All this shit that I missed out on, whether it be through me traveling as a teen, missing out on school, and then, of course, quarantine. I had barely held anyone’s hand before quarantine. Speaking of "prom," like many people your age, you were never actually able to experience prom. "prom" is more reserved as well as what I’ve gone through. Ones To Watch: Your new single "prom" follows your viral breakout hit "cut my fingers off." How would you say the two songs differ?Įthan Bortnick: In terms of the songwriting, it’s a lot more resonant and more about the actual song itself as opposed to where "cut my fingers off" is more about here’s the sound here’s the piano. I had the chance to sit down with Bortnick ahead of the release of "prom" to talk about discovering his sound, growing up without feeling like growing up, and a passing similarity to Conan Gray. What was his music? What was his sound? The answer he arrived is one he is still in the midst of telling, from the controlled chaos of "cut my fingers" to the restrained, striking reflection of his latest single "prom." While the last two years put much of the world on pause, for Bortnick that allowed for a moment of respite, a chance for the teen artist to ask himself what he wanted to really do, what he wanted to create. However, the elated Bortnick, the one who sits across from me on his first trip in two years, is one completely reborn. The classically-trained piano prodigy spent the better part of his formative years touring across the United States, playing the likes of Michael Bublé and "the classic hits" to amazed audiences. And yet, in many circles, Bortnick needs little introduction. It serves as a spellbinding introduction not just to the song but to the artist behind the viral single. Whatever he decides, William is already firmly on the path to a bright future.In his debut breakout single, "cut my fingers off," Ethan Bortnick wastes no time launching into a dizzying series of piano presses. “Maybe I want to be an artist, maybe a pianist, or maybe composer or piano teacher,” said William Zhang the winner of the American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition. William isn’t yet sure where he’s headed but says piano is definitely in his future. One of the youngest to play, his performance was flawless. Then came the big day when William performed at Carnegie Hall. Did I look at it wrong So I blew it up on my desktop computer screen and checked. “I didn’t want to tell them because I wanted to make sure. In January, the family found out William had won the competition. We work together,” said Guangyu Zhang William Zhang’s father.Īll that work paid off. “It’s like the best team: parents, student and teacher. Today he practices up to three hours a day. Then at four and a half he began piano lessons. So his parents, who didn’t play instruments themselves, taught him to play baby songs. He can punch the little key and make some beautiful sound and why don’t you teach him But no, nobody want to teach him,” Wang said. Zhang’s parents wanted him to start lessons at two or three but everyone told them he was too young. But they had a hunch he would take a liking to the instrument. When he was just two they bought him a $20,000 piano. “Whenever there is music in the house, he jumps and moves so we just feel he loves music,” said Julie Wang, William Zhang’s mother. William’s parents say he always responded to music. “Music brings me happiness and I want to bring the audience happiness,” Zhang said. He’s playing Mozart, one of his favorite composers along with Bach and Chopin. What got him there was this amateur video taken by his father. The 6-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, won first prize in the American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition. In a few days, he would be playing Carnegie Hall. Visiting New York City for the first time is an exciting experience for many, but William Zhang – had an extra reason to smile.
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