Name: Itzhak Perlman Lost A $20,000 Violin Then Found It In A Pawn Shop For $15 | Letterman
Uploaded: 2022-02-01T16:04:22.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Itzhak Perlman Lost A $20,000 Violin Then Found It In A Pawn Shop For $15 | Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2022-02-01. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Itzhak Perlman Lost A $20,000 Violin Then Found It In A Pawn Shop For $15 | Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2022-02-01. Transcript available.

My first guest is widely regarded as the finest violinist in the world.
I bet this guy is not wearing light-up clothing.
He is also known to millions of people who have never been inside a concert
hall
as a funny and engaging guest on television programs like this one.
We're proud to have him with us tonight.
Welcome, please, Itzhak Perlman.
Good to see Itzhak. How are you?
Nice of you to be here.
It's actually a thrill to meet you,
and I'm glad you found time in your busy schedule to be here.
My pleasure.
I saw a picture of you in the Sunday Times on the sports pages.
I can't make it into the music pages these days,
so I always take the alternative.
What was the purpose of you being in the sports pages?
I have no idea.
Actually, I got called by somebody because there was an article about me in the
sports pages about three, four months ago,
because, you know, I live in an apartment that Babe Ruth used to have and so on
and so forth.
So my name was given out, and so the lady asked me, what do you think is the
outcome of the Cooney-Holmes fight?
And I said, what?
And so she said, well, what do you think of that?
And I said, I had no idea.
So she said, do you mind if we print that?
I said, not at all.
So it said, actually, the quote that it says is, oh, my God, what do I know
from such stuff?
Yeah, it was interesting.
It would be interesting to see a quote from Larry Holmes about classic violin
music.
Probably a similar quote.
Yeah, yeah.
And you mentioned something else that I find interesting, that you're now
living in Babe Ruth's old apartment.
And you've lived there a long time?
Yes, it's taken us quite some time to cover all the little holes in the wall,
you know, used for batting practice.
And we're just replacing the windows now, you know, several home runs.
Now, is this something that, I mean, you decided I've got to live where the
babe lived?
No, I felt that I wanted to live where somebody who was a little overweight.
And I felt that was something.
But in addition to being a world-class musician, you're the best at what you do,
aren't you?
I don't know.
I try my best.
But in addition to playing the violin, which of course is a full-time non-stop,
you're quite a Yankee fan.
Or maybe not.
Maybe.
Wait a minute.
What kind of fans do they have here?
These are, I think these are good.
Mets fans?
Red.
I do follow the Mets.
But how did a fellow who was born in Israel and came to this country, how old
were you when you got here?
13.
How did you become a rabid baseball fan?
Well, I'll tell you.
It's one way of learning English because I had a transistor radio and all I
listened to was games.
I followed soccer when I was in Israel.
So I was sort of following sports all the time.
And my first, I don't know if they told you, my first game that I've heard was
the championship between the Yankees and the Pirates.
And I was rooting for the Pirates.
I didn't know any better.
I didn't know Yankees, Pirates, or anything.
And I was playing in an orchestra, in a little chamber orchestra at Juilliard
at that time.
And with my broken English, I said, me, you roots for Pirates.
Almost got killed.
And so I knew better.
And then immediately I became a Yankee fan.
The article you alluded to earlier, you're talking about in the New York Times
sports page.
You were speaking of the comparison of Reggie Jackson's swing to a person
playing a violin.
Is that a legitimate comparison?
Well, in everything that you do, which is physical, when it looks good, it's
probably, you know, it's a very, very important indication as to how you do it.
You know, the swing, when you see somebody playing the fiddle without even
hearing, there's certain things that they would do that you can actually see
without hearing.
And you know that they're doing it fairly well.
And, you know, you have to look comfortable when you do things.
You know, it's, and playing a violin is no exception.
As a matter of fact, playing a violin is one of the most uncomfortable things
to do.
You know, when you think that you have to hold the violin like this.
I mean, have you ever seen anybody walk down the street going like that?
You know, it's not a very natural thing.
So you have to be as comfortable as possible.
Yeah.
So.
When you're out touring the United States, do you find yourself playing the
same piece of music many times from city to city?
Or do you break it up every time?
Well, I'm lucky.
I don't, I'm not associated with any particular special kind of music.
So I play, I have a lot of variety.
I do repeat, of course, but not in a row.
Do you ever in concert get bored or tired or your mind starts to wander?
You want to catch a plane?
