Accompany Me
A pianist friend of mine once told me, “There are two kinds of piano players, soloists and accompanists. Soloists get a lot of attention but accompanists are just as important.” My friend was referring to music but her statement covers much more.
Soloists command center stage. They excel in sports, music, art, making money, or making news. We applaud soloists. We reward star players and straight-A students. Professional athletes and actors earn high salaries. Wealthy celebrities make news.
Accompanists work in the background. Band members support the lead player. The defense protects the quarterback. Cast members support the star actor, as do the stage crew and the production team. The billionaire depends on managers, workers, bankers, laborers, and many more to maintain status. The anchorperson relates news gathered by scores of reporters, editors, and technical support people.
Accompanists are a vital part of any achievement. The architect designs the building; the bricklayer builds it. The author writes the best seller; the editor, printer, and binder make it a book. The surgeon performs the operation; the nurses, anesthesiologists, technicians, lab assistants, cleaners, and every person at the hospital keeps the patient alive.
George Burton Adams, a medieval historian who taught at Yale from 1888 to 1925 wrote, “There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”
All of history stands on the shoulders of many accompanists. For every name we remember nameless thousands stood in support.
Not many of us are soloists but all of us can be accompanists. Accompanists work behind the scenes. They are the parents and grandparents who advocate for good schools, cheer on the athletes, buy the paints for the artists, and drive budding actors to rehearsals. They are the coaches and teachers who encourage children to persevere, practice, and treat others with fairness. They are the friends who show up, stand by, and pick us up when we fall down so we can start again. No soloist is made without support: friends, family, teachers, coaches, advisors, authors, pastors, mentors, and many more. Behind every soloist is an army of accompanists.
Parents and teachers accompany one another in the education of children. Adult children accompany elderly parents through aging and retirement. Friends accompany friends through illness, failure, and discouragement as well as success, prosperity and health. Citizens accompany the government when they keep the laws. Politicians accompany citizens when they put the welfare of the nation ahead of personal gain. Nations accompany one another when the work together for peace.
Children become accompanists when they see adults supporting and encouraging others. We spend a lot of time and energy nurturing soloists; equal effort must be made nurturing accompanists. Accompany your children as they grow. Encourage them to accompany others.
Accompanists are important.
LMC 2019
