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Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” is one of the most iconic songs of all time. And it’s so well known, that it recently inspired something called the “Whitney Houston Challenge.” It’s seemingly simple, yet it requires skill and attention to detail. That’s why, when a boy named Ethan, who has down syndrome, took on the challenge and aced it, all his pals at school erupted in cheers.
The Whitney Houston Challenge consists of hitting a drum in time with the beat before the soaring final chorus of “I Will Always Love You,” putting the participant’s rhythm to the test. This is no easy feat, and even professional musicians struggle with it, as seen in this video shared by Mexican drummer Alberto Torrescano.
“There have been false starts and near misses. Everyone seems to agree on one thing: It’s harder than it looks,” writes The New York Times. The newspaper also interviewed David Foster, who produced and arranged the song, to explain the difficulty of the track. He shares that to add drama to the tune, he didn’t keep the drum on the beat, something enhanced by the reverb they achieved by recording in the studio’s bathroom.
That’s why the boy’s feat has made waves around the world. Following his teacher’s lead, Ethan hit the drum in perfect time as his classmates looked on. After nailing the challenge, he gave the educator an enthusiastic high five before running around the school gym in a celebratory victory lap.
Ethan’s mom, Danielle Miranda, appreciated the love shown to Ethan both in the school and those touched by his now-viral moment online. “That’s my boy!!!!!” she commented on the video shared by the school. “Thank you to the whole school and community for loving him as fiercely as we do.”
A boy with Down syndrome named Ethan took on the “Whitney Houston Challenge.”
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The challenge consists of listening to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and hitting a drum at a very precise moment.
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Ethan totally nailed it and his schoolmates roared with cheers for him!
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Sources: Why That Whitney Houston Drumbeat Is So Addictive, Yet Hard to Match
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