Every four years, the best young piano players in the world come to Fort Worth for the Van Cliburn Competition. For the uninitiated, Fort Worth’s Van Cliburn hoisted the Russians on their own petard by going to Moscow and winning the first ever International Tchaikovsky Competition during the Cold War.

During a City Council meeting this week, the mayor said for the next two weeks, Fort Worth would give up the nickname, “Cowtown,” in favor of “Pianotown.” I discussed the change with Jacques Marquis, the chief executive of the Cliburn, who accepted a plaque at City Hall then had to haul back to TCU for the players’ orientation.

A total of 340 people from 45 countries applied for this year’s competition; just 28 were selected. At orientation, Marquis told competitors just practicing and reaching this point was exceptional. He said coming to the Cliburn would be just the beginning. Participants are between the ages of 18 and 30, so he said this was a chance to build a network.

Marquis told everyone, instead of focusing on the jury, focus on the craft and play with your heart. He told them they were about to bring this music to the world.

But the first thing they had to bring to the world was their group picture, which, you might say, became a composition of its own.

But even though Fort Worth is Pianotown, Justin Boots fits each participant with a new pair of cowboy boots. They also get a belt. One person was here for the second time, so he knew about the belt situation. He explains he brought a ten year old belt intentionally because he could get it replaced.

A couple others from Ukraine and South Korea were so excited about the boots, they took pictures of each other’s fittings.

The folks from Justin Boots say they enjoy introducing new people to western wear. Justin is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, and these bootsmiths had just returned from the shareholder meeting in Omaha a couple weeks earlier.

The participants say an afternoon like this can give them a chance to relax and get to know the town where they perform.

They stay with host families while they’re here for the Cliburn. The families say they want to help competitors relax, but they’re not usually up for an afternoon in the Stockyards.

That host family says a previous participant came back for a visit a few years later, and that time, they did want to see the cattle drive.

The Cliburn can bring different cultures together. Maybe Fort Worth becomes Pianotown, but when these participants go home, they might learn the steel guitar. I’d love to hear a ballad about the tragic story of a pianist from Ukraine becoming enamored of an opponent from South Korea, but he just didn’t have time when they were being fitted for cowboy boots to get her name. So now he’s writing a country and western song to find her.

We were fitted for boots together
And I found love in that supple leather

…performed by George Jones and Tammy Wynette.