12 year-old Estuardo Lopez is something of a musical prodigy. He is not your typical middle school student. He skillfully plays the piano, but never really had a formal teacher. In fact, he credits his abilities as a gift from God. Estuardo told his interesting story and talked about his desire to share his gift with others.
Estuardo explains his musical background. His father, who is a pastor at the Nueva Vida Church in Clarion, is also a musician. He remembers his dad taking him to a drum lesson a couple of years ago and encouraging him to work harder. Eventually, his father took the boy to their church and blessed him. He also told Estuardo that he wanted him to share his musical talents with the world. At this point, the boy did not play piano.
Estuardo said he later had a dream in which God offered him guidance on his musical journey. A few weeks later, the boy said he asked his father to buy him a piano. In a very short time, Estuardo said he had perfected his skill on his own. And now, just a couple years later, he is simply outstanding, and can play by ear and follow music. When asked about his sudden skill, Estuardo knows where to assign credit. “God hasn’t lied to me. He has helped me reach new levels when it comes to music.”
The CGD middle school student, who also plays drums, bass and is learning guitar, says he enjoys sharing his piano skills with others. Earlier this year, as part of his school ‘passion project,’ he played in the middle school hallway. Estuardo smiles when he describes the surprise some of his classmates showed regarding his musical ability.
His teachers are blown away by his skill and how great of a young man he is. “I’m just really proud to be his teacher,” said Middle School teacher Jay Klaver. Estuardo’s Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program teacher Tanja Jensen agreed, saying he is an extraordinary student and not many students his age show this kind of leadership.
Jensen was particularly impressed with Estuardo’s leadership recently when he played piano at the Meadows Assisted Living. He not only shared his music, but he also told his story and then individually visited with residents. “You really get to see how incredible our students are when you get them out in the community,” said Jensen.
Jensen and Estuardo both added that they would love the opportunity for him to play for other organizations and groups in the community. Last week, he shared his music with the local PEO ladies. Other interested groups can contact the middle school. The music man himself said he is always happy “to show everyone a talent that God has given me.”
As Estuardo looks ahead, he is excited to continue to share his talents and hone his musical skills. He said an eventual goal would be to pursue a career involving music and even teach others. In the end, he emphasized, “If you want to accomplish something, trust in God.”
