A2 Reading _Innova_25_2.3

Music in the family Frank Green is only 10 but he has already played piano to over 300 people in his local concert hall.  Frank started playing the piano at the age of 4. His mother, Alice, is a concert pianist, which means she is a professional player. It is her job. She travels around the world and plays with some very important musicians in many different countries. ‘I have heard music in the house since I was a baby, and I always wanted to play like my mother. I had a toy piano at a very early age, but as soon as I was old enough to play a real piano, my mother started to teach me.’ Music is in Frank’s family. His sister, who is two years older than him, is a drummer and plays with the school band. His brother, who is 8, is already learning violin and piano. One of his grandparents is a professional violinist and one of his aunts is a singer with a popular jazz group. Frank’s father, Robert, is in music too, but he isn’t a musician. ‘I can play the guitar,’ he says, ‘But I’m not very good.’ Robert has a recording studio where he records the music of famous rock groups. Frank went to the studio a lot when he was younger, but stopped going at about 8. ‘The musicians are fantastic players, but rock music is always the same,’ he says. ‘I like classical music where there are so many different things happening all the time.’ Frank spends a lot of time every day practising on the piano. He quickly passed the lower grades and is now studying for Grade 8, which is the top grade. ‘He will pass it easily,’ said Alice. ‘He’s going to be better than me in a few years.’ Frank doesn’t know if he wants to become a professional musician. ‘I’m not sure that I want that  kind of life,’ he says. ‘You have to travel a lot and work late at night. And you have to practise several hours a day, every day.’ Frank’s parents are also not sure whether a career in music is good for their son. ‘He’s interested in science, too, and there are a lot more jobs in science than in music, ‘says Robert.