Me as a musician

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved music, whether it was just the toddler version of me dancing around, trying to sing along to songs or attempting to play my dad's guitar (that was almost twice my size at the time). Anyone who witnessed me at that age knows how much I enjoyed music.

At the age of four I decided that I wanted to take piano classes, but because I was very young, I attended a class where I learned about instruments and music. Three years later, at the age of seven, I finally started taking regular piano lessons, which I was always very excited about, at least in the beginning. Over time my love for music, including that for singing, never faded, even when I reached a point after four years where I didn't want to continue piano classes due to their repetitiveness. In the year in which I didn't take classes I discovered how much more I enjoyed choosing my own repertoire and how much I started improving on my own. I also discovered my love for singing and accompanying myself on the piano. Although it was quite tricky at the start, I soon learned how to easily play a song I liked without scores, just chords which was very new to me at the time. By exploring this completely new perspective of music, which I thought I wasn't capable of, I regained my motivation for taking piano classes, so I restarted them.

With time I kept working and trying to improve my vocals, in which singing with the piano was very helpful. I learned how to do harmonies, how to recognize pitches and keys and I also improved a lot in my accompaniment skills. At school I was given a lot of opportunities to perform and although I always got extremely nervous, which sometimes led me to do mistakes, I became very passionate about performing on stage, so I soon started being less nervous in order to enjoy the moment.

When I was fourteen I started taking singing classes, in order to learn how to sing correctly, to extend my vocal range and to explore different techniques and styles of singing. The classes have helped me in achieving significant and positive change in my singing and I have tried out a bit of classical singing, some musical theater singing and vocal jazz.

On my fifteenth birthday I decided to get a ukulele in order to learn it, because I really enjoy its soft high-pitched and soothing sound, but also because I think it's a great, easy and practical instrument to take with wherever I go. Within about a month I taught myself how to properly play it and it also led me to taking up the guitar from time to time. I took it with me to Greece for the two months I spent there in summer, because I would've missed playing music over that long amount of time. It was definitely wonderful to see how much music can change the atmosphere in various situations. I had it with me at camps, at the beach and on a two-day hike in the mountains and it really brought everyone together. Travelling with my ukulele in summer has now become a habit of mine.

My curiosity for music expands more and more each year. With the quarantine in 2020 I had the opportunity to significantly improve my guitar skills and at times I even took on the electric bass. However, the guitar is an instrument that has stuck with me, because it inspires me to write my own songs. Through songwriting I have discovered a whole new side of myself. It allows me to explore my emotions and understand more of how I feel and experience things, which is something I have struggled with in the past. Year by year, I continue to integrate music as a part of myself. Its power amazes me on a daily basis.

I've been playing piano for almost eleven years, I've been singing for about seven years now and it has become my way of expression, my escape from stress and anger and my true passion. The first thing I always do when I come home is play piano. Music is a genuine part of me and one of my biggest necessities in life. With this special connection I have to music I have developed an appreciation for all kinds of music, which has widened my preferences to an extent. I like listening to rock, R&B, rap, indie, classical, jazz and a lot of their sub-genres.