Not long after arriving in Canada from China, a young girl and her father bump into a kind old man at their local park. They have no idea that he has been teaching young people music for over fifty years. Mr. Mergler can hear music in a way that most of us can't, and he knows that this little girl has a talent that, with encouragement, will grow into something magical. He offers to give her music lessons, a gift that will tie them together forever.
This story is inspired by events in the life of Daniel Mergler--a wonderful musician who loved to teach and whose generous spirit inspires author and journalist David Gutnick to this day.