In February, Shaya Gardner-Hayum (Loretta Quicksey) shared some family news that was both impressive and poignant. Her grandson, 17-year-old Ethan Clay, an accomplished cellist, was selected to perform with an international orchestra at Carnegie Hall in February 2019. PBS Newshour featured him in a segment on Martin Luther King Day 2020. During the video interview, he spoke not only of his musical accomplishments as a cellist but of the racial stereotypes faced by a black musician in the world of classical music.
Ethan is not letting that stand in his way and is building his career as a classically trained musician. He was accepted to 11 schools, including Oberlin, Loyola University (New Orleans, LA), and DePaul University, and chose Indiana University, whose school of music is one of the best in the country. Shaya said, “The unique thing about my family is that both of my parents were orphans. In spite of their difficult beginnings, future generations were able to overcome those obstacles and Ethan's accomplishments would make them proud."
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