WEBVTT 00:00:03.529 --> 00:00:06.129 Music is the universal language. Well, if it's 00:00:06.129 --> 00:00:08.449 the universal language, we have a syntax problem 00:00:08.449 --> 00:00:10.769 because most of the people just don't understand 00:00:10.769 --> 00:00:16.030 what we do. I would say our mission as a duo 00:00:16.030 --> 00:00:18.609 is to bridge worlds and to make the world we 00:00:18.609 --> 00:00:38.509 connect to more beautiful. we come from very 00:00:38.509 --> 00:00:42.869 different cultures and the fact that we come 00:00:42.869 --> 00:00:46.210 together as a four -hand piano duo sharing one 00:00:46.210 --> 00:00:49.869 piano and we have to make things work and making 00:00:49.869 --> 00:00:53.090 music to share with people I think sends out 00:00:53.090 --> 00:00:56.710 the message that music truly connects people 00:00:56.710 --> 00:00:59.929 regardless of their background or cultures or 00:00:59.929 --> 00:01:02.890 I think the piano in particular is one of those 00:01:02.890 --> 00:01:06.090 unique instruments that has truly been able to 00:01:06.090 --> 00:01:09.930 bridge so many cultural barriers. This remarkable 00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:14.269 machine, 300 years of development, pieces of 00:01:14.269 --> 00:01:18.209 physics and art and engineering has come to be 00:01:18.209 --> 00:01:22.349 so beloved by so many different cultures and 00:01:22.349 --> 00:01:25.409 peoples around the world. And that it's truly 00:01:25.409 --> 00:01:28.730 a piece of art that helps us to find a common 00:01:28.730 --> 00:01:34.060 voice. Happy holidays, friends. Here's a little 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:37.000 gift from me and the PianoPod. This bonus segment 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.260 comes from Season 6, Episode 2, with the award 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:43.739 -winning Mada and Hugh piano duo. Our conversation 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:46.599 went longer than expected, and while this part 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.739 didn't make it into the final episode, I knew 00:01:49.739 --> 00:01:52.760 I still wanted to share it with you. It's just 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:56.260 too good to keep it to myself. In this excerpt, 00:01:56.340 --> 00:02:00.019 Mada and Hugh open up about creativity in its 00:02:00.019 --> 00:02:03.700 purest form, how hobbies and play, can recharge 00:02:03.700 --> 00:02:07.040 us and how music connects us beyond perfection, 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:11.039 and how we can reclaim our humanity in a world 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:15.659 increasingly shaped by technology and AI. It's 00:02:15.659 --> 00:02:19.340 an honest, thoughtful exchange that I think is 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:22.080 the perfect reminder for this season of reflection. 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:26.400 So, pour yourself a warm drink, take a pause, 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:30.449 and enjoy this special bonus episode. And in 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:32.889 case you missed the whole episode that aired 00:02:32.889 --> 00:02:36.129 in September, be sure to catch up. You really 00:02:36.129 --> 00:02:38.750 don't want to miss the juicy behind the scenes 00:02:38.750 --> 00:02:41.610 of how this incredible piano duo comes to life. 00:02:42.229 --> 00:02:44.889 Here's the bonus episode with Mara and Hugh Piano 00:02:44.889 --> 00:03:00.099 Duo. Please enjoy the show. recall exactly the 00:03:00.099 --> 00:03:05.300 moment that it began. I had always been curious 00:03:05.300 --> 00:03:09.740 about painting and about the visuals. My mom 00:03:09.740 --> 00:03:14.219 is a painter and architect, so I think I got 00:03:14.219 --> 00:03:18.219 that from her, but I never professionally pursued 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:23.719 that. I chose music, right? But sometimes as 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:27.180 a hobby, I do like to doodle and sketch. play 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:31.860 with colors and textures. And I have found to 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:35.080 do this in a creative way, in a form of journaling 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:39.680 and scrapbooking. And, you know, there are so 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:44.020 many people that enjoy doing that. It's a lot 00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:46.860 of people that are part of this community of 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:50.740 art journaling that, you know, share their experiences 00:03:50.740 --> 00:03:53.960 online. And it's also a very recommended form 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:59.620 of therapy. And this is my safe space where I 00:03:59.620 --> 00:04:04.180 go once in a while, sometimes maybe too much. 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:07.939 And I stay there for too long. But it is a form 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:11.620 of healing and it is a form of charging batteries. 