Which musician has influenced you the most?
Piano Players: My primary influences for piano sound are Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnalds. Additionally, Shai Maestro and Tigran Hamasyan have greatly influenced my understanding of rhythm.
Electronic Music: Electronic music has had a significant impact on the majority of the music we listen to today. While it is a genre in itself, it is also a way of approaching music and composition that emphasizes texture and sound over complex harmony.
My main influences are Jon Hopkins, Max Cooper, Apparat, James Blake, Thom Yorke
Pop and Folk:
Bon Iver, José Gonzales, Sufjan Stevens, Jack Garratt, Moses Sumney
What can you teach me better on your instrument than any other teacher?
Music is a safe and liberating space that exists solely for the enjoyment of the student. From the very first lesson, I encourage my students to express themselves musically, regardless of their level of experience. I believe that music is a playground for the soul, and I aim to foster this approach with my students.
I was a student myself and I know how frustrating it can be to spend months learning theoretical concepts without fully understanding how to apply them. That's why my teaching approach is based on concrete examples that can be applied immediately. After just a few lessons, students will be able to learn new songs independently and understand the fundamental chords that make up 95% of music, including major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords.
In music production, I take my students to a professional recording studio to show them how to create music using a computer. As a composer and music producer, this is my passion, and I am thrilled every time I can share it with a student. Working with a music program is one of the most creative experiences, and I want my students to experience that same excitement and joy.
How did you learn to play your instrument?
As a child, I began playing the piano after being introduced to it by my mother. I started taking lessons at a jazz school when I was 9 years old. However, it was when I was 11 years old and met a man who was a music producer that my life changed. Recognizing my interest in music, he took an old iMac from his workplace, installed Logic Pro 9 on it, replaced the hard drive, and gifted it to me. This was a pivotal moment in my life, and it had a profound impact on my creative journey. It is the reason why I am pursuing my passion today.
How do you go about writing a song or composing a piece yourself?
Everything starts with an emotional subject, feeling, dream or souvenir. Then I’ll set the microphones, put a lot of reverb on the piano sound and with the piano slowly starting to create the right atmosphere that would suit my feeling.
On what equipment do you play today?
Piano: Upright Piano Sauter, Grand Piano Kawai
I am recording all my songs on a upright piano because it allows you to put a piece of fabric between the strings and the hammers resulting in such a modern and mellow piano sound.
Drum Machines: Roland 808, Vermona DRMV
Synthesizer: Juno 106, Jupiter 6, Prophet 8, Ms20,
What personal trait has helped you the most when you're practicing?
I am a very impulsive person, and when I get an idea in my head, I can't stop until I bring it to fruition. While this can be exhausting, it's a great trait to have in music. When you're exploring a new technique, composing a song, or playing live, you need to maintain a fresh perspective and avoid losing the essence of the music you're creating. This can happen if you split the work over weeks or months. Freshness is always the most authentic. That's why live concerts are so incredible.
What does your instrument have that others don't?
Piano playing is just amazing. Every piano is different in sound in a way because of it’s story and it’s age.
So many unusual sounds can be done with this instrument.. the strings.. the wood.. the keys.. it can be used as a percussive instrument, melodic, harmonic.. everything is possible.
What do you pay special attention to when teaching?
It is essential for me to constantly question my work as a teacher. That is why I always take the time, every 3 or 4 lessons, to discuss with the student our work together, to find out what he or she likes the most, and to check if everything is going well for them.
How do you structure your music lessons?
For piano, I usually start with 15 minutes of theory and technique that we immediately apply to the pieces we are working on. Then, we learn new pieces that we analyze together. My goal is for the student to always understand what they are doing and grasp the meaning of the music they are playing.
What is your approach with children?
My approach is to encourage children to express themselves on the piano from an early stage, instilling in them the idea that their playing is valuable regardless of their level. I believe that piano should be enjoyable for children, and to achieve this, I provide them with short songs that they can practice and finish in a short amount of time. While technique is also crucial and must be taught early on to establish good habits, I always make sure to teach it in a fun and engaging manner.
What has been your greatest experience as a musician so far?
I cannot choose a specific moment, but what is certain is that my best moments have happened on stage. I have spent my entire life regularly playing in public, at big outdoor festivals, small venues, unusual locations, etc. Playing for and with someone represents the most beautiful experience, and all these concerts have proven it to me.
What is the largest stage that you've performed on?
Le Chapiteau de FestiNeuch (Nêuchatel ) - 5000 people.
Which record would you bring to a desert island?
I would take for sure James Blake’s album « James Blake ». Nothing to explain here it’s just a masterpiece for me.
On which stage would you like to play the most or do you enjoy playing the most?
My dream venue is a medium sized standing concert place with an incredibly big sound system and a wood looking upright piano a little bit out of tune (just a little).
What else is important in your life besides music?
I’m a really passionate paddle guy but I guess the main idea is to enjoy nature and what’s around me.
