.