Audience participation was taken to a whole new level at the opening night of \u201cLa La Land in Concert\u201d in Sydney, with an audience member called up on stage to fill in for a musician who had fallen ill. <\/p>\n
21-year-old university student, Sterling Nasa, was settled in his seat at the ICC in Darling Harbour for the grand performance of Oscar winner Justin Hurwitz\u2019s live-to-film production when the unthinkable happened. <\/p>\n
After an interval of the show, the award-winning American composer-conductor took to the stage with an unexpected hiccup – one of his musicians, the keyboard player, was too sick to continue the show. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody an amazing sight reader?\u201d he asked the audience. <\/p>\n
Sight reading, also known as \u201cPrima Vista\u201d is the ability to look at a sheet of music and play it in real time without any practice. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a rare and impressive skill, which is why the composer was thrilled to see someone pop up from the audience and head down to the stage to give it a go. <\/p>\n
Knowing he could, Nasa\u2019s friend encouraged him to volunteer. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe just said, \u2018just do it, it\u2019ll be good dad lore\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought, \u2018she\u2019s right\u2019, so put my hand up,\u201d he told The Sydney Morning Herald.<\/a><\/p>\n After a brief meeting in front of the crowd, Horwitz introduced Nasa to his instrument for the evening – the celeste, also known as a bell-piano.<\/p>\n After just over a minute, the show was underway, with the crowd fully behind their brave volunteer. <\/p>\n \u201cThe only one that caught me a little bit off guard was the synth solo in the [John Legend song] Start a Fire,\u201d he admitted. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very technical solo that Ryan Gosling plays. I saw it on the page and I thought, \u2018I\u2019m not going to be able to sight read this\u2019, so I took the liberty and just completely improvised the solo.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a gamble that paid off for the keen muso, whose biggest gigs have been playing at his local church and teaching the bag pipes at his old school Scotts College, earning praise from the composer and a thunderous applause from the audience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really, really fun,\u201d he told SMH. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favourite movies. I was happy just sitting in the audience, let alone with what happened. It was going to be a good night either way.\u201d<\/p>\n The moment was described as \u201cthe most insane concert experience\u201d by an audience member who shared a clip of the call-up on social media<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI was there in the audience! Yes it was real! He definitely killed it!!\u201d one person commented. <\/p>\n \u201cEvery single muso has dreamed of this happening to them,\u201d another added. <\/p>\n And another agreed it was a great, teachable moment: \u201cThis will inspire a kid to learn now – you just never know when your chance will come!\u201d<\/p>\n Others described Nasa as an \u201cinstant legend\u201d and \u201cthe main character\u201d – much like a doctor called up on a flight when a patient falls sick. No doubt, a little more interesting to listen to. <\/p>\n Read related topics:Sydney<\/a>