Life & Style

Sharing an ear for music

Sharing An Ear For Music

Sam Ronan bonds with his younger brother Luke over a passion for music while pursuing a professional career of his own.

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Ania Johnston
Luke and Sam Ronan stand outside of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. In the 8th grade, Sam performed a piano solo on the school’s stage for more than 3,000 people, a performance for which Luke was in attendance and fondly remembers.

Brothers Sam and Luke Ronan share a deep and genuine connection with music at the heart of their relationship.

Sam, a professionally trained jazz pianist, always made sure to include Luke and their family in his musical journey. They attended every one of his recitals during his undergraduate years — a testament to the strong bond the siblings share.

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Ania Johnston
Luke practices on his own drum set in the basement where Sam often comes down to help him practice and give him tips on keeping time. The siblings’ mother, Karen, recounted Luke’s first drum recital: “For some reason, Luke had been put right at the end, and I thought, you know, maybe he won’t want to get up, or he’ll be nervous. But when it was his turn, I always remember he lifted up his drumsticks and he came bounding down the aisle to play.”

As a recent graduate of Syracuse University and embarking on the challenges of launching his music career at age 22, Sam also takes on a significant caregiving role for his 20-year-old brother Luke, who has Down syndrome. Balancing this responsibility alongside their parents adds another layer of complexity to Sam’s life.

“I’ve always had to do more for Luke and getting him into school,” said Karen Ronan, mother to the two sons and three daughters. “I hoped Sam never felt neglected because of this. He didn’t have sisters to take over if I wasn’t there.”

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Ania Johnston
Sam, along with his parents, Karen and Tom, stand in front of their Pittsford home. Sam and Luke have three older sisters, all of whom have long since moved out.

Sitting at the family’s dining room table in Pittsford, Karen and Sam discussed the household dynamics especially since the three sisters moved out.

“I always felt thankful,” Sam said. “I had a lot of independence growing up.”

Sam admitted there are challenging moments that he and his family faces in caring for Luke.

“He can be very stubborn, wanting to stay up really late,” Sam said. “Every day is different, trying to get him to do what is best for the next day but having my parents manage their own time.

“When he really wants to do something that can take a lot of compromise or convincing.”

But Sam was quick to point to the many rewards brotherhood brings as well.

“The biggest thing it teaches you is empathy,” Sam said. “You’re not alone in your experiences, and it reminds you how to conduct yourself and be there for others.

“Taking care of Luke is a lesson in exercising compromise … uplifting his spirit to enjoy day to day better and the days with us better.”

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Ania Johnston
A young Sam (left) and a young Luke (right) practice their respective instruments. Luke’s dad, Tom, frequently helps Luke out with his practicing, and now that Sam is older, he has gradually taken over the role.
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Ania Johnston
Luke sits on the edge of his bed after showing off his bedroom where he spends time reading books or watching movies on his DVD player. Sam notes that while he can be extraverted, he and Luke are similar in their need for personal time.
A sign for the CSE Music School in Webster New York. Green Day is Luke’s favorite rock band. Each week, Luke brings his Green Day CD into Vince’s lessons. When asked if CD’s are common at lessons, Vince replies with a laugh, “Only Luke!” Sam reconnects with Vince Ercolamento for the first time in years. They embrace and catch up for a few minutes at the end of Luke’s drumming lesson.

Every Wednesday when Sam isn’t working at Wegmans or the local school district as a substitute teacher, he drives Luke for 30-minute drumming lessons.

The music instructor, Vince Ercolamento, who is legally blind, was also Sam’s first-ever music teacher.

Each week, Luke brings in CDs from his favorite band Green Day to his lesson’s with Vince. When asked if CDs are common at lessons, Vince replied with a laugh, “Only Luke!”

Taking Luke to lessons is also a time for Sam to reconnect and catch up with his old instructor. They regularly embrace and talk for a few minutes after the lesson.

After enduring the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke decided to rekindle his own passion for drumming — a brave step forward and a testament to his determination to pursue his own dreams.

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Ania Johnston
“The biggest thing it teaches you is empathy,” Sam said about brotherhood. You’re not alone in your experiences, and it reminds you how to conduct yourself and be there for others. Taking care of Luke is a lesson in exercising compromise … uplifting his spirit to enjoy day to day better and the days with us better.”
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Ania Johnston
“When it comes to music he looks up to me most of all out of my siblings or anyone else,” Sam said about Luke’s musical talents. “He wanted to start his drum lessons practically when I moved back home. That makes me want to do more and be more productive and lean more into what I want to do. Me doing what I love to do allows me to share my joy and fulfillment with my family and it rubs off on him, too.”
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Ania Johnston
Sam plays one of the pieces he’s been working on recently on his new Yamaha keyboard — an upgrade when he graduated from Syracuse University. He’s still paying off the instrument, however, emphasizes that he’s getting every penny’s worth out of it.

In the midst of their busy lives, the two brothers find solace in revisiting their shared childhood memories through old photographs. These moments serve as a reminder of the deep connection and love that binds them together.

Sam proudly boasted that his younger brother is far from sheltered and in fact, the complete opposite.

“Every time he recognizes someone he runs up and gives them a hug,” Sam said. “He’s the most outwardly social and has no social anxiety. That’s something that I’ve really had to work on and have been prone to all my life.”

And because of Luke’s outgoing nature around family and friends, Sam said his brother reminds him what it means to thrive in life.

“It simplifies my life objectives in a sense and helps me navigate my own relationships,” Sam said. “I see a lot of my own personality traits and things that I see in my parents I see in Luke.

“I think seeing how he navigates the world can help me manage myself.”

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Ania Johnston
Sam admires how his brother navigates life. “He’s like the spokesperson of our family. He’s the most social.”