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:17.779 And it's also a very helpful way not just to 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:21.589 be creative without any purpose. you know because 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:25.230 as professionals yes we we want to be creative 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:27.449 we feel the need right it's it's an intricate 00:04:27.449 --> 00:04:32.569 need first of all um but we kind of have to get 00:04:32.569 --> 00:04:34.829 to be creative because also this is our job this 00:04:34.829 --> 00:04:37.750 is what we have chosen to do right we we have 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:41.410 to we we've transformed it into a job yeah but 00:04:41.410 --> 00:04:46.529 by pursuing hobbies it doesn't matter for how 00:04:46.529 --> 00:04:50.810 long It's just I feel liberated from that pressure 00:04:50.810 --> 00:04:54.129 of being good at and getting validation from 00:04:54.129 --> 00:04:58.769 people. Because I think that this is what stops 00:04:58.769 --> 00:05:05.569 a lot of folks pursuing their creative. especially 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:08.430 classical music, right? Oh, don't get me started. 00:05:08.449 --> 00:05:11.550 Yeah, especially that. If I may jump in, you 00:05:11.550 --> 00:05:13.649 know, again, just kind of putting on my retail 00:05:13.649 --> 00:05:15.930 hat, you know, one of the things, you know, because 00:05:15.930 --> 00:05:18.170 I'm working at Cunningham Piano, you know, I 00:05:18.170 --> 00:05:20.550 see so many people coming in, you know, and we're 00:05:20.550 --> 00:05:24.449 there to help them bring home a piano. And I 00:05:24.449 --> 00:05:26.689 can't tell you how many times I see people come 00:05:26.689 --> 00:05:28.930 in and like, they feel ashamed to come to the 00:05:28.930 --> 00:05:31.069 piano. Like, Oh, you know, I haven't played in 00:05:31.069 --> 00:05:33.290 years or I'm not very good at this. I'm like, 00:05:33.290 --> 00:05:37.370 and it's, it's, it's, it's sad to see people 00:05:37.370 --> 00:05:40.810 judging themselves on an instrument where our 00:05:40.810 --> 00:05:43.410 greatest joy is you want to learn, you have to 00:05:43.410 --> 00:05:46.389 start. So it's wonderful, you know, and make 00:05:46.389 --> 00:05:49.769 mistakes, try it. But I want people to experience 00:05:49.769 --> 00:05:52.709 the joy of playing music, not to punish themselves 00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:55.220 because. They can't play such and such a lick 00:05:55.220 --> 00:05:57.480 quite right, or they haven't taken lessons in 00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:00.439 years, or they quit when they were kids. The 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.920 judgment that many people come to art with is 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:08.220 unnecessary to some degree, right? Yeah. And 00:06:08.220 --> 00:06:10.019 I'm talking about the general public, and I think 00:06:10.019 --> 00:06:13.540 we need more playground art where people are 00:06:13.540 --> 00:06:16.259 invited to be messy artists, play the piano, 00:06:16.379 --> 00:06:20.689 hit wrong notes. enjoy the process and find a 00:06:20.689 --> 00:06:23.170 different way to iterate from that rather than 00:06:23.170 --> 00:06:26.990 expecting to be perfectly, have everything before 00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:30.110 you. Of course, it depends on what level do you 00:06:30.110 --> 00:06:33.970 want to be at, right? So again, this is a very 00:06:33.970 --> 00:06:39.790 delicate territory. But yes, what Hugh is emphasizing 00:06:39.790 --> 00:06:43.449 is we need, especially in this era of technology, 00:06:44.009 --> 00:06:50.199 we need to allow ourselves to be creative outside 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:53.459 of technology and outside of ai and which is 00:06:53.459 --> 00:06:56.100 great i mean you you operate with ai quite a 00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:00.420 lot uh but um we were reading just the other 00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:04.720 day we're reading some um a little bit concerning 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.990 news about how i started creating realistic movies 00:07:08.990 --> 00:07:12.110 and songs. And it's so hard to tell the difference, 00:07:12.350 --> 00:07:14.589 you know? And the question is, which I think 00:07:14.589 --> 00:07:16.889 every single person should ask themselves, like, 00:07:16.910 --> 00:07:21.610 well, then what's going to happen with our unique 00:07:21.610 --> 00:07:25.250 creativity, right? Our unique voice. This is 00:07:25.250 --> 00:07:29.790 the authentic form of creativity, not AI. So 00:07:29.790 --> 00:07:31.610 what's going to happen? Like, how are we going 00:07:31.610 --> 00:07:33.910 to be able to tell the difference in the future? 00:07:34.529 --> 00:07:37.129 You know, and is it going to be even worth it? 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:43.000 worth expressing, worth looking for. Yeah. Well, 00:07:44.019 --> 00:07:46.879 I think there's a tremendous, maybe it sounds 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:51.480 really weird. I see this huge opportunity, actually, 00:07:51.500 --> 00:07:58.879 because I also see as AI, and I think AI is phenomenal 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.839 as a tool, as a creative partner. So many in 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.620 an efficiency booster. There are things that 00:08:06.620 --> 00:08:09.019 I can do now with AI I couldn't even dream of 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:11.839 doing, which is I think is wonderful. Having 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:15.879 said that, when it comes really to the creativity, 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.740 the performing arts and things like that, one 00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:20.160 of the things I believe it or not, I don't think 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:21.959 I ever showed you, but I was actually experimenting 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:24.639 with taking some of our videos and then trying 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.720 to work them through AI. And getting a different 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:30.279 background, seeing if AI could put us to make 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:32.659 us look a little bit more stylized. It failed 00:08:32.659 --> 00:08:37.059 miserably, miserably. For now. Well, here's the 00:08:37.059 --> 00:08:39.000 thing. I don't know. Yeah, here's the thing. 