Narva Music School celebrates International Music Day

On October 1, as the world marked International Music Day, students of the Narva Music School held a concert reflecting on what the instrument means in their daily lives. Pianist Arina Yakovleva says she spends more than 30 hours a week practicing, sometimes playing five or six hours straight because the process brings her genuine joy. Still, she does not plan to build her future around music — she intends to study medicine and become a pediatric neurosurgeon, keeping music as a lifelong personal pursuit instead.

Trombonist Roman Moskalev also trains in boxing after music lessons and says that performing at a concert feels much like competing in a match — both require facing fear, and overcoming that fear builds confidence. Roman also plays in his own band, Between Two Stars, and believes that both sport and music ultimately help him grow into someone capable of helping others.

Students react differently to the significance of the holiday itself — accordionist Tikhon Belozer says the date doesn't feel particularly special to him, while his duet partner Emilia Alekseyeva recalls that her love for the accordion began because her older sister played it, and she has never regretted following that path.

The teachers' role

Teacher Yulia Yakovleva notes that in today's world parents often struggle to give children enough attention, and the music school partly steps in to fill that gap — teachers frequently end up acting as psychologists and almost as parents themselves. School director Tatiana Goncharova said the students' remarks in post-concert interviews moved her deeply, confirming the school's role in shaping their character.