Which musician has influenced you the most?Marina Herlop - she’s combining her amazing skills on piano, her classical music background and since last few years electronics to create an amazing compositions in which you can really hear all the components that were influencing her own music.
Hania Rani - a polish representation of a great pianist and composer, that has her own philosophy why she makes the music that she makes and she’s especially close to my heart, because we’re both coming from the same city.
Katrina Gryvul - an amazing composer that is working with the same subject as the first two, but with a different approach. She’s working a lot of electronic music to get as much as possible from the texture of the sound.
GoGoPinguin - a jazz trio that is working with minimal music that at first glance may seem obvious, but the moment you hear them live you immediately know that there is more than just musical patterns.
What can you teach me on your instrument better than any other teacher?
Coming from a strict classical background, I have the technique. However, I realised that there are other ways to achieve it, and that ultimately, technique is just a tool that gives you the freedom to create and play whatever you want, however you want. When I say that I have a very individual approach to teaching, I really mean it. If existing pieces don't suit you, or if we can't find anything suitable for your practice that interests you, I will literally compose a piece for you. We can then work on your technique while still having the freedom to improvise, change and adapt the piece. There are basically no limits.
How did you learn to play your instrument?When I was 7 y.o. I entered the building of the music school and my teacher told me: “20% is talent and 80% percent is a hard work” and since then I knew that I fell into this and when I was 8 y.o. I played my first concert and since then I knew I want to perform and then I really fell head over hills.
How do you go about writing a song or composing a piece yourself?
I always have a feeling that it's already inside me. I know it sounds crazy, but I do. Then I just need to find the tools that will help me express it. First, I get a general idea of what it is: is it about something, or is it something that I’m missing in existing things? Then I start with very free improvisation, with no expectations or pressure, and it gradually takes on a sharper shape.
What equipment do you play on today?
At the moment I plan on acoustic piano with live electronics, mostly with Max MSP which I control with MIDI controllers. Piano is always a starting point for my works and I like to keep it alive and involved as much as possible and Max is giving me a limitless possibilities how I can live change sounds without overloading my laptop and my head during live performances.
What personal trait has helped you most in your practice?
I am very patient, I think it’s very important quality, because learning how to play an instrument is a long process, I don’t believe that one can do it in one evening.
What does your instrument have that others don't?
The piano has an incredible ability to transform. If you know how to play piano with 88 keys, it’s easier for you to play synths, for example. The piano is also the easiest instrument on which to learn music theory, such as how harmony works. If you know how to play classical piano, you can play different styles, and vice versa.
What do you pay particular attention to when teaching?
Most importantly, I want my students to be interested in what we’re doing, and to enjoy the playful, fun side of learning. I’m striking the perfect balance between learning the rules of music and piano playing, and the entertaining side of playing an instrument.
How do you structure your music lessons?
First, we do a quick warm-up and repeat what we did in the previous class. This allows me to see if we need to spend more time on the previous topic or if we can move on. I also always check how my students are feeling and how much energy we both have for the lesson that day. Once all of this has been done and there is no need for a recap, we move on to the new topic, piece, technical problem, etc. At the end, we have a quick wrap-up and draft a plan for the next lesson.
How do you approach teaching with children?
Since I have experience with the Eurhythmics method, which focuses first on experiencing music through games or a creative approach to the subject, and then on actual learning, and I know it works very well for maintaining focus without strict discipline, I will use it to help me.
What has been your greatest experience as a musician so far?
I think my biggest success is to perform when nothing is working just an evening before the concert. I still had my old laptop that was overloading very often and easily and I had a lot of electronics running during my live performance. Just an evening before the concert, on my soundcheck when I had to connect to the big sound system, my laptop just crushed. Fortunately with a lot of help from technicians we figured out how to fix it, but soundcheck that supposed be only one hour long, was 4,5 hours long. At the end though the concert went very well.
What was the biggest stage you've played on?Truly, honestly, I don’t play on a big stages, I prefer to create a small intimate space where everyone feels comfortable and can enjoy the sound however they want.
Which musician would you like to play with one day?
I would love to play with Marina Herlop, I feel like I could learn so so much from her and I’m also very curious how it would sound if we would combine our own individual sounds.
Which record would you take with you to a desert island?
I’ve been thinking about the answer a lot, believe me, a lot and I still don’t have it, I honestly have no idea!
Which stage would you most like to play on, or do you most like to play on?
I would love to play on a National Symphonic Orchestra of Polish Radio in Katowice stage, a place where I fell in love with music all over again after a very long time.
What else is important in your life besides music?
Being close to nature, sounds a bit obvious, but if I could I would move to the wild and have my own farm.
