BACK IN 2013
A Story of Sacrifice and Triumph: The Path to Musical Freedom
Since as young as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a musician. At seven, seeing music on TV felt like a revelation — it was clear: that was me. But in my family? Not a single musician. My dad, bless him, helped me learn the basics online, and soon, my desire to grow became as intense as my growing catalog of compositions. I chose to work hard and build real perseverance. My self-improvement as a child was unusual — no one around me seemed as obsessed at that age. But that didn’t matter: I knew exactly what I wanted.
My intense focus on persistence gave me the self-motivation to move faster than the system allowed — I ended up skipping a year in theory and three in piano. Thankfully, my teachers understood that my path was a long-term commitment. Others, though, didn’t. Many musicians around me tried to stifle my creativity and push back against my taste for experimentation. So we made a decision: I left the traditional school system and began homeschooling to reclaim my time. My hair grew long, and the artistic sacrifice deepened, touching every part of my life. I began private guitar lessons and spent countless hours studying, while composing rock, blues, jazz, metal, and classical music in parallel. Fragments of my sonata earned me €800 from my music school’s jury.
At just 11, I entered a piano contest held in a church and won first prize, all while performing electric guitar on Belgian stages with old friends. As I entered my teenage years and began vocal training, we organized a charitable concert in a local hall, raising thousands of euros for cancer care and health. When puberty shifted my voice, I stepped away from singing for a while — but my investment in every other musical realm remained intact. So I poured even more time and energy into my art. While my friends went out to have fun, I stayed in and worked, sublimating most of my personal desires into music. The hope of producing my album — always the end goal — kept me grounded. It gave me peace at war. While others partied, I spent seven hours a day at the keyboard, mastering tedious, virtuosic piano techniques. I enjoyed it.
I overcame my challenges by performing Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto with an orchestra and receiving the Golden Medal. With diplomas in both theory and piano — each marked with the highest distinction — I stepped away from the classical world. I chose to focus on my upcoming album, leaving behind the habit of reproducing other people’s works. A fire stayed within me — one that sometimes burned too hot. Delusions of grandeur? Perhaps. But they never clouded my path. I’ve made mistakes along the way, but they led me here — and wiped out every trace of regret: I have none. After devoting time to other disciplines, taking fitness seriously, and helping students reach musical freedom, I now dedicate myself fully to the stage — performing, evolving, and collecting new ideas for the compositions still to come.
However, there’s a darker side to this journey: the dangers of the music industry itself. My time in the studio — recording, producing, mixing, and mastering — gave rise to hours of demos across genres: pop, hip-hop, soul, funk, rock, and ballads. But I’ve come to understand how the system and its propaganda operate. My mission is now clear. The only path to success that preserves artistic integrity is through the support of those who truly resonate with the work. I dedicate myself to curating the best experiences possible — for my supporters, my team, my fellows, and myself. And I believe that by embracing this shared passion, we can build a future shaped by our mutual desires.
Mario Giovanelli.
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