Super Brothers

The music director announced a special video game segment of the concert. One cellist was going to improvise in real time a live sound track as someone from the audience played a game of Super Mario. As dozens of hands shot up the director clarified that he was looking for a child who wasn't one of his high school students. One enthusiastic dad turned to his ten-year-old son and urged, "Come on, raise your hand." The boy, wearing a distinct orange hoodie raised his hand high in the air. The director, shading his eyes with his hands to see past the glaring stage lights, spotted the boy and invited him to the stage.

As the game began, the dad realized that the game was not Mario Kart, but Super Mario Brothers. His boy had never played the game before. Even more, the boy played on a Wii and this game used a different console. All the ingredients united to prepare a perfect recipe for disaster. This school auditorium, packed with parents and teenagers, would watch as this young boy played Mario Brothers for the first time.

As the game began the audience quickly realized that this boy had no clue about the game or how to play. After several agonizing moments of moving back and forth, the boy found the button that made Mario jump. The crowd gave a reserved but hopeful applause when he jumped and discovered the first mushroom. But almost as quickly, the encouragement turned to a nervous laughter as the mushroom got away and Mario stayed small. The boy ignored the audible groans and continued to navigate the  course.

By mere chance, one jump revealed Yoshi and after a brief chase he was able to jump up on top and did his best to figure out how to jump with Yoshi instead of jumping off. As the boy persevered his dad realized that the audience's attitude was shifting. The groans were disappearing and the cheers were growing. Although there was laughter, it was supportive and not mocking. Little by little the energy of everyone in the hall buoyed the boy, lifting his spirits until he could complete the level. This was not to be an experience that crushed his morale but an opportunity to realize that dedication and perseverance could carry him through difficult trials, even in the face of a critical audience.

As he passed through the goal posts and finished the level he had won more than a game, he had won the hearts of the throng who watched him learn how to play a video game. When the concert finished the moment became, by orders of magnitude, more tender. The dad's older son reunited with the family in the auditorium, he declared, "That was the best moment of my life. My brother learned how to play Super Mario Brothers in front of auditorium full of people while my friend played the cello." This was no disaster, this recipe united super brothers.