Clair de Lune and Beyond: Music, Memories, and the Courage to Be Imperfect

Nearly four years ago, I walked into my first Presto Piano gathering and played the Aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations—a relatively simple one-page piece. I was terrified and convinced I was the least advanced pianist in the room. Yet the members of Presto welcomed me exactly where I was and encouraged me every step of the way. On April 10, 2026, I had the delight of hosting this Presto Piano Concert at Ruggero Piano's beautiful Bösendorfer Hall while also performing three pieces myself. This was my third appearance on the Ruggero stage—first as part of a Presto concert, then as one of three featured performers in October 2023, and now as host and performer. One thing I learned preparing for this concert is that perfection is overrated. I went into the performance knowing there would be a few mistakes. In fact, listening back to the recording, I can hear quite a few of them. But for perhaps the first time, that didn't bother me. Instead of striving for perfection, I focused on communicating the music and sharing the stories behind it. That mindset made me less nervous and helped me enjoy the experience far more than if I had been obsessing over every note. The centerpiece of the evening for me was Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune. During my mother's final days, when dementia had largely taken away her ability to communicate, I played Clair de Lune for her on her Echo. After years of limited conversation, she looked at me and said lucidly, "The music is beautiful." Those were her final words. She was my first piano teacher, and one of the great loves of her life was her piano. That experience inspired me to return to piano lessons after a forty-year hiatus and eventually learn the piece myself. I also perform Debussy's dreamy Rêverie and Schumann's tender Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 No. 14, often described as a musical love letter to Clara Wieck, the woman who would later become his wife. Looking back, this evening became an important milestone in my growth as a performer. Although I didn't know it at the time, just a few weeks later I would find myself saying yes to another unexpected opportunity—stepping onto a New York City Broadway stage during a performance of Every Brilliant Thing with Daniel Radcliffe—yes, really! This concert reminded me that beautiful and perfect are not the same thing. Growth doesn't require perfection. It requires the courage to keep showing up. Thank you to all my fellow journeyers with Presto Piano, my patient piano teacher, Teddy Robie, Richard Ruggero and Ruggero Piano, performance psychologist Noa Kageyama and our Learning Lab cohort, and all who continue to encourage adult learners and lifelong musicians. Order of Program/Performers 00:00 Welcome and Introduction – Grace Ueng 02:45 Rui Xi – Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971 (Bach) 16:45 Story Behind Clair de Lune – Grace Ueng 17:00 Clair de lune – Claude Debussy (Grace Ueng) 24:45 Rêverie – Claude Debussy (Grace Ueng) 30:00 Danny Jones – Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 (Beethoven) 50:25 Elizabeth Andrews – White Peacock (Griffes) 58:00 Arief Bustillo – Funérailles (Liszt) Intermission 1:12:00 Eric Hale, Baritone & Sue Timmons, Piano – Old American Songs (Copland) 1:23:00 Kitty & Stuart Scott – Pièce (Fauré) 1:30:00 Story Behind Schumann – Grace Ueng Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 No. 14 – Robert Schumann (Grace Ueng) 1:34:30 Richard Reid – Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 "Tempest" (Beethoven) #Piano #ClairDeLune #Debussy #AdultPianoStudent #LifelongLearning #ClassicalMusic #GrowthMindset #MusicAndMeaning #HappinessAtWork