What first got you interested in music?
My grandad first inspired me to make music; he was a self-taught singer who wrote his own songs. He insisted I should start having proper music lessons and, along with my grandmother, supported my music studies financially up until the end. He also bought me my first piano and left me a couple of old songs he composed to work on. I have used one of them as the basis for an improvised piece I performed for some of my recitals a couple of years ago.
There was always music in my family house even though my parents weren’t musicians. My favourite piece as a child was Ravel’s Piano Concerto en Sol.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
Thom Yorke from Radiohead. A quite bizarre choice for a classical pianist- I know. I find their sound so distinct and their songs full of emotions; I would really like to see their composition process first hand and take part in it as much as I can.
What music is inspiring you right now?
Literally any type of music that speaks to the heart and to a broad audience. I find classical music limited in that sense; it speaks to my heart for sure, but it attracts a very specific group of people. I would like to perform music that speaks to all of us and is reflecting the current society and its issues. This is why I find myself inspired by contemporary classical pieces lately. It helps me build a better connection with the people listening to me and establish some sort of communication easier.
What has been your favourite of your performances so far?
My master’s final recital; it consisted of dances in classical music and had the title “Dancing through the fire”. I vividly remember the moment the panel opened the door; I felt like everything was in the right place. No distractions at all, I didn’t mind who was listening and why, I was completely in the moment; just me, an amazing piano and the message I wanted to conveyEclectic and wide-reaching - we like to include the unusual alongside the traditional.
What is the best advice you’ve been given as a musician or performer?
Always try to be better than your last performance. In a profession so competitive and stressful such as the musician’s, it is so hard not to compare yourself with others and not to get disappointed about the stage you are at in your musical career. This advice helped me keep my goals very clear and manageable: I always aim to be better than my last performance, better than I was yesterday.
Where would you like to be in 10 years’ time?
I would like to have build my own music studio with classes for ages ranging from babies to adults so that I can promote the idea that music is for everyone no matter the gender, age, race, abilities, learning differences, etc. As my main research focus is dyslexia, I would like to give more opportunities for children diagnosed with dyslexia to learn an instrument as well.
Ten years from now, I would like to have made a change to the way we see music education for our children.
Have you been making music during lockdown? If yes, what have you been doing?
I have found myself making even more music. I have been working on some improvisations on children’s tunes and rhymes. I have been editing video recordings which I had forgotten even existed and have created loads of music teaching resources. You can explore some of them on my website pianonmore.com.
What’s been the hardest thing about lockdown for you as a musician?
It has been hard to work without having a specific goal in mind, without a set date for an upcoming performance. It was hard to stay on a schedule and to stay motivated. I also struggled dealing with the uncertainty; even though being a school music teacher, not enough guidance was given regarding our specialist subject. Thus, covering different subjects and bubbles was quite challenging for me.
What’s been the best or most surprising thing about lockdown for you as a musician?
What I loved about lockdown is how I’ve learnt to take my time to do things and to appreciate the little things in life: the breakfast you don’t get to eat on the go, the hours of travelling you don’t need to waste, a new and much better lifestyle that was established during this period. I think I’ve read as many books as I would read in a whole year, if we weren’t in a lockdown- and I’ve learnt so many new skills (technology wasn’t my strongest skill before all this).
As a musician as well, I learnt to appreciate the communication with people more. Us pianists in particular, we are used to being locked in a room with our piano for hours. Realising how hard it is to teach, rehearse and perform online was the biggest struggle during lockdown; however, we made it!
What’s next for you?
I am looking forward to some more performances but my main goal is to inspire people to learn music so they can share this passion with better understanding. Music can improve our lives in so many ways, and especially for children it can support their development holistically.
Learning is important to me and I want to explore how learning a musical instrument affects our brain and its development. I aspire to gain a better understanding on how a dyslexic student learns an instrument and how best to support their learning process by continuing with my piano and dyslexia project.