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:40.059 Now I'm going to say something that might sound 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:45.940 counterintuitive. AI is trained on the most popular 00:08:45.940 --> 00:08:49.919 media models. There's a reason why Disney is 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:53.960 suing. a lot of the AI video generators because 00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:56.500 most people want to make their characters look 00:08:56.500 --> 00:08:58.879 like Iron Man or Superman or Bugs Bunny, you 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:02.440 know, the known trademark characters, you know, 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:05.759 or the scenes, they're all the specific kind 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.360 of sci -fi action. The creativity is, you know, 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:12.399 everybody's copying the creativity of giants 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:15.259 that have pioneered some of those things. To 00:09:15.259 --> 00:09:19.620 be truly original, to be truly human, you know, 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:21.779 and playing the... Being someone who plays the 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:25.600 piano for a living, it's just not that economically 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:28.519 viable. It has never been economically viable. 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:31.399 And it's just not a field that AI is going to 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:34.659 have a lot of interest in sort of analyzing to 00:09:34.659 --> 00:09:38.200 the degree that it's really genuinely good. The 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.240 AI videos that I generate were so laughably bad 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.779 because they don't have any models to generate 00:09:43.779 --> 00:09:45.940 from because it's just not that much out there. 00:09:46.379 --> 00:09:49.480 So we have this quiet little space in the piano 00:09:49.480 --> 00:09:54.399 world where, because we're not this global, you 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:58.279 know, media empire in what we do, we are this 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.340 beautiful little corner of genuine human art, 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:05.379 you know, with still, and it still amazes me 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:08.559 that we have industries that create. beautiful 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.659 instruments that we get to play on that they 00:10:10.659 --> 00:10:14.840 still make and manufacture to really high degrees 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:19.039 of skill and craftsmanship. We have this unique 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:23.820 little oasis, this crazy little eye in the storm 00:10:23.820 --> 00:10:27.139 of technology where if people want the opportunity 00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:30.360 to experience what it means to be genuinely human, 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:34.860 come play the piano, an acoustic piano. I know 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:38.980 this sounds strange because... But this is what 00:10:38.980 --> 00:10:42.159 I said. I don't see AI generating piano players. 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:45.919 It just doesn't happen. No, really. It doesn't 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:49.340 really happen. AI can generate talking avatars. 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:53.899 AI can generate sci -fi gunfights. AI doesn't 00:10:53.899 --> 00:10:57.980 generate pianists playing beautiful repertoire 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:01.960 or unique compositions, contemporary compositions. 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:05.039 AI is not going to start to generate George Crumb. 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:08.669 It's just not. No. A lot of people have been 00:11:08.669 --> 00:11:10.889 influenced and inspired by George Crumb, obviously. 00:11:11.350 --> 00:11:15.850 But there's a sameness to the AI content that 00:11:15.850 --> 00:11:18.590 I see being generated. There's a similarness, 00:11:18.690 --> 00:11:21.970 right? The creativity is starting to shrink in 00:11:21.970 --> 00:11:26.309 terms of certain kinds of output. And this humble 00:11:26.309 --> 00:11:29.149 discipline of being disconnected and touching 00:11:29.149 --> 00:11:33.490 wood and metal and molding sound physically with 00:11:33.490 --> 00:11:36.889 your own hands and ears. There's a meditative 00:11:36.889 --> 00:11:40.070 quality in what we do and what we share. And 00:11:40.070 --> 00:11:43.169 when the audience has the patience to sit through 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:47.070 a 3, 5, 10, 20 -minute song from beginning to 00:11:47.070 --> 00:11:52.070 end and learn what that sonic adventure actually 00:11:52.070 --> 00:11:57.470 is, guess what? You have just reclaimed a huge 00:11:57.470 --> 00:11:59.830 bit of the human experience, the genuine human 00:11:59.830 --> 00:12:03.289 experience where our senses and our touch. And 00:12:03.289 --> 00:12:06.429 our creativity is directly connecting us, the 00:12:06.429 --> 00:12:11.029 listener, ourselves, through real physical airwaves. 