They are in a classroom at the Hondarribia School of Music and Dance. Ready to tell the path that is going on together. Jakes Txapartegi, pianist and school student, sits behind the piano. In front of it is pianist and piano teacher Esther Barandiaran. “When I was a little boy, I really liked to go through the keyboard we had at home,” Txapartegi says, approaching the piano and hitting a key. At the age of four, he started making musical contact and playing piano with seven. From the second year he studied with Barandiaran.

Although scores have tried to learn in Braille, Txapartegi believes it is “very complicated” and “complex”: “Each Braille symbol has six points and each letter has a combination. In musical language there are many symbols and combinations are very broad.” So instead of saving sheet music on paper, it saves it on audio. The teacher records his hands individually and explains where he should put his hands. Record slower to make learning easier. “He has a very good and very active listening,” Barandiaran explains.

Despite being satisfied with this technique, at times it has been a concern for Txapartegi. In a camp organized by ONCE he met two young Madrid students studying music in Braille: “I was told it was a problem of ONCE or that in Euskal Herria I was not guaranteed to study music in Braille. I came home very worried.” Therefore, Barandiarán spent an interview with the pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, known as Nobu. He is also blind and learns by audio: “Nobu also said it was very complicated, and that reassured me a lot.”

They also work on complexion, finger typing, presence, etc. Many teachers use mirrors to work on hand placement and to work on hand movement. Txapartegi learns with sensory techniques: “Esther often tells me to touch her back and shoulders so that I also feel movement as it sounds.” Barandiaran looks at the piano and plays the piano with Txapartegi's hands on the shoulder. “Feel my arm here. Feel. Grip well,” he says.

They are placed together, Barandiaran surrounds Txapartegi with arms and puts his hands on Txapartegi's hands. They start playing the piano. Barandiaran directs Txapartegi's hands increasing and decreasing force. Then they put themselves behind and pressing their finger on their back and start working the movement of the whole body. Txapartegi starts playing with passion and Barandiaran whispering to the ear.

High demand competition

Barandiaran identifies the needs, desires and abilities of students and proposes challenges based on this. So two years ago, he proposed that Txapartegi participate in the Euskadi Youth Musicians Championship. Two years ago he got the second and this year the first. “This year I was quieter because I knew the championship. When I won I felt very happy,” he explained.

Although he has enjoyed the process, he stressed that in these competitions the level of demand and commitment is usually “very high”. In addition, in most cases only students from the conservatories participate: “The prize has also been from the school because we have put on the map a small school from a village”. He performed three classic works, some of which had doubts at first, but in the end he is pleased with the election: “At first I didn’t like two.” The tournament works have been presented to a competition organized by ONCE.

He also felt other fears, like the piano was OK or not: “When I’m short I start to worry; and if the piano is OK? And…”. However, each year he tries to learn how to manage nervousness. He is becoming more and more aware of the audience: “At the piano I focus a lot, but I also hear public to feel reactions and energy.”

It shows you how you put it on the piano when it's on the board. To do this, you sit at the piano, measure the length with your arms, play the note or central part that must be at the navel’s height and play the first chords of the play, put your back on and start playing the melody. He adds that the piano gives him “a lot”: “Music in general is a medicine for the soul. The piano is like being a company, you never feel lonely.”

A PART OF THE BODY?

“My fingers, because I use them to play the piano [has played the piano], because I really like to play with my fingers [has caressed my hand] and play things, and they give a lot of information.”