The kid who impressed Norman Lear

Aiyana Tedi Braun, 11, of Wayne, went 3,000 miles to win a spot on Monday night's Marian Anderson Awards program -- without even trying.

Here's how it happened: Aiyana, whose parents are dancer-choreographers Shimon and Meghan Braun, was on a two-week vacation this summer in California. Her mother says she simply wanted to keep up her piano practice. A family friend set her up with a piano — at the home of Norman Lear, one of this year's Marian Anderson recipients.

He and wife Lyn listened to Aiyana play for a while and insisted she get on the bill.

The Haverford Middle School sixth-grader boned up for the recital at Curtis Institute of Music. "He treats her like a granddaughter," says Meghan Braun. Five minutes before showtime, Lear broke away from admirers to visit her dressing room for a good-luck hug.