Brooklyn Mayor's Son Recalls Missing Century-Old Music Prize by Minutes

Dante de Blasio was born at 12:30 a.m. on September 4, 1997. That specific time placed him just minutes behind the actual winner of a unique local prize. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music had pledged a lifetime of free music lessons to the first baby born in the borough on its centennial anniversary. The conservatory staff called hospitals across Brooklyn to find the lucky newborn. They identified an infant born at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital just before midnight. The mother of that first baby declined the offer. The conservatory then offered the prize to the next child born, which was de Blasio.

De Blasio, now 29, confirmed the timeline during a fundraiser held in a Park Slope loft. He stood near a Knabe piano and described his birth as extremely punctual. He recalled the event as happening around 12:30 a.m. His father, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, was present at the gathering. The elder de Blasio remembered the night clearly. He stated his heart sank at 12:20 a.m. because he believed they had missed the cutoff. He did not learn about the switch until the fundraising event. He described his son as the alternate winner.

The de Blasio family had not kept documentation of the prize when it was first awarded. Dante de Blasio said his parents did not possess a certificate. He feared conservatory officials would think he was crazy when he reached out recently. Chad Cooper, the head of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, said he had known the lore of the situation early in his tenure. Cooper said he had been waiting by the phone for years for de Blasio to call. He affirmed that the conservatory's word was its bond. De Blasio enrolled in a group singing class free of charge after making contact.

De Blasio had attempted music lessons as a child. He started around age eight and quit after less than a year. He described the experience as filled with rage and stubbornness. He noted he had no musical talent and disliked the social element of being told what to do. His father described him as positively sour during those lessons. De Blasio later tried teaching himself piano at Gracie Mansion using a German app called Flowkey. He did not keep up with the practice during the pandemic.

The recent fundraiser was organized to give back to the conservatory. De Blasio said the event came about largely out of guilt. He wore a brightly patterned button-down shirt, a blazer, and dress shoes. He sipped a Moscow Mule, which he identified as his favorite drink. He noted he had been reading about Russia and that a White Russian was his second choice. A jazz band played the song Pent Up House during the event. De Blasio checked in on his soccer teammates, Yale buddies, and his father.

A dapper jazz pianist named Lafayette took the microphone near the end of the evening. He thanked the band members and asked where the fellow with all the lessons was. De Blasio raised his hand to the cheers of the crowd. People in the audience shouted for him to sing. De Blasio shook his head sheepishly before strutting toward the piano. He raised the microphone to his mouth as a chant began in the room. The conservatory's offer stands as a result of the first family declining the prize.