I began piano at the age of 6, but my old teacher gave me little leeway in songs I wanted to learn. Because of this, a lot of joy that came from playing the piano began to diminish, with little progress in enjoyability and skill being made over the years. At the verge of quitting, I was introduced to a new piano teacher at the age of 14, and we developed a bond that felt more like a friend and a helper friend than a student and teacher, despite having what is close to a 50 year age difference. Not only that, it felt like I started piano from scratch when I met him, yet he still helped evolve my technique, improvisation, and composing skills to a level I had only dreamed of. Although the name of the piece was coined by my grandmother, the song is dedicated to him, as I don’t know where I would be in the musical world without him.
Watch Michael Litvinsky perform Fluctuating Flight by Michael Litvinsky on the piano for the 2026 Spring Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.