If the answer isn´t YES, then...

Yesterday I briefly mentioned my piano teacher. He taught me for my last two years at the conservatory.

I told you yesterday that he was in a pedagogic lineage that stretched all the way back to Liszt, Czerny, and Beethoven. Whatever I´ve inherited from his teachings, I treasure it as a great gift and privilege.

His very first great lesson was even before I sat down at the piano…

…I had been admitted to the Master´s degree in piano performance at Rotterdam´s University for the Arts (Codarts) to study under his guidance as my principal piano teacher.

He wrote me an e-mail before the lessons had begun, telling me this:

“A Young writer once sent his works to the great poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke, after which he asked him if he should keep on writing.

Rilke answered: Ask yourself if you could live a single instant without writing. If the answer isn´t yes, stop immediately.”

His e-mail meant to me a declaration of his philosophy of teaching and of life…

…and I was 100% up to it.

Have a great day.

Claudio.