Tuba player's tone is bittersweet Twin brother's autism always on instrumentalist's mind

But he will stand tall on Dec. 2, when he joins a very select group of teenagers as a member of the prestigious Conference All-State Symphony Orchestra, composed of the best high school musicians in New York State. Thousands auditioned at the end of last year for the honor, but only a few made the cut.

When he's not playing the tuba in the Delmar Community Orchestra and the highly competitive Empire State Repertory Orchestra, Robert maintains a 98 percent average in advanced math, science, history and Spanish as a junior at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany.

Ryan's hope

Where Robert excels scholastically, Ryan must have a one-on-one aide at all times. While Robert enjoys all the freedoms of being 15, Ryan can't be left in a room alone.

"It's not fair that, by chance, I get to have these things, and he can't," Robert said. "If I go somewhere, he usually stays home. I've done all these things, and he's at the opposite end."

Tuba or not tuba

The tuba has the special responsibility of "carrying" and supporting the rest of the orchestra, he noted.

"I don't know if there's an easy thing about [playing in an orchestra]," he admitted. "You have to listen, and there's a lot of counting when you're not playing. And you have to be watching the conductor, paying attention to the music. You have to practice and be very alert.

"It can be serious, but it can be fun. Music is a way of expressing your emotions. It's a unique way to be creative. It's got a lot of different aspects."

Taking pride

"Mom told me that I had to do better because that was my name on the paper," he said. "Ever since then, I've grown to take pride in my work, because it represents who you are and what you're about."

Bundled with that philosophy is a refusal to allow his achievements to go to his head. "I worked hard to get here," he said of his appointment to the orchestra. "I didn't do it for the glamour. Most of the satisfaction comes from knowing that I worked hard."

It's not too hard to be 15, however. "I enjoy being young," he said. "The only part I don't like is waiting to be 16 so I can learn how to drive."

Belief system

He also believes that "it's important to pray. It's a consolation to know that there's a God out there and that everything is the way it is for a reason."

Robert, whose eventual goal is to become a doctor, envisions himself in medical school in ten years. No matter what, however, "I always want to be involved with music," he said.

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