Boy Walks up to Piano in Costco, Shoppers Blown away When 9-Year-Old Starts Playing
Jake Clayton has been playing the piano since he was 5 years old. After years of training, he became the star of a “concerto debut at age 10, performing Mozart with the Saddleback College Orchestra in California.”
Clayton has played his heart out for various audiences in California. Apart from being a graduate of the Summer Academy for Chamber Music at the University of California Irvine, the passionate pianist has won several awards.
Through competition, Clayton has been an award recipient of the SYMF Young Pianist Competition and the Los Angeles Young Musicians International Competition, just to name a few. Now at age 15, the teenager is currently studying with Artistic Director of Chamber Music, Dr. Kevin Kwan Loucks.
Since 2010, his self-titled YouTube channel has showcased quite a few performances. But, it was one 2014 clip uploaded by YouTuber “newscast1” that had everyone jaw-dropped by Clayton’s God-given talent.
While visiting Costco with his parents, the then 9-year-old Clayton walked up to a lonely piano. This was his chance to turn heads, and he did just that.
As he started to play a piano rendition of the Hungarian folk dance, Csárdás, shoppers stopped to listen. Beginning in a slow tempo, Clayton’s little fingers soon began to play vigorously.
The kid was completely zoned in and focused. Suddenly, the arrangement came to a slower pace, but Clayton played it with so much passion and precision.
Shoppers were blown away by the child prodigy. One man even stood right next to Clayton to get a close-up shot.
Just when everyone thought the impromptu recital was over, Clayton ended Csárdás in an uptempo rhythm. Upon finishing, one impressed lady shouted, “bravo!”
This gifted child was clearly made for showbiz! And what better place to play his little heart out than Costco?
While playing in concert venues comes second nature to Clayton, this may have been his best performance yet. It was not done for a competition, but just for fun in a casual setting, which I’m sure most of those shoppers truly enjoyed!
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