Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to feature longtime piano student, Ethan! At just 16 years old, Ethan has spent over 11 years mastering the piano, a journey inspired by his older brother. "I think it's been 11 years, maybe since I was five," he reflects. "My brother played the piano too, so I just naturally followed in his footsteps." This dedication has recently opened up many exciting opportunities for him.
Balancing the demands of high school and piano practice can be challenging, but Ethan has found a routine that works for him, and he often heads to his grandmother’s house to practice. "I practice on the weekends a lot, at my grandma’s house. She has a nice little grand piano, and I'll do sessions there." This setup not only allows him to practice but also strengthens his family bonds and lets him spend quality time with his grandma.
At Opus 1’s 2024 Summer Recital, Ethan closed out the event with his outstanding performance of Piano Sonata in C Major Op. 1 Allegro, composed by Brahms. When it comes to learning technically challenging pieces like this, Ethan emphasizes the importance of slow practice. "Find a tempo that you can play perfectly or very near perfect," he advises. "Once you can play it perfectly, you can slowly increase your speed until you are playing it at full speed," he explains. His strategic approach has enabled him to tackle complex compositions, even those spanning over ten pages.
In addition to his performance of the Brahms piece, Ethan also showcased his own original score, an arrangement of Travis Scott’s "90210." Inspired by popular songs, he started arranging his own versions when he couldn't find sheet music for the songs he wanted to play online. "I couldn't find them on Safari or Google, so I just made my own," he shared. With around 20 arrangements to his name, Ethan has become a resource for others seeking to play contemporary music on the piano and has even sold his compositions.
Teaching is another avenue Ethan has explored, recently taking on a role at Hummingbird Music School. "I started out as a piano coach for my friend's brother. I worked with him to help him prepare for the RCM exams," he explains, which then led to teaching group lessons at local elementary schools for young beginners. "It's definitely good work experience and will be good for my future college applications," he said.
Looking ahead, Ethan is preparing for upcoming competitions, including the US Open in February. "This is actually the first competition I’ll be doing," he said, excited about the experience. For this competition, he will be performing two pieces from contrasting genres and is focusing his energy on ensuring he is well-prepared for the performance.
Through his journey at Opus 1 Music Studio, Ethan has learned that while it's easy to teach yourself by watching online videos, nothing compares to the personalized guidance of a teacher. "I think the one thing that my teachers at Opus 1 have done that you can't really find anywhere else is actually seeing what you're doing wrong and then telling you what to fix. You do not get personal feedback from teaching yourself. Another thing is finding the right pieces that challenge me and that I will enjoy playing. Teacher Chloe saw that I like playing with octaves because I enjoy stretching and playing lots of notes at the same time. She finds songs with a lot of octaves in them because she thinks I'll enjoy them more," he explained.
Ethan’s story exemplifies how learning piano can open doors and create opportunities outside of the studio. "Reading notes has also helped with my cognitive development, especially in writing essays for school. I would tell younger students to stick with the songs that you actually like, and if you don’t like a piece you are learning, tell your teacher so they can find something different for you to work on," he advises. For Ethan, learning piano has been more than just mastering an instrument; it's been a gateway to a world of opportunities—something he looks forward to pursuing for the rest of his life.