They hold the keys

A beautiful harmonyFavourite song I surrender allOver the years Irsquove heard many interpretations of the song being performed by various pianists and vocalists And although each of them has something beautiful to offer no one beats the African American gospel musicians This is my opinion but the complexity of the chords always makes me smile Every time they played this song in church I would play those gospelrich chords in my head Later when I played it in my church and tried the chords I got an earful from the priest I learned the term lsquoknow your audiencersquo the hard wayTip Pick a style of music that you enjoy and that makes you want to practise And learn the keyboard and synths mdash itrsquos essential to becoming a live musician on the touring circuitGarth DrsquoMello 31 musician producer and educator MumbaiA musical childhoodFavourite songs Nirmon and The flight of the bumblebeeMy musician father grew up in Goa and would put on the radio or play Konkani film songs every now and then And as a sixyearold I would play it by ear The family would gather around the piano to hear me and applaud I learned the second song as a kid during piano training and won prizes at competitions for it I kept playing it and thinking of the forests and the buzzing bee as it kept humming and making honey at breakneck speed So my fingers at the piano too had to fly Another memory is of performing at Taj Mahal and being the only pianist after Yanni to do soTip Technique talent and passion go hand in hand Skill without passion is nothing but with it the talent will endureMerlin DrsquoSouza music composer producer director and pianist with Music Mode and BrandMusiq MumbaiJamming to a futureRecommended song La Mulata Rumbera Peruchin JustizAt 22 I attended a jam session with a band from Latin America touring India At the session the pianist of the band invited me to join him on the piano He was playing a rhythmic phrase played in Cuban music called Montuno At first it was a tad challenging to get it because itrsquos rhythmically twisted But when I caught the rhythm he got off the piano and I was left jamming with these other musicians playing different instruments like drums and congas This moment was lifechanging because I discovered a music form that deeply touched my heart soul and body Musician Monojit Datta who saw me play invited me to make a Latin Jazz band later on So itrsquos also a moment that changed my career I deeply cherish that nightTip Practise everything especially your basics endlessly so that you are always sharp with your playing and never rustyPradyumna Singh Manot 37 AfroCuban jazz pianist and music educator KolkataFireworks in the roomFavourite song Feux drsquoartifice The Fireworks by Claude DebussyThe piece mimics a firework display growing quietly with sudden bursts and ending with the distant sound of Les Marseillaise I performed it 13 years ago at my first solo recital It was one of the hardest pieces I had to learn at the time I worked hard to successfully imitate the fireworks while tackling several virtuous passages It remains one of my most cherished memories I still remember every note that I played the energy of the audience and the world I managed to paint for everyone in those four and a half minutes The inexplicable feeling of communicating without words is why I decided to choose a path of performance and I have this piece to thank for itTip I learn a lot when away from the instrument By collecting new experiences you have so much to draw from emotionally as an artistNadine Crasto 30 Master of Arts in Solo Piano Performance MumbaiHistory beckonsPianist Nils Frahm and his friends celebrated the piano He founded World Piano Day in 2015 To put the day in context Frahm said ldquoWhy does the world need a Piano Day For many reasons But mostly because it doesnrsquot hurt to celebrate the piano and everything around it performers composers pianobuilders tuners movers and most importantly the listenerrdquo