The Other Side of Magic
by Lisa McDivitt
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Greg comes from a very different background. The middle of three sons, Greg and his brothers all started taking piano lessons at age eight as part of a well-rounded upbringing. His brothers had no interest in classical music and both quit the piano soon after they started. Greg, however, went through all of his local piano teacher’s books within his first year of lessons. After that, he began studying with a woman in St. Paul, Minnesota, and remained with her until he left for Juilliard ten years ago.
Playing both the violin and the piano, Greg would practice between two and four hours a day, and he attended music festivals during the summers. His brothers would try to get Greg to play sports outside, and Greg still remembers the day his dad pulled up mattresses from the basement to soundproof the room while Greg was practicing. It was expected that the house was to be quiet by 8:30 at night.
Though Greg also excelled academically, it was always clear to him that he would go to a music conservatory. He knew that a life in music was his calling – he seems to have simply been born to it.
Despite these contrasts in their backgrounds, and maybe because of them, Liz and Greg give each other something the other does not have. Greg zealous focus and work ethic enforces Liz’s fascination with the artistic process. And Liz’s extensive interests offer Greg new perspectives on music and the world. Still, it would be presumptuous to pigeonhole these two individuals into categories, both personal and musical. Greg and Liz are the types of people to defy expectations and labels, not out of contrived ambition but out of an organic need to express the diverse layers of their personalities.
Perhaps one of the reasons why their partnership has endured for so long and shows no signs of souring is they avoid the personal drama of a romantic relationship. “Because Greg is gay, we elude any awkward situations that can arise when two people spend hours sitting in close proximity at one piano,” comments Liz. Greg adds, “Were I actually attracted to Liz, I don’t know how I could possibly focus on the music at hand during our rehearsals and performances!”
Greg and Liz are simply best friends with incredible chemistry, and they let it show when they perform. Their platonic relationship gives them the freedom to explore the dramatic possibilities of the male-female pairing. Unlike siblings who perform as a duo, they can play up sexual overtones in the music they play. Yet there have been times when their constant interaction has created a hindrance in their personal lives. Because the two of them hang out regularly, when a man who might be interested in one of them sees them together he either assumes Liz is taken, or figures Greg is straight.
While their partnership is not romantic, their paths had crossed long before Juilliard in a story similar to the plot of a romantic comedy. When they were juniors in high school, Greg and Liz were in the same piano competition in Los Angeles, but they did not meet. Greg played first, then sat in the audience to watch his competition. When Liz performed, Greg made some judgment calls on her playing and her wardrobe choice. Her playing left a positive impression on him; the dress was a different story.
As fate would have it, they were assigned to the same floor in the Juilliard dorm. During their first week at school, Greg recognized Liz at an orientation event and approached her. Somewhat surprised by his advances, Liz didn’t try to expand on the conversation. No, she didn’t remember him from the high school competitors. As the weeks passed, Liz began to warm up to Greg, but quickly got the feeling he didn’t like her at all. She would pass by his practice room and wave hello from the window. But all he gave her was an icy stare.
Now when they talk about it, they laugh: few people love Liz more than Greg, and Liz now understands that when he practices, he’s in such a zone that he cannot change his expression. And besides, all of that was before they discovered what they could do together.