Osteogenesis imperfecta is the official name for the physically-disabling condition that was visually apparent. Petrucciani’s artistic presence was, and is, awash with color and sound, and the many colors of sounds. He cajoled the piano. It was as if he could conjure emotions from the instrument.
About his physical appearance and his piano taming artistry these words of his, from a Martin Chilton article lend perspective: “Sometimes I think someone upstairs saved me from being ordinary,…When I was young, I thought the keyboard looked like teeth,… It was as though it was laughing at me. You have to be strong enough to make the piano feel little…” – in the imagination you can see the piano that way and fully understand the words of the player. In an NPR article by Emilie Pons, Petrucciani’s words again lend us all a lens into the uniqueness of his artistic energy: “I don’t play to people’s heads, but to their hearts. I like to create laughter and emotion from people — that’s my way of working.”
The artistry is filled with the colors of emotion and the direction of the ways of the heart.