The next ten days were filled with daily lesson and various evening activities. The activities included a wonderful ‘gypsy night’ where Budapest’s best gypsy band played at a restaurant Adam brought us to; they played classical pieces but also put a classical spin on more modern pieces which I loved. This particular night was my favourite because it reminded me of my passion for music, the night even had ‘Little Buddha’ (a young boy who we had jokingly named such due to his uncanny resemblance to Buddha statues) on his feet dancing in the middle of the floor. He reminded me of the freedom of being six, indirectly through watching him as well as listening to the music I felt completely at ease filled solely with joy. The lessons were in a masterclass format similar to how Liszt would have taught his own students, this also challenged me as it meant I had to perform in front of an audience for a lesson.

Over the course of the academy I felt that I gradually started to overcome my nerves that even caused my hands to shake and become sweaty before a lesson. The lessons were an irreplaceable experience as our teachers were all professionals with their knowledge akin to any expert. The main detail I changed over the course of the ten days was my use of body/arm weight to play the piano, I am currently working on these skills which I know will take countless more years to perfect.

The academy was concluded with a closing ceremony concert, all the students got to dress up and perform for a large crowd but also in front of television cameras which aired the performance nationally. Through this performance I managed to maintain my composure, this is something I would not have been able to do at the beginning of the academy. For me this was a life changing experience which on the day of departure I was upset to leave behind; from the evening activities to practicing between 5-8 hours a day (even until 1am the next morning one day) I loved every second and it has caused my desire to continue playing the piano to only increase exponentially.

Kieran Thiarya (OV2019)