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:14.970 There's a beautiful technological oasis that 00:12:14.970 --> 00:12:18.990 I think we create as classical pianists. Yeah, 00:12:19.049 --> 00:12:22.090 surprisingly, I think it's happening too, because 00:12:22.090 --> 00:12:25.269 I'm getting a lot of inquiries about piano lessons. 00:12:25.610 --> 00:12:28.639 They're all adults. beginner students and then 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:30.620 they're most of them they live in around here 00:12:30.620 --> 00:12:35.639 brooklyn williamsburg so young uh gen z you know 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:38.679 but they work in tech company so that's why they're 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:42.490 looking for disconnect of course yes but you 00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:45.870 see so it says it's nothing quite like you know 00:12:45.870 --> 00:12:48.090 with your own hands and create something whether 00:12:48.090 --> 00:12:50.850 that is just the pressing the key down to create 00:12:50.850 --> 00:12:53.190 the sound but it's nothing quite like it seems 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:55.710 like so they they come but they don't realize 00:12:55.710 --> 00:12:58.289 how difficult piano can be so it's like well 00:12:58.289 --> 00:13:00.789 yeah here's that's another aspect that's another 00:13:00.789 --> 00:13:03.870 aspect and and we've we've been noticing in kids 00:13:03.870 --> 00:13:07.269 i mean we we have both both taught at some point 00:13:07.269 --> 00:13:12.139 um you know there's Especially with kids, it's 00:13:12.139 --> 00:13:16.799 so hard to tell them, to prepare them for something 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:20.340 that takes a lot of work for pretty much a lifetime. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:24.399 Because it's not the same as you go to law school, 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:26.539 you go to medical school, you have this amount 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:28.840 of years, four, five, six years, and then you 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.940 can start a job. No, for us, yes, you get your 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:34.059 diploma with master's, which is two, or bachelor's, 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:36.360 that's four. But it doesn't mean that your learning 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:41.149 process is over after you... graduate. And then 00:13:41.149 --> 00:13:43.909 it means that next day, that's it. That's done 00:13:43.909 --> 00:13:48.389 with school. No, I don't think so. I don't think, 00:13:48.429 --> 00:13:50.990 I mean, at least if we talk in the context of 00:13:50.990 --> 00:13:57.509 being an artist and continue to produce in terms 00:13:57.509 --> 00:14:00.429 of quality, not quantity. So again, big difference 00:14:00.429 --> 00:14:02.350 here. Let's see, there's something beautiful 00:14:02.350 --> 00:14:06.250 about being involved with an art that is, on 00:14:06.250 --> 00:14:09.289 the one hand, extremely easy to start. anybody 00:14:09.289 --> 00:14:13.250 can put their fingers down it sounds great yeah 00:14:13.250 --> 00:14:19.049 and then having an entire lifetime to always 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:21.610 realize there's something more that i can improve 00:14:21.610 --> 00:14:25.549 there's something more that i can grow or or 00:14:25.549 --> 00:14:28.490 learn or another artist or another composition 00:14:28.490 --> 00:14:32.230 or another literally there's no end to the world 00:14:32.230 --> 00:14:35.590 that you can explore there's something i think 00:14:35.590 --> 00:14:39.659 that is very that can be exciting in other words 00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:41.600 you're never going to plateau you know at some 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:48.080 point you know i yeah that's just my my my thinking 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.600 yeah in terms of you know if if music can be 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:53.759 presented in such a way where it's not so much 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.700 it's presented a way where it's an opportunity 00:14:56.700 --> 00:14:59.679 to say here's a world easy to start but you will 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:03.799 never run out of things to learn grow explore, 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:06.559 enjoy? Well, it has to do also with the will 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.179 of the individual, right? Of course there is. 