to be taken to the doctor’s and given injections for chronic asthma attacks and hay fever. The family moved around a lot and Leonard never really made any solid friendships. From these experiences, he became an introvert, preferring the safety of his home to the outside. (Ewen 1960: 10)When Leonard was eight years old, he had his first taste of music when his father took him to the local synagogue. The music of the organ and the choir made him burst into tears. At the age of ten, he came home to find a piano standing in the living room as a family gift from his aunt. It was a day in his life that he would never forget. (Gradenwitz 1987: 22)The piano opened up a new world for Leonard. He could be completely at ease from the world and all his problems would just seem to fade away. Late one night, the family was awakened by the sounds of the piano. Leonard was later quoted as saying, “I have to do this. The sounds are in my head and I have to get them out.” (Ewen 1960: 11)When Leonard started taking piano lessons, he always strived for more. He studied with a couple teachers before getting the chance to work with Helen Coates. His father objected the lessons at first for fear that Leonard would turn away from the family business. After four years of working with Coates, Leonard was ready to commit to a career of professional piano playing and study with the best piano teacher in Boston, Heinrich Gebhard. (Gradenwitz 1987: 24)In 1935 he graduated from the Boston Latin School and was accepted as a student at Harvard University at the age of seventeen. Here Leonard studied with various teachers and engaged in various performances, some including music he had composed. His years at Harvard also marked a very influential time in his life from meeting Aaron Copland to developing his very own distinctive style that would change very little for the rest of his life.Bernstein looked up to Copland as his Biblical na...
