Brandon Goldberg ’24 has been spending his days at the piano ever since he was three years old. Growing up, Brandon only took a few piano lessons before he discovered his unique talent, and wanted to explore it further. From a young age, Brandon has been able to recall notes and pitches of a keyboard without much practice. His grandparents would play him their favorite music such as songs by Frank Sinatra, which Brandon soon became obsessed with. He studied all of Sinatra’s songs and fell in love with the orchestrations. Brandon’s parents were on the search for music programs to further educate and train Brandon but at his young age, it was a struggle for Brandon’s parents to find a music program that would accept a four year old. However, when he turned five, he was accepted into The University of Miami summer program where he was thoroughly exposed to jazz music.
Now, at just 17 years old, Brandon has already played on many stages. He has performed at multiple charity events hosted by the Jazz Foundation of America, Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and other impressive venues. In an attempt to share his love and passion for piano, Brandon hosted a live concert for his fellow peers and faculty here at Stacy Auditorium in January of 2023. Mr. Mellone, Pine Crest’s director of Fine Arts, had introduced the idea of bringing in two musicians that Brandon has performed with in the past to play alongside him. The show was open for anyone in the Pine Crest community to enjoy. Brandon was joined by bass player Ben Wolfe and drummist Aaron Kimmel, some of the most well-regarded jazz musicians to date. Brandon looks up to them and greatly enjoys their time together.
One of Brandon’s goals for this concert was to include his fellow Pine Crest band members as well as any schoolmates who were looking to perform. He wanted to allow students to interact and perform with these world-class musicians as well. Greer Udelson ’23, performed a song from the musical Meet Me in St. Louis, and towards the end of the concert, all students who played an instrument were welcomed to an on-stage jam session.
Brandon brought one last surprise to the concert and performed music that he has written and composed on his own. He explains that he often hears melodies or musical ideas in his head and will take a Voice Memo of himself playing the sound on the piano, and eventually develop them into full songs. “I think it’s really important to understand what certain musicians’ strengths are and what they enjoy playing: that’s when notes on paper can become real music,” Brandon tells Paw Print. Brandon is a force to be reckoned with and will amaze anyone who hears him play.
Anybody further interested in Brandon and his musical journey can find him on Apple Music, Spotify, or any further streaming service. He is also prominent on various social media pages including Instagram (@brandonpiano), Facebook (@BrandonGoldbergPiano), YouTube (@BrandonGoldberg), and find any dates/information on his upcoming performances at his website brandongoldbergpiano.com.