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.399 I mean, the potential is there. Everything, the 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.980 world is in front of you. Do you want to take 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:18.639 this trip? Do you want, are you willing to make 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.440 this effort? It's up to you. No one is going 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.360 to push you, right? Of course. You can present 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.879 to a kid, you can present to an adult. You can 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:30.460 say, well, this is... This is going to offer 00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:33.519 you a lifetime of exploring and learning and 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:37.320 reward, but it also requires a lot of effort 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:40.620 and frustration quite often from you. Are you 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:43.279 willing to pay the price or not? I think the 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:48.100 choice is the individuals. Yeah, but you have 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:53.899 both chose that path, right? I only have $500 00:15:53.899 --> 00:15:56.620 in the pocket, but I'm going to do it. That sort 00:15:56.620 --> 00:16:00.279 of thing. You know what I mean? And reinventing 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:05.639 yourself and reclaiming your space. And I think 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.320 it's really beautiful. There was a period of 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:10.879 time when I was very heavily involved with Airturn. 00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:15.740 My whole mind and concentration was on building 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:19.679 the small tech company. For three years. It's 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.000 a 24 -hour -a -day, nonstop job, really. When 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.580 you are an entrepreneur at that level, you cannot 00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:29.679 think of anything else. And everything I was 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.799 doing was just poured into trying to make Airturn 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:36.600 survive and successful. So for three years, I 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:39.940 didn't play the piano. I just didn't have time. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:44.299 Completely devoted myself to Airturn. My time 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:46.940 at Airturn, I decided to leave, sell my shares. 00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:49.600 And the company's still going on, but I left, 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:54.100 got a payout, and it helped give me some time 00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:57.039 to think about what to do next. Curiously, as 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:00.799 soon as I quit, Curtis had given me a call and 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.700 asked, could you help us out just to do some 00:17:03.700 --> 00:17:07.359 accompanying? And just help us out a few hours 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.279 a week or whatever, because we have an overflow 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:11.240 of some students that we can't find a pianist 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.140 for. I hadn't played for three years. I'm like, 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:17.660 am I going to remember how to do this? I remember 00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:22.319 coming and sitting in at the first lesson, you 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:25.460 know, and I think it was Mozart, you know, or 00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:27.400 I don't remember how I was playing. I'm like, 00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:30.940 okay, I'll put my hands in the keys. It was like 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:36.480 no time had passed. The music was just, everything 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:40.039 just came. I almost had tears in my eyes. I'm 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:44.869 like. Why did I stop? I remember once thinking 00:17:44.869 --> 00:17:46.869 that I was so sick and tired of music because 00:17:46.869 --> 00:17:49.109 I was just nonstop playing everyday concerts 00:17:49.109 --> 00:17:51.569 four or five times a week and just rehearsals 00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:57.269 all day long. But now coming back to it, I realized 00:17:57.269 --> 00:18:01.930 I can't let this go. This was foolish of me to 00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:06.819 have almost lost the music that's me. I remember 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:09.420 coming back from that couple of lessons and I 00:18:09.420 --> 00:18:12.500 had tears in my eyes. I'm like, I never want 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:15.619 to lose that love again. And ever since that 00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:17.759 moment, it's just like any opportunity. I don't 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:19.720 care. Even if it's just a simple opportunity 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:23.099 to play with some kid, I don't care. It's music. 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:25.579 I get to play it. I get to do something beautiful. 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:29.759 And this wonderful opportunity I have to do something 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:34.799 unique and creative. It's just like, I remember. 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:39.880 I was at a certain company and was meeting with 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:43.559 one of the co -founders. And this gentleman was 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:47.940 very impressive. If I mentioned his name to some 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:50.079 people, they would be like, oh, you got to work 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:55.660 with him? He was of that level. And I, you know, 00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:59.750 being... new to entrepreneurship and business. 