This is the first year I can remember without a Memorial Day parade so taking pictures of empty parking lots and playgrounds that weekend really touched me,” muses Aiden. “And I don’t think I ever missed a summer concert in Wiswall Park, a Way We Were Car Show in the fall or a Santa Claus parade just before Christmas. The thought that these and other annual events may never be the same is definitely on my mind as I think about the kinds of pictures I’ll be taking as part of a record of this period in our nation’s history.
Aiden Irish may only be 16, but when it comes to contributing images that capture The Spirit of Ballston Spa against the backdrop of the pandemic, he’s proving to be an incredibly focused young man for all seasons.
Drawing upon a deep reservoir of memories of pre-COVID era springtimes, summers, autumns and winters in the village where his maternal great-grandparents settled half a century ago, Aiden is quick to observe and reflect upon 2020 transformations. “This is the first year I can remember without a Memorial Day parade so taking pictures of empty parking lots and playgrounds that weekend really touched me,” muses Aiden. “And I don’t think I ever missed a summer concert in Wiswall Park, a Way We Were Car Show in the fall or a Santa Claus parade just before Christmas. The thought that these and other annual events may never be the same is definitely on my mind as I think about the kinds of pictures I’ll be taking as part of a record of this period in our nation’s history.” In addition to contributing his photography skills to Ballston Spa Living’s 2020 heritage preservation project, Aiden is proving to be a natural at the keyboard, says his private piano instructor Cole Broderick. The composer-pianist, whose 4-CD box set titled “Seasons of Saratoga” garnered a Critic’s Choice from BILLBOARD magazine (https://ballstonspaliving.com/seasons-of-the-soul-with-cole/), describes Aiden as being blessed with attentiveness and focus. “It quickly became ingrained in Aiden when I began tutoring him last year that technique is the prerequisite of mastering the songs he enjoys practicing. I’m impressed that he is already working diligently on a Mozart sonata. I consider myself fortunate to be Aiden’s teacher not only because of his musical talent, but also because he’s a great kid,” beams Broderick whose home-studio is situated in the village.