You think, I'm going to goof with them tonight and, and just play tricks that
only.
I don't have to try to do that.
No, no, you, you actually, when your mind starts to go like this, after you
think about the pizza that you're going to have afterwards as a Chinese food or
something like that.
It's actually a challenge, you know, to, to see how, what else can I do for the
400th time to make it more interesting.
But it's interesting.
You do have that capability, don't you?
You can think about literally the pizza or the chili or whatever you're doing
while you're in your white tie.
For a couple of seconds.
Yeah, yeah, that's fascinating.
And Mr. Perlman would like to know what year that was first released, Paul.
The original song.
The original by Phil Upchurch, the instrumental.
I would say maybe 62.
62?
Was that earlier than that?
Then the Dovels, the vocal version, 63.
That was what, that was a, 63?
I think, yeah, Philadelphia.
It was a little, yeah, it sounded quite early.
And the name of the, the blues, Magoos song?
We ain't got nothing yet.
My, oh my, isn't he amazing?
You ought to win a Buick one night, Paul.
I want to ask Yitzchak, as I would refer to him.
Properly pronounced.
Did you bring your axe with you?
The what?
Did you bring your axe?
My axe.
David, explain.
You mean the violin?
No, I didn't bring my axe.
Oh, we're disappointed.
Next time.
Next time you sit in.
That's an interesting question.
What kind of violin, or axe, you don't, do you, never mind.
What, what kind of violin do you, do you play with, do you prefer?
Well, I have the, what, what do you mean do I prefer?
You, you take with you.
When you really want to show them some stuff, what do you bring out?
The only one I got.
Yeah.
My only axe.
Your only axe.
Yeah, I only, no, I have a Strad, a Stradivarius, and it's called the Mikimoto
Strad, made in Japan.
No, I'm kidding.
It's, no, it's the only violin I have, it's a Stradivarius, made in 1714.
Quite an old axe.
Now, what is, what is the other high quality violin that's made?
Guarneri.
Guarneri, yes.
And these are roughly, both of them made in the 1700s?
Yes, 1700, early 17, Guarneri, what, 1740, beginning 1740, and Strad was
slightly earlier, 1738.
And how many of both those names were made, do you suppose?
Well, I know that right now there are not too many of them.
Strad, I'm, maybe three or four hundred Strad, and I don't know about Guarneri,
it's probably even less.
I'm not sure.
Now, why is it that violins made over 200 years ago, now we have far better
technology, are still better than the best we can turn out today?
No idea.
I, absolutely, you know, people have tried so many things, it just doesn't work.
They don't know what the secret is.
Is it, is it?
It's nice to have a secret, you know, isn't it nice that nobody knows?
But would I be able to make the determination, would I be able to say, yes,
there's the one from 1714, and there's the one from Kmart.
Would I be able to, uh...
Well, I'll tell you, Kmart, I'm not sure.
They're making pretty good stuff.
But listen, you could tell an A&P anytime.
No, it's, it, you might, if something is really, really horrendous, as opposed
to something terrific.
But, you know, on a certain level, you can't really tell.
Yeah.
The player can tell, though.
It must be maddening to people who are making violins today that they still can't
capture that quality.
Well, it's, it's an ongoing quest, I must say, you know, they've tried all
sorts of things, you know, to, the other day I was playing someplace in Europe,
and they came with a laboratory, a big laboratory, and they said, can we knock
on your fiddle?
I said, I want to knock on my fiddle.
I mean, my fiddle is from 1714, why do you want to knock on my fiddle?
So we'll just give it one little knock.
So I said, what'll that do?
Well, we will record the knock and compare it to other knocks from other fiddle,
you know.
You know, they wanted me to do the Einig, Klein, and knock music.
No.
So anyway, so they did that, but I don't know what that's going to do.
Don't know what it became of it.
Is it fair to ask you what your violin is worth?
I suppose that's maybe a dangerous thing to be talking about.
It's not fair.
Not fair.
It's a lot of money.
More than I would guess?
Yes.
Oh, no.
No, I don't, no, I don't want, because, because that would, you've lost a
violin or two, haven't you?
No, just one.
Just one.
It wasn't mine.
Oh, well, those, that's the kind to lose, sure.
No, it was, it was loaned to me by Juilliard a long time ago, in 64, and at
that time it wasn't worth much, only $20,000.
So, oh, why did I say that?
So, but it was returned the next day.
No, no, it wasn't returned, was it?