00:19:00.069 --> 00:19:01.930 And it was like peppering him with questions 00:19:01.930 --> 00:19:03.769 about how do you do this? How did you get started? 00:19:04.049 --> 00:19:06.009 How do you make money? Blah, blah, blah. And 00:19:06.009 --> 00:19:08.410 all this. And remember him looking at me like, 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:13.329 you know, you can learn business. Anybody can 00:19:13.329 --> 00:19:16.970 learn business. But not anybody can play the 00:19:16.970 --> 00:19:20.309 way you play. I would give it all up if I could 00:19:20.309 --> 00:19:24.250 do what you do. I hope you realize what you really 00:19:24.250 --> 00:19:26.650 have. It's not the money. It's not the business. 00:19:26.950 --> 00:19:31.289 You have music. You can play. And to see from 00:19:31.289 --> 00:19:36.369 this giant of a man actually yearning to do what 00:19:36.369 --> 00:19:41.509 I do, at the time, I dismissed it. Many years 00:19:41.509 --> 00:19:44.170 after that, I realized I think he was right. 00:19:45.109 --> 00:19:49.750 What we do as musicians, that's precious. Very, 00:19:49.849 --> 00:19:52.309 very precious. And something that I want to share 00:19:52.309 --> 00:19:55.009 with other people and even other students to 00:19:55.009 --> 00:19:57.670 help them at least understand the joy of making 00:19:57.670 --> 00:20:00.809 music. It's not about being successful, but it's 00:20:00.809 --> 00:20:03.910 about having the joy of knowing that I can sit 00:20:03.910 --> 00:20:07.109 down and music is in me. And music is, even if 00:20:07.109 --> 00:20:10.430 I just sit and listen, music is something I can 00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:13.289 deeply, deeply enjoy. And not just that, but 00:20:13.289 --> 00:20:19.420 also it's scientifically proved that music shapes 00:20:19.420 --> 00:20:22.920 the character and personality of people. Is that 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.400 why I'm so crazy? Is that why I'm so crazy? In 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:32.039 terms of empathy, social connection, it helps 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:34.259 a lot, especially people that play together. 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:39.200 We explained this to the kids that were part 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:43.980 of four -hand duets. There were kids and teenagers 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:49.069 up to 16, 17 years old. I mean, they were going 00:20:49.069 --> 00:20:52.529 through clearly the most delicate period of their 00:20:52.529 --> 00:20:57.450 lifetime. And it was a time when they should 00:20:57.450 --> 00:21:01.089 learn right now, they should figure out or start 00:21:01.089 --> 00:21:03.250 figuring out their role in society, their role, 00:21:03.450 --> 00:21:06.410 you know, what's going on with them in this world, 00:21:06.529 --> 00:21:11.509 right? So I think music can have a very impactful 00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:16.329 role in people's life. Yeah, it really shaped 00:21:16.329 --> 00:21:20.309 that. I remember that when I started performing 00:21:20.309 --> 00:21:24.609 chamber music seriously, and that was probably 00:21:24.609 --> 00:21:29.069 after 17, 18, because before it was just in high 00:21:29.069 --> 00:21:30.950 school, just before, you know, people would ask 00:21:30.950 --> 00:21:32.809 me like, do you want to play? Like, yeah, I need 00:21:32.809 --> 00:21:35.109 accompanist. Okay, fine. But then professionally 00:21:35.109 --> 00:21:40.309 in terms of, you know, heavier works and in a 00:21:40.309 --> 00:21:45.650 more professional way, I realized, boy, This 00:21:45.650 --> 00:21:48.450 person is difficult to work with, or I'm difficult 00:21:48.450 --> 00:21:54.650 to work with. It was this awareness on relationships 00:21:54.650 --> 00:21:59.630 between people. And that's also transferable 00:21:59.630 --> 00:22:01.730 outside the practice room or outside the concert 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:06.470 hall, in interpersonal relationships. And I think 00:22:06.470 --> 00:22:12.170 music has a quietly but strongly major role. 00:22:13.509 --> 00:22:18.490 if incorporated in people's lives. I hope you 00:22:18.490 --> 00:22:21.990 enjoyed this extra holiday episode with the incredible 00:22:21.990 --> 00:22:26.430 Mata and Hugh Piano Duo. Their honesty and creativity 00:22:26.430 --> 00:22:30.470 are such an inspiration, a reminder of how art 00:22:30.470 --> 00:22:33.670 can ground us, recharge us, and connect us in 00:22:33.670 --> 00:22:37.329 meaningful ways. If you enjoyed this bonus episode, 00:22:37.509 --> 00:22:40.759 please don't forget to hit the thumbs up. Subscribe 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:43.740 to the PianoPod on YouTube and share it with 00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:46.920 a friend who loves music. And if you missed the 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:49.940 full episode with Mada and Hugh that aired back 00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:53.900 in September, be sure to watch or listen. It's 00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:56.740 packed with stories, behind -the -scenes insights, 00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:59.799 and unforgettable performances. Thank you so 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:02.900 much for joining me for this holiday bonus. Wishing 00:23:02.900 --> 00:23:05.779 you a joyful season of music, reflection, and 00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:08.819 connection. And I'll see you in 2026.