Kaja Kašubaitė

I’m Kaja, an independent girl (already 16!) – even though I don’t always like to work, and I like to watch films or visit social networks, I still get things done on time. Practicing the piano is hard work and I don’t always want to do it, but I like the result. My sister and I look like weird musicians, but we’re just normal Gen Z teenagers!

For me, music is like a relaxation after a hard day (especially when playing on stage and not rehearsing, haha). Sometimes I catch myself humming a tune in the middle of the day – it must be stuck in my head! I can’t imagine that music would be possible without my past and present teachers and professors, because they have helped me to get where I am now. I am very grateful to them. And to my mother as well.

Music is important to me because I get to meet new people from all over the world, for example, in Klaipėda’s KPM I met so many unique pianists from different countries and different cultures. I also get to visit new countries that I haven’t been to before and broaden my horizons.

It’s not easy for me to play the piano and learn new pieces, but I must admit that every year, it gets easier along the way. Sometimes I go crazy and want to end it all. It is definitely a lot of hard work and a lot of patience. Sometimes I learn a piece, but I can’t finish it. Then I put it to the side. After maybe a month, things seem different, much easier. Then I see and hear the piece as if with different ears. Everything takes time…

I get reactions from the audience during the concerts – some people cry, some smile, some close their eyes or just look straight at me… I like all the reactions.

We are always told that we should never stop playing the piano, that we have already achieved so much, but I am still not sure about my future choice, because I am also interested in fields like psychology, marketing or even design. But it will remain in my heart anyway, maybe as a hobby… I don’t know, I’m still finding myself. It is difficult to decide.

It’s a pity, but in my opinion, classical music is not fashionable among young people in general. Teenagers nowadays tend to be interested in rap, social networking, video games, etc., and you only get interested in this kind of music when you are older. It also depends on the environment you grew up in (in fact, I never listen to classical music in my spare time either, I prefer something else), the people you grew up around and the school you went to – it’s just something that takes a long time to learn and become interested in. But classical music should still be cherished and preserved, because it is history, the great cultural heritage of mankind, and years and years of music written only on a piece of paper, which I will try to preserve with my playing on stage!

These are my thoughts. I’m only (or just) 16…