Yeah, it was found, it was found in a pawn shop.
See, now that's, that's the difference.
That's not actually being returned.
It was.
Found in a pawn shop.
It was, yeah, it was found in a pawn shop.
What did it go for at the pawn shop?
Fifteen bucks.
Fifteen dollars.
It was a good deal.
Yeah, uh-huh.
Do you, um, I guess we're going to pause here, but your first, the thing that
brought you to America, am I, remember I got this, was it Ed Sullivan?
Ed Sullivan, yep.
Yeah, how, how did that happen?
Well, he came to Israel and he had a talent audition, audition for talent, and
they, they took me.
And you were how old at the time?
Thirteen, yeah, that's amazing.
Tell me about Ed Sullivan, what, was that his regular Sunday night show, or was
this, uh-
Yeah, Sunday night show.
And what, what did you think of this man?
He wanted, uh, he wanted, uh, he wanted an old Israeli show on his television,
and he came to the, to Israel, and there were nationwide competitions from
every walks of the entertainment field.
And he actually chose a variety show made out of Israeli artists.
Now, when word got around about the 13-year-old, a prodigy on the violin, what
was the reaction for you and your family?
Well, there was one way of getting, uh, to the States, you know, everybody from
a small country, no matter what country it is, wants to go and study further
abroad, whether it's from the United States to Europe, Europe to the United
States, or especially from a small country such as Israel.
And so, I was very, very excited.
And you, uh, did you audition for Juilliard at that age?
Yes, after I came to the States, then, then I played for, uh, you know, then I
played the audition for Juilliard.
And what was that, what was their reaction to you?
All right.
I mean, look, when I was 13, you know, I was 13, it was a, uh, the reaction,
and I can see it right now, the reaction to a 13-year-old kid to come in, they
said, uh, wait a minute, you know, this is kind of a little circusy.
And, you know, the, the, the, the fact that I was disabled, I was walking with
crutches, I'm sure didn't hurt the whole, you know, the whole scene, you know,
a little kid and so on.
And a lot of people resented this whole bit that I was, that I was there and
being sort of playing concert at that age.
Yeah.
And, and, and, and doing that.
Yeah.
But your skills must have just, uh, uh, leveled these folks.
Well, at that time, I, I didn't feel I was, uh, incredibly talented. I felt I
was very talented, but I didn't feel that I was a real, you know, wunderkind
genius type. You know, I, I felt that I played very well for 13, but nothing
extra, extraordinary.
Yeah. Have you, have you run into anyone since, uh, at that stage, uh, a child
that has the development that you had?
Oh, oh, plenty of kids with, with far more development. You know, I, I just
today, I saw a little girl walk by the street and it was so funny. Uh, she just
came from Juilliard, 10 years old.
I asked her, Oh, where are you coming from? I come from Juilliard. Oh, very
nice.
Uh, her mother said, she just played Audition. Oh, what did the, uh, what she
played? She said, Bartok Concerto. You know, you know, Bartok Concerto. That's
a concerto that you play when you're 25 years old. That's a tough piece when
you're a little 10 year old.
Yeah. And then the Louvels did that in 62, I think, didn't they? The Bartok
Concerto. Uh, are your hands insured? Do you, do you pamper them? Do you baby
them?
Every night I take, uh, well, no, I don't.
Do you find yourself being extra careful with them?
No, not really. Uh, you know, I'm not, uh, I wouldn't go out of my way to work
with saws, you know, or, or, or, I mean, I'm not going to do that, you know.
Power tools, maybe not a hobby for you, no.
A black and decker, you know, but, you know, I do cook and, you know, sometimes
I find myself, uh, you know, cutting a little bit more than I wish, but, uh,
you know, I, you seem to have, uh, you're, you have large hands.
They're very muscular and, and large. Is that a, a hindrance or, or an asset in
playing the violin?
In playing the violin, I don't think it makes that much of a difference. As a
matter of fact, uh, it's a real asset for pianists and for cellists and, but
for violinists, it doesn't really matter.
As a matter of fact, I have a little trouble on the, on the top, you know, real
trouble over there.
And because the spaces on the violin are very small as you get under the top
and when, and so I've got to really squeeze, uh, my fingers together.
But that's the only problem I've got. Yeah. I was reading this afternoon
something, uh, a couple of things.
One, you mentioned that if a violin, a very sensitive instrument, I'm telling
you, yeah, be careful with a mitsak, because they're going to go on the, these
things could go on the blink like that, um, uh, it can, uh, a string can go
flat in the middle of a, oh, really?
