About two years ago I decided to take some piano classes. My teacher was an Armenian women, very skilled musician, succesfull, having tours around Greece and other countries, playing with other famous musicians so, most of her students considered it a priviledge to study music with her. She was friendly with everyone trying to help and stuff but for some reason she never liked me. She was trying to hide that for reasons that concerned her job but i dinnt care. I would never make a problem to someone because she/he doesn't like me. I never understood the reasons why she was avoiding conversations with me, or feeling unconfortable when talking with me, or trying to explain something, but the truth was that she didn't like me.
One day she warned us all that we would have to give an exam and the exam would be to play in front of an audience, most probably our classmates, a piece of our choice. It happened that, during this period I was listening to Ludovico Einaudi and I was kind of in love with his pieces. He was, I can claim, from a vast number of musicians who are recording instrumental music, who can touch me in such a way. I was very jealous of the guy, because i couldn't play like that and i knew that I never would. Einaudi is an outstanding artist because he is one of the few who can bring out such emotions that softens the heart and calms the spirit. His music is used in movies to describe scenes of high emotional rates, such as in Dr. Zhivago and This is England. So in a way the instrument called piano, during that period in my mind was associated with Einaudi's minimalist music, therefore without any second thought I wrote to the paper that she gaves us to write the piece that we would play my name and Einaudi's "Le Onde".
When everybody finished and she checked she came to me and asked- Who is this guy? while she was trying to spell the name correctly.
- Einaudi. Dont you know him? He's quite famous. Was voted one of the best piano players of our era.
She looked at me, shouffeled her eyes obiously annoyed by my comment of her not knowing one of the best piano players of our era and tried to argue.
- I dont think I've ever heard of him. If he was one of the best I would know him. What is he playing?
- I dont know. The piano...?He is a minimalist musician.
- Ohh...Is he? That's why I dont know him. Them and their garbage.....Anyway, I'll try to check it out and see if this piece is appropriate for you and I'll tell you on Thursday.
When the class finished I was thinking that she, a music teacher was able to jugde someone by his label? Sound weird to me and i was feeling both insulted and embarrased for chosing this particullar piece for my exam. I couldn't exactly understand why a "minimalist" should be considered garbage. All I knew was that Einaudi was giving me something that others didn't and I knew {I still know}, that he's great and his music is unique and would leave noone untouched so, why I should care in the first place if the others of his kind are garbage? Why the fact that he's a minimalist was enough to create a conclusion about his music? But, on Thursday I was confirmed about my theory of people's jugdement.
She walked in and while handing me the partitures of the piece she said
- I heard this guy, Einaudi, you know....He was a plaesant suprise. His music is rich and very strong emotionally. I don't think though, that you will manage to learn this one on time. It is kind of difficult for your level and you'll get confused.
- Dont worry Miss. I will play something easy.....
