Edward Bettella is a composer-pianist, piano teacher and associate of The Piano Shop Bath. Here he tells the story of his talented pupil, Mateo Davis.
“Mateo was introduced to me for an introductory lesson by his mother, Emma and within a minute of hearing him play I knew he was very talented,” said Edward.
“I was amazed to discover that he had only been playing piano for a year and was entirely self-taught; Mateo had worked out some very challenging pieces by the world-renowned artist Chilly Gonzalez, by watching videos of the pianist on YouTube. It was obvious that Mateo was a naturally gifted pianist and would soon outgrow his basic digital piano at home.”
“Mateo’s mother has been successful in applying to a couple of music bursaries to help purchase a piano, and the Piano Shop Bath were also keen to support Mateo by sourcing him the best possible instrument for his budget.”
“Since receiving the new piano Mateo has been playing it every day and has already been rewarded for his musicianship with a place in the South West Music School. This Centre for Advanced Training develops promising young artists through mentoring, residential tutorials and masterclasses, making it ideal for Mateo to build upon his existing talents.”
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For Mateo’s mother Emma, watching her son develop so rapidly at the piano has been a joy,
“Mateo got his first keyboard for Christmas 2017, and I was surprised and delighted to see him take to it like a duck to water almost overnight, and entirely off his own back,” said Emma.
“Mateo feels that playing the piano is an expression of himself, and is most at home when playing. He loves to perform and is moving from strength to strength under the tuition of Edward Bettella who helps him to develop in a really unique way. He is delighted with his new piano which allows him to explore texture and tone and to add complexity to his playing that wasn’t available on his old digital piano. I am so happy to see him gain such enjoyment from his new instrument which fills our house with music for hours every day. A big thank you to The Piano Shop, EMI and Awards for Young Musicians for their support.”
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For Jon Kelly, owner of The Piano Shop Bath, supporting Mateo in his development as a pianist was an easy decision,
“Mateo had been playing on a basic keyboard and through grant support he had an opportunity to progress to a modern acoustic piano, which would really help him to develop his ability further,” said Jon Kelly, owner of The Piano Shop Bath.”
“We naturally wanted to support Mateo and with the help of his grant we were able to provide further support and an instrument which will really help him on his journey to great things. We will be keeping in touch with Mateo and wish the very best for the future, from us all at The Piano Shop Bath. “
