Disclaimer - I do not own Thunderbirds or Virgil (insert sad face), I am just borrowing him for an extended period of time. A big thank you to LiGi for her Beta skills.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present our guest speaker. Virgil Tracy"
"Thank you. Dean, faculty members, honoured guests, graduating students, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honour and a privilege to be speaking to you here at the Royal School of Music, especially at your graduation ceremony. I have been asked to talk to you all today by one of your benefactors and biggest supporters, Lady Penelope Crieghton-Ward. With my deep love of this art, I must say, it did not take long for me to agree. Some of you may ask why the son of a billionaire would be interested in music like this, what some of you do not know is that I am one of you, well sort of. I took the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music exams on the piano, up to grade 8 I might add; let me tell, you it was not easy.
"Saying that, music has and is a very large part of my life, my own love of this art form dates back to my birth, my mother would play the piano to me when I would fuss and not settle. Later, as I grew, she taught me how to play and I came to understand the beauty and intricacies in it, from Twinkle twinkle little star to a Beethoven symphony, I love them all. Music has helped me though some of the darkest times and has left me with some amazing memories. When my mother unexpectedly died when I was young I did not want to play anymore, the place that held so many memories was suddenly a place of suffering. If it was not for the love of my family I would not be standing in front of you today.
"I am sure that as musicians you all have the one piece of music that truly touches you, that piece that speaks to your soul. Some of you have already found this, some of you have still to find it, but let me tell you this; you will know when you have found the piece. From the first time those notes reach your ears, nothing else matters, the world could stop spinning but for you that doesn't matter. For me that piece of music is 'Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven, I cannot explain in words what hearing this does to me, only to say that I will never forget it.
"Listening is only half. When you play or conduct, think about what it does to you, what you feel, what you see. Now I don't just mean crotchets and quavers; lines of black on a white page, but the vision in your mind's eye. Take 'Spring' from the Seasons suite by Vivaldi, can you see the flowers grow and open, can you see the Earth wake after the winter's sleep? Now think about what you feel when you listen to it, can you feel the warmth of the growing sun, the gentle breeze through the trees?
"I will leave you with this last thought. I know what you are feeling at the moment, the nerves and excitement mixed with the fear of failure. You will never fail if you do what you love and love what you do. Everyone in this great hall is proud of you, even me.
"So it is just left for me to say this. Congratulations, graduating students of the class of 2065."