A string will go flat. And to me, when you see this in bars all the time, a guy
playing a guitar, a string goes flat and he changes it or tunes it or something,
but you don't, you can't do that, can you?
Yes, of course. I, I, I do it, uh, if I stop or I do it by, uh, making up the
space.
Yeah. Now, you actually, I'm very good at that. You actually adjust.
Yeah, you adjust automatically. It doesn't go that, it doesn't go that much. It's
when your string breaks that's when you've got problems.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's when you've got what we say in French, you know, the, the word, and that's
either you say to the audience, excuse me, but I got to change or you change
with a concert master if you play with an orchestra and that can be very
exciting.
Yeah.
Sometimes when the concert doesn't go very well, you do it on purpose and then
it's a big success.
Uh, you, you mentioned, uh, I, I wanted to ask you what you've been doing
lately. I know you're involved in a particular project that you wanted to
mention.
Oh, I'll, I'm, I'm involved in all kinds of projects. Uh, my main, the main
project that I'm involved in basically, uh, to, uh, about the disabled.
This is something that, uh, I've done. Uh, I just was, I was just in Washington
and that's all I've been doing besides playing concerts, uh, is to talk to the
national endowment for the arts about budget cuts and to talk about budget cuts,
uh, with regards to rehabilitation and so on.
And so this is really the main, uh, the main thing that I'm doing.
And I was saying to some people that if I stop playing the violin tomorrow, I
could have a job as a keynote speaker or as, as a touring speaker, uh, 24 hours
a day, it's quite incredible.
Yeah. Uh, 1981 was the year of the disabled person.
Yes.
Did that help?
No.
Did it, it didn't help.
It was a terrible year because of the budget cuts.
I mean, it was a lot of talk, but not enough was done.
And I just hope that the next couple of years will not be as catastrophic
because we just have to have awareness constantly.
And, uh, with the budgets, uh, every, everything gets affected.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, I've enjoyed talking with you.
I know you're leaving for Europe, uh, shortly.
Very shortly.
Yes.
And I, and when you come back, if you have a chance, I'd love for you to come
back.
I would love it.
Chat a little more.
It was great.
Mr. Itzhak Perlman, folks.
We'll be right back.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Itzhak Perlman Lost A $20,000 Violin Then Found It In A Pawn Shop For $15 | Letterman

My first guest is widely regarded as the finest violinist in the world.
I bet this guy is not wearing light-up clothing.
He is also known to millions of people who have never been inside a concert
hall
as a funny and engaging guest on television programs like this one.
We're proud to have him with us tonight.
Welcome, please, Itzhak Perlman.
Good to see Itzhak. How are you?
Nice of you to be here.
It's actually a thrill to meet you,
and I'm glad you found time in your busy schedule to be here.
My pleasure.
I saw a picture of you in the Sunday Times on the sports pages.
I can't make it into the music pages these days,
so I always take the alternative.
What was the purpose of you being in the sports pages?
I have no idea.
Actually, I got called by somebody because there was an article about me in the
sports pages about three, four months ago,
because, you know, I live in an apartment that Babe Ruth used to have and so on
and so forth.
So my name was given out, and so the lady asked me, what do you think is the
outcome of the Cooney-Holmes fight?
And I said, what?
And so she said, well, what do you think of that?
And I said, I had no idea.
So she said, do you mind if we print that?
I said, not at all.
So it said, actually, the quote that it says is, oh, my God, what do I know
from such stuff?
Yeah, it was interesting.
It would be interesting to see a quote from Larry Holmes about classic violin
music.
Probably a similar quote.
Yeah, yeah.
And you mentioned something else that I find interesting, that you're now
living in Babe Ruth's old apartment.
And you've lived there a long time?
Yes, it's taken us quite some time to cover all the little holes in the wall,
you know, used for batting practice.
And we're just replacing the windows now, you know, several home runs.
Now, is this something that, I mean, you decided I've got to live where the
babe lived?
No, I felt that I wanted to live where somebody who was a little overweight.
And I felt that was something.
But in addition to being a world-class musician, you're the best at what you do,
aren't you?
I don't know.
I try my best.
But in addition to playing the violin, which of course is a full-time non-stop,
you're quite a Yankee fan.
Or maybe not.
Maybe.
Wait a minute.
What kind of fans do they have here?
These are, I think these are good.
Mets fans?
Red.
I do follow the Mets.
But how did a fellow who was born in Israel and came to this country, how old
were you when you got here?
13.
How did you become a rabid baseball fan?
Well, I'll tell you.
It's one way of learning English because I had a transistor radio and all I
listened to was games.
I followed soccer when I was in Israel.
So I was sort of following sports all the time.
And my first, I don't know if they told you, my first game that I've heard was
the championship between the Yankees and the Pirates.
And I was rooting for the Pirates.
I didn't know any better.
I didn't know Yankees, Pirates, or anything.
And I was playing in an orchestra, in a little chamber orchestra at Juilliard
at that time.
And with my broken English, I said, me, you roots for Pirates.
Almost got killed.
And so I knew better.
And then immediately I became a Yankee fan.
The article you alluded to earlier, you're talking about in the New York Times
sports page.
You were speaking of the comparison of Reggie Jackson's swing to a person
playing a violin.
Is that a legitimate comparison?
Well, in everything that you do, which is physical, when it looks good, it's
probably, you know, it's a very, very important indication as to how you do it.
You know, the swing, when you see somebody playing the fiddle without even
hearing, there's certain things that they would do that you can actually see
without hearing.
And you know that they're doing it fairly well.
And, you know, you have to look comfortable when you do things.
You know, it's, and playing a violin is no exception.
As a matter of fact, playing a violin is one of the most uncomfortable things
to do.
You know, when you think that you have to hold the violin like this.
I mean, have you ever seen anybody walk down the street going like that?
You know, it's not a very natural thing.
So you have to be as comfortable as possible.
Yeah.
So.
When you're out touring the United States, do you find yourself playing the
same piece of music many times from city to city?
Or do you break it up every time?
Well, I'm lucky.
I don't, I'm not associated with any particular special kind of music.
So I play, I have a lot of variety.
I do repeat, of course, but not in a row.
Do you ever in concert get bored or tired or your mind starts to wander?
You want to catch a plane?
You think, I'm going to goof with them tonight and, and just play tricks that
only.
I don't have to try to do that.
No, no, you, you actually, when your mind starts to go like this, after you
think about the pizza that you're going to have afterwards as a Chinese food or
something like that.
It's actually a challenge, you know, to, to see how, what else can I do for the
400th time to make it more interesting.
But it's interesting.
You do have that capability, don't you?
You can think about literally the pizza or the chili or whatever you're doing
while you're in your white tie.
For a couple of seconds.
Yeah, yeah, that's fascinating.
And Mr. Perlman would like to know what year that was first released, Paul.
The original song.
The original by Phil Upchurch, the instrumental.
I would say maybe 62.
62?
Was that earlier than that?
Then the Dovels, the vocal version, 63.
That was what, that was a, 63?
I think, yeah, Philadelphia.
It was a little, yeah, it sounded quite early.
And the name of the, the blues, Magoos song?
We ain't got nothing yet.
My, oh my, isn't he amazing?
You ought to win a Buick one night, Paul.
I want to ask Yitzchak, as I would refer to him.
Properly pronounced.
Did you bring your axe with you?
The what?
Did you bring your axe?
My axe.
David, explain.
You mean the violin?
No, I didn't bring my axe.
Oh, we're disappointed.
Next time.
Next time you sit in.
That's an interesting question.
What kind of violin, or axe, you don't, do you, never mind.
What, what kind of violin do you, do you play with, do you prefer?
Well, I have the, what, what do you mean do I prefer?
You, you take with you.
When you really want to show them some stuff, what do you bring out?
The only one I got.
Yeah.
My only axe.
Your only axe.
Yeah, I only, no, I have a Strad, a Stradivarius, and it's called the Mikimoto
Strad, made in Japan.
No, I'm kidding.
It's, no, it's the only violin I have, it's a Stradivarius, made in 1714.
Quite an old axe.
Now, what is, what is the other high quality violin that's made?
Guarneri.
Guarneri, yes.
And these are roughly, both of them made in the 1700s?
Yes, 1700, early 17, Guarneri, what, 1740, beginning 1740, and Strad was
slightly earlier, 1738.
And how many of both those names were made, do you suppose?
Well, I know that right now there are not too many of them.
Strad, I'm, maybe three or four hundred Strad, and I don't know about Guarneri,
it's probably even less.
I'm not sure.
Now, why is it that violins made over 200 years ago, now we have far better
technology, are still better than the best we can turn out today?
No idea.
I, absolutely, you know, people have tried so many things, it just doesn't work.
They don't know what the secret is.
Is it, is it?
It's nice to have a secret, you know, isn't it nice that nobody knows?
But would I be able to make the determination, would I be able to say, yes,
there's the one from 1714, and there's the one from Kmart.
Would I be able to, uh...
Well, I'll tell you, Kmart, I'm not sure.
They're making pretty good stuff.
But listen, you could tell an A&P anytime.
No, it's, it, you might, if something is really, really horrendous, as opposed
to something terrific.
But, you know, on a certain level, you can't really tell.
Yeah.
The player can tell, though.
It must be maddening to people who are making violins today that they still can't
capture that quality.
Well, it's, it's an ongoing quest, I must say, you know, they've tried all
sorts of things, you know, to, the other day I was playing someplace in Europe,
and they came with a laboratory, a big laboratory, and they said, can we knock
on your fiddle?
I said, I want to knock on my fiddle.
I mean, my fiddle is from 1714, why do you want to knock on my fiddle?
So we'll just give it one little knock.
So I said, what'll that do?
Well, we will record the knock and compare it to other knocks from other fiddle,
you know.
You know, they wanted me to do the Einig, Klein, and knock music.
No.
So anyway, so they did that, but I don't know what that's going to do.
Don't know what it became of it.
Is it fair to ask you what your violin is worth?
I suppose that's maybe a dangerous thing to be talking about.
It's not fair.
Not fair.
It's a lot of money.
More than I would guess?
Yes.
Oh, no.
No, I don't, no, I don't want, because, because that would, you've lost a
violin or two, haven't you?
No, just one.
Just one.
It wasn't mine.
Oh, well, those, that's the kind to lose, sure.
No, it was, it was loaned to me by Juilliard a long time ago, in 64, and at
that time it wasn't worth much, only $20,000.
So, oh, why did I say that?
So, but it was returned the next day.
No, no, it wasn't returned, was it?
Yeah, it was found, it was found in a pawn shop.
See, now that's, that's the difference.
That's not actually being returned.
It was.
Found in a pawn shop.
It was, yeah, it was found in a pawn shop.
What did it go for at the pawn shop?
Fifteen bucks.
Fifteen dollars.
It was a good deal.
Yeah, uh-huh.
Do you, um, I guess we're going to pause here, but your first, the thing that
brought you to America, am I, remember I got this, was it Ed Sullivan?
Ed Sullivan, yep.
Yeah, how, how did that happen?
Well, he came to Israel and he had a talent audition, audition for talent, and
they, they took me.
And you were how old at the time?
Thirteen, yeah, that's amazing.
Tell me about Ed Sullivan, what, was that his regular Sunday night show, or was
this, uh-
Yeah, Sunday night show.
And what, what did you think of this man?
He wanted, uh, he wanted, uh, he wanted an old Israeli show on his television,
and he came to the, to Israel, and there were nationwide competitions from
every walks of the entertainment field.
And he actually chose a variety show made out of Israeli artists.
Now, when word got around about the 13-year-old, a prodigy on the violin, what
was the reaction for you and your family?
Well, there was one way of getting, uh, to the States, you know, everybody from
a small country, no matter what country it is, wants to go and study further
abroad, whether it's from the United States to Europe, Europe to the United
States, or especially from a small country such as Israel.
And so, I was very, very excited.
And you, uh, did you audition for Juilliard at that age?
Yes, after I came to the States, then, then I played for, uh, you know, then I
played the audition for Juilliard.
And what was that, what was their reaction to you?
All right.
I mean, look, when I was 13, you know, I was 13, it was a, uh, the reaction,
and I can see it right now, the reaction to a 13-year-old kid to come in, they
said, uh, wait a minute, you know, this is kind of a little circusy.
And, you know, the, the, the, the fact that I was disabled, I was walking with
crutches, I'm sure didn't hurt the whole, you know, the whole scene, you know,
a little kid and so on.
And a lot of people resented this whole bit that I was, that I was there and
being sort of playing concert at that age.
Yeah.
And, and, and, and doing that.
Yeah.
But your skills must have just, uh, uh, leveled these folks.
Well, at that time, I, I didn't feel I was, uh, incredibly talented. I felt I
was very talented, but I didn't feel that I was a real, you know, wunderkind
genius type. You know, I, I felt that I played very well for 13, but nothing
extra, extraordinary.
Yeah. Have yo