Son of Man

Back in July, I posted on Caring Bridge about a song that had been gifted to us in honor of Ethan’s 13^th birthday. The song was “Son of Man,” sung by Phil Collins, from the Disney movie Tarzan. The lyrics seemed to fit Ethan perfectly, yet whenever I’d listen to the song I thought the tempo was a little fast. In my head I imagined hearing a slower version of the song. When my friend Lisa—who came to help us from Cleveland in October—mentioned that a musical fundraiser to benefit Ethan was in the works for February, she asked if there were any special songs we’d like the young, talented performers to include. Near the top of my list was “Son of Man” and I asked if her son, Alex, might be able to rework the song with a slower tempo. I didn’t feel this was too big of a favor to ask because I’ve known Alex since he was 3 years old. He started playing the piano at 4 and it was evident from a young age that he was highly talented. In addition to playing the piano beautifully, he is a gifted composer, and has a wonderful singing voice. I knew he was the perfect person to take on this special project, and he did not disappoint. We were thrilled to “attend” the concert at the Fairmount Temple in February via live streaming, where we heard so many talented performers, and we were especially touched by the way Alex performed his rendition of “Son of Man.” His mom, Lisa, sent us the audio that she had pulled from the video that night. While it was great to have a copy of his version, there was a lot of feedback from the room. I made a bold request and asked if Alex—a senior in high school with plenty of things to keep him extremely busy—would someday be able to record a clean copy of his version of “Son of Man.” I received the new recording this week and played it for the first time by Ethan’s bedside at CCHMC. With tears streaming down my face, this was exactly what I had been imagining this song to sound like all of these months. Thank you, Alex, for this tremendous gift! With Alex’s permission, I am including the link to Sound  Cloud Alexander Berko for all to listen and enjoy. Phil Collins, are you listening?