What’s your full name, age and job title?

AyseDeniz Gokcin, 24, Concert Pianist.

Please give us an overview of your average day

I have breakfast then practise for three hours. After lunch I head off to teach around London. Afterwards, I rehearse with the Talent Unlimited charity’s Chamber Ensemble or with another soloist – usually not pianists. We work really hard for two hours, then I return home and practice what I learned that day. Sometimes I meet friends in the evening and have a drink... If I have concerts coming up, I increase the practice time to the maximum. There are no weekends for me, I usually teach all-day Saturdays then rehearse on Sundays, and I don’t take holidays for more than three days – that is by far the longest time I can go without practising on a piano.

What’s the most common misconception about your job?

People think it’s an easy, pretty and unimportant job. I even get this type of reaction from people close to me, which is very frustrating. They don’t realize that months of work go into a concert, into the performance of a piece, and your learning goes on until you die. There’s no age when you say, “I’m perfect”. Finishing your formal education doesn’t mean you’re a perfect musician – you learn, practise and improve your skills every day.

What’s the hardest thing about your role?

It doesn’t look so difficult but, if you think about it, we’re doing everything with 10 fingers. It’s a “minimalist” approach to achieve the right sound balance, notes, dynamics, atmosphere, EQ, synchronization and speed. It’s also very important to work on the thought process behind it: I work hard to understand why I play certain pieces, or why some music causes certain emotions. Usually, in more commercial music, you would share this with other people. In a pop song, for example, you have one or more people who sing, one or more engineers producing the beats, then there is the balance, quantizing, editing, post production, etc. Pianists have to do all these on stage, at the same time!

When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life and how did you start out achieving it?

I was serious from the start. Playing the piano was never a hobby for me, since I started at the age of five. My mother was dedicated and kept me disciplined, while my father supported my lessons and encouraged me. 

What can you do to get a head start?

You can practise consistently, which is the best thing for any sort of achievement. You can’t do a last-minute ‘cram’ for a performance: if you haven’t prepared, everyone will know. It’s impossible to practice intensively for just one day in order to achieve a high-level performance. It is very demanding.

Could you describe the creative element to your job?

You play amazing works by a vast variety of composers and you try to find your own magic in those pieces and bring it to the audience. That’s how you keep them fresh, even if some of the works were written hundreds of years ago. The amount of interpretation that goes into a performance is mind-blowing. I also love working with other musicians because your experience is shared by those who have the same values and aims as you. 

What one thing do you wish you had known at the start of your career that you know now?

That you can always improve. So never give up.

Which organisations/websites/resources do you think would be useful for people entering your industry?

The Musicians’ Union and PRS for Music. They both have great resources for upcoming and established musicians, including legal advice and contact information.

www.aysedeniz.org

AyseDeniz is also on Twitter and Facebook. Images © Oliver Hyde-Tetley. 

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