LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- There’s an old joke in entertainment about a New York City pedestrian asking a stranger, “How does one get to Carnegie Hall?”

The passerby quickly answers, “Practice, practice, practice.”

Proving that point is Lakewood resident John Michael (aka “Mikey”) Klein, who next week at the age of 13 will be making his debut Dec. 18 at the prestigious New York City venue.

“It was an online competition that my piano teacher wanted me to do,” said Klein, an eighth-grader at Lakewood Catholic Academy. “They invited the people who won first prize to play at Carnegie Hall.

“I’m a little bit nervous, but I remember it’s really similar to the England trip we took last year, which was like the same scenario with a competition.”

It’s been quite the year for Klein, who took home first

See Full Page