Transcript for:
The Power of Classical Music - Jaime Ochoa

Transcriber: Jaime Ochoa Reviewer: Mile Živković (Piano) (Applause) Thank you. (Applause) Thank you. It's funny to me but some people actually say that classical music is slow and way too long, but for me, I feel exactly the opposite. I think that classical music is fun, beautiful and exciting because it has the power to move people, even helping them feel emotions they haven't felt in a really long time. I've been a classical musician for the last ten years since I began playing the piano when I was four. (Laughter) (Applause) Thank you. Music is my passion and it's like air - I can't live without it and it's such an extreme love that, if I'm not playing music, I'm thinking about it all the time. When I sit down to play, I just let the music and the notes sing. Have you ever noticed that the same piece can sound completely different when it is played by different pianists? That's because each musician interprets the music that the composer wrote in their own way, and adds their personalities and styles to every piece they play. And every note can be played in almost a billion ways. I would like to try something new for fun to show you that the same piece can sound completely different even if you play it with different emotions. For example, I would like to play a little bit of Mozart's A Major Sonata, third movement, better known as the Turkish March. Many of you may recognize it. (Piano) (Applause) Mozart wrote this piece to make fun of the Turkish army so that's why it's such a fun and silly piece, but if I change the playfulness to happy, it could sound like this: (Piano) Can you hear the happiness? But if I play it like this: (Piano) You can hear and feel the sadness. Or angry, like this: (Piano) (Applause) It's so fun to change the mood of the piece. Speaking of fun, here's a piece I love by the American composer, George Gershwin: Prelude Number 1. This piece really reminds me of the hustle and bustle of a great big city like New York. (Piano) (Applause) This piece makes the excitement of the city come to life, right? A symphony orchestra conductor once told me that every note is special, and it´s so true. I love that and I always try to remember that when I sit down to play. Last year I visited Tohoku in the north of Japan, a place that was devastated by the tsunami in 2011. I wanted to do something to help and the best way that I could do it was with music. While I was there I visited three elementary schools and played for the children and the adults who suffered from this disaster. I went to give the people hope and strength through music, but instead their courage made me stronger. Since then my goal has been to become a pianist who can help others with music. I believe that music has power to give people hope and to help them feel better. To me, that's the power of music. Now, I would like to leave you with this fast and wild piece: Chopin's Étude Opus 10 No. 4. (Piano) (Applause)