I know I whine about my ear woes. I should stop. Now.

If you met Samuel Boutris, you would not assume he is a musician.

He was born without a left ear and has a slight misalignment of the jaw.

But this Fort Worth 19-year-old recently gained acceptance to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, a top conservatory in Philadelphia where he will continue his clarinet education.

For Boutris, who has played clarinet since sixth grade, acceptance into Curtis came on his third audition.

“It’s great,” he said. “I was close but never got there. Now I have.”

The road to Curtis has not been easy.

Boutris has suffered the effects of Goldenhar syndrome, a congenital defect that usually involves deformities of the face.

“I don’t really let it bother me,” Boutris said. “It is just who I am.”

For many with Goldenhar, the consequences are merely cosmetic, but for a musician, missing an ear poses obvious challenges.

“When I was learning, I could not actually hear if I was off-pitch. My teacher would intentionally play off (key) and I had to feel it,” Boutris said.

RTWT

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