At the age of 20, the adventure of my life began. I was admitted to study piano at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. Working with distinguished professors and my continuous “immersion” in the world of piano music motivated me to practice. I firmly believed that I would be a great concert pianist after graduation.
I always wanted to get better, but as time went on I felt like I wasn’t making any progress. I became more and more impatient with my musical immaturity and technical imperfection. The most important thing I was missing was joy and fun in music. It didn’t make sense for me to try so hard. Something had to change.
A year after I graduated, I started playing the organ. I noticed that my joy in making music was slowly returning. This instrument felt like an orchestra. It inspired me a lot. The immense variety of sounds stimulated my imagination.
An important turning point was an organ improvisation concert I heard one day. Never before had I heard someone improvise the entire organ recital. How was it possible for an improvisation to sound like a composition? How exciting did it have to feel to fantasize about different themes and let the music flow freely from your own heart?
Through organ improvisation, I learned to see musical structures and models. Music became a language I understood much better and was no longer afraid of. Improvisation became the best way for me to express myself musically.
Today I am very grateful that I can play the piano and the organ. Both instruments give me a lot of joy, which I share with the audience in concerts and with my students. Everything I have learned, I would like to pass on, especially to those people who want to find joy in making music and try to play freely without notes.
If you are interested in improvisation, this website is just for you!
© Szymon Jakubowski 2024. All rights reserved.
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See you soon online by learning improvisation 🎹
Best regards, Szymon 👋