Ep #18 - Be like water | Grigorios Zamparas

My piano teacher Grigorios joins me to talk about what happens when you stop forcing things and start flowing instead. We go back to Greece where his mentor Yorgos threw music at him as a teenager. Grig learned 20 concertos by age 18. But here's the thing—the more relaxed he got, the faster he learned. Tension kills the music. Tension kills the memory. You have to find a way to let it flow. We talk about Bruce Lee's "be like water" philosophy and how it shows up at the piano. About surrender on stage. About the moment when it's not you playing anymore—something higher takes over. About how the way you live affects the way you perform. Grig teaches me about the mind, the heart, and the will. How all three have to work together. How music is one of the few things that lets you develop all three at once. And he gives us the mantra he'd put above his piano: "May be enough for today." This one's for anyone who's pushing too hard. Anyone who's wound too tight. Anyone who needs permission to relax into their power instead of forcing it. Links grigorioszamparas.com Credits Thank The Team: To all those who help me. Gwendolyn Christian for the scheduling and Oliver Kiker for the theme music. Chapters (00:00:00) - Piano Teacher Gregorius Zamparas on the Podcast(00:01:04) - Pianist Yorgos Manesis(00:07:00) - Pianist Jorgos Stamatis on his Early Years(00:11:56) - Wellness in the University(00:14:07) - Piano Teaching and Performing(00:18:16) - Piano Concerts are a spiritual journey(00:22:20) - What are the challenges faced by young musicians today?(00:27:01) - How Music Affects Your Wellbeing(00:29:10) - Have there been times when you haven't wanted to touch the piano(00:31:52) - Teaching pro bono in Greece(00:33:14) - What is it like to play in Switzerland?(00:38:04) - Diet and discipline in life(00:42:26) - Maria Callas on Her Art(00:43:10) - Favorite pianist of all time(00:43:52) - Pianist and high-achiever(00:47:40) - Relationships: The Search for Meaning