The One-Handed Concert Pianist, Nicholas McCarthy

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Hello boys and girls, this is Tim Ferriss and welcome to another episode of the Tim Ferriss show.

Where does my job each episode to tease out the habits routines tactics and tools of world-class performers where they are from the worlds of entertainment Athletics business or otherwise and in this episode, we have Nicholas McCarthy at n McCarthy piano on Twitter who was born in 1989 without his right hand and only started to play the piano at the age of 14.

He was told he would never succeed as a concert pianist.

Fortunately.

The doubters were completely wrong his graduation from the prestigious Royal College of Music in London, 2012.

Press around the world as he was the only one handed penis to graduate from the Royal College of Music and it's 130 your history since Nicholas has performed extensively throughout the world including in the UK US South Africa South Korea, Japan eating Malta and Kazakhstan is also played alongside Coldplay and gave a rendition of the paralympic anthem in front of an 86000 people and half a billion worldwide viewers his first album, which I highly encourage is entitled solo from morning music features 17 stunning pieces of left hand repertoire.

We talk in this interview about what that means spanning three centuries and has been released around the world to great acclaim.

This was a blast of an interview and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Please say hello to Nicholas on social and as always thank you for listening.

Nicholas welcome to the show.

Where are we finding you right now? Where were you seated? So I'm fat in my lounge at my home where I haven't been for about three weeks for my house.

And is that in the UK that is in UK and you have a companion with you also in case we are any parking.

Who's that? That's my senses that I would like to say.

Hello.

I'm sorry if that happens to dogs.

Do I remember hearing you comment? I guess was in to BBC interview that she was a good companion, but a little breathy in the breeze in the dressing room.

Do not the very beginning.

But when did you first get bitten by the bug as it related to music or piano people who got into music as a full-time career at the age of 12 call play death of public concert by the time they 5067.

All right, you know what I'm talking about these kind of professional comes to paying for me to stop at 14 again.

I was already streaming us with swimming Upstream, but the one very clear reason.

.

.

Was it at age 14 that triggered it? Well, I was very non-academic.

Should I stay at school? That's because you know how I wanted to I had to I just wouldn't I wasn't like that so throughout my life.

I was really good at it, you know until when I discovered a friend of mine.

I'm still friends with today a very accomplished pianist.

She played one of Beethoven's piano sonatas about Stein Sonata.

She played that in my school assembly and I just had one of those moments that you see in movies that you see on TV.

No, you just completely transported completely bitten by the piano dog, and I loved everything about about the instrument the way it looks on Stage Sound instrument the possibilities of what it was what it was like and humid with teenage invincibility.

Dr.

An answer for me looking back.

I didn't even think about the fact that he had one hand.

I just in my head.

That is what I was going to say.

I was going to be just leave the moments before and after that experience.

I'm just I'm always curious about these types of details.

Were you talking to your friends? Then all of a sudden the music starting you just stop talking we paying attention from the very beginning and then what was your response afterwards to play the piano sheet played in school and I hadn't seen her play in this capacity before, you know, I haven't seen her play on the big piano and don't you know who, you know, it was not so quiet in anticipation, but just know that we were just waiting for this.

Moments that you know, 10 minutes full moon would affect my entire life and my entire career and everything about me, you know, how the time again with hopefully I can not teenage teenage invincibility sometimes a bit like to do that and that is how it when that is how it went.

What were you were what were the next steps after that? I mean to do sit down and have a conversation with your parents.

Did you get a hold of some type of keyboard on your own and start fooling around with it and seeing what you could come up with? How did you find a teacher what we are the next steps? But it wasn't average formula sitting down with Mom and Dad she'd sales people for a living and it's all so funny.

I just went home and I just said I'd love to stay in a fight with my mom and dad just said, okay well, but what do we what do we need to do what you want to do at the boy? I need you.

Can I have a piano? Of course if I quit pausing sad will get you a keyboard.

I thought to myself to a music teaching myself the keys on the piano cuz I used to hope you know I did really know.

I kind of knew and middle seat bolts on the piano with it.

So I was kind of working things out.

I started mentioned I come from a non-musical family.

So kind of music.

I've never heard of a piece of what is a piece of Liszt composer of piano sponge.

I literally was going to be no sex with the recordings listening to the radio station to listen to as much stuff as I could.

When you haven't heard of any of these days, you just don't know these things.

So I was like that.

I was kind of exploring all this stuff whilst actually putting it into practice was just me and my hair just just working out for myself.

And that was one moment which we changed that which I remember very very clearly as I used to listen to so much musical the time it was one time that she says to me piano lessons.

Semi formal lessons because she was at a local piano teacher and she was quite young relax special teacher teacher teaching yourself and then starting with this local piano teacher, of course bit of homework before we jumped into this interview left hand or left handed repertoire.

Is that something that you found on your own first or the local teacher provided at what plate did