More Than a Mayor A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 16 Credit: Getty Images In an attempt to remind us all that there are still elected officials out there who believe in serving their constituents and their communities, we have found a reason to smile: Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston. And lest you think we are moving away from a musical focus, just wait. Wu is the first woman and first person of color to hold the job. A daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, she is a self-described “pragmatic progressive.” Her campaign website lays out her vision: “This moment is a call to action. To me, that means thinking big about how to build a more resilient, healthy, and fair Boston, and then having the courage and political will to fight for all of our families.” By most accounts, she is making good on those promises. While doing all she can for the residents of Boston, Wu is also an accomplished musician. She started taking piano lessons at the age of four and has been playing ever since. On her first day at City Hall, she had a piano placed in her office. Wu must have found time to use it, if her performance with the Boston Pops is any measure. Last September, Wu performed with the famed orchestra as part of Concert for the City, an free annual concert for the people of Boston. Wu didn’t take the easy road — she chose to play one of the most challenging pieces for piano: “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin. It has been described as ragtime meets Rachmaninoff. Though she took a few refresher lessons at Boston’s Berklee School of Music, Wu admits she was nervous. No need. Her performance was impressive and beautiful. You might have noticed that Wu is pregnant in the video. She has since given birth to a healthy baby girl, her third child. She told WBUR that while practicing for the concert, “The kicking is also getting quite intense, I think she [the baby] likes Gershwin. I can tell.” Gershwin conceived of the composition while traveling from New York to Boston by train in 1924. “It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang, that is so often so stimulating to a composer … I frequently hear music in the very heart of the noise. And there I suddenly heard — and even saw on paper — the complete construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to end,” he told his biographer. We are happy he did and that Wu chose to showcase Gershwin’s opus. “I hope it's a statement that everyone should share their passions, everyone can find a way to give their little gift and love to the community and the world,” said Wu. Please take a few minutes to enjoy this remarkable performance. It’s a wonderful opportunity to close your eyes, forget the chaos, and enjoy a great American work with a truly accomplished politician and pianist. If you are able to, please support my team, who make pieces like this possible. No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading and listening. Stay Steady, Dan