After parking matchbox cars on the piano keys, I started taking piano lessons at the age of 6 and from there on enjoyed lessons with several great teachers - each bringing me closer to different aspects of music.

I participated and won prizes at the Austrian "Prima la Musica" youth competition both as a soloist and even more successfully accompanying my sister. And even though I was accepted into preparatory class for the Joseph Haydn conservatory, I ended my formal education after a year there.

Since then, I've had many attempts at picking up again a more regular practicing and playing routine but have realized that without a good teacher, I lack consistency and additional motivation that comes from the personal and immediate feedback. Finding a teacher that can fit with full-time work is difficult, though. Plus, I now live in Denmark but would still prefer a teacher speaking my mother tongue German.

Back when I had private lessons, I also remember that the two-hour commute (both-ways) once a week to Vienna for an hour of a lesson was quite a drain, so I really hope that with Play with a Pro, teachers and students who have to commute can find a way to challenge that weekly rhythm. For example, what if there was a 30min lesson every 5 days and if needed a physical lesson every other week?

I deeply believe that removing barriers of location and time, and making it much more convenient and accessible, will give more people the opportunity to benefit from private lessons and the incredibly enriching and rewarding experience that comes from playing music.