Our talented friend JP / Ryvaeus played this for us today. It’s the first time he tried playing these songs; he plays be ear. So beautifully done! Thank you so much, JP.

Here’s a little history (written by him) about his relationship with the piano:

“I started playing piano when I was in third grade, how old I was at the time I can’t recall. Like many others, I was taught to read notes and play simple sheet music. For about three years after I finished the first level (or whatever it’s called), I stopped playing, because honestly, I hated it.

“I still wasn’t a fan of piano by the time I moved to the Philippines with my family back in November 1999 when I was 11 years old, but for some reason my parents decided to get a piano for our house. It took a few more years after that before I could start to appreciate the instrument and the music it makes, and at around the age of 15 I learned I could play by ear, long after I’d forgotten how to play by sight.

“I’m still learning, even after so many years of this love/hate relationship with the piano and in spite of all the songs I’ve recorded (and those I haven’t yet). In all honesty, I don’t think the learning will ever stop. There’s a huge pool of artists and an even larger collection of music out there, more than I’ll ever hear in my lifetime, and every one of them has the potential of contributing something new – beyond notes and melodies – to our ears. Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, and the muses of my songs are born from the music of others.”

Enjoy the music he makes at his YouTube account: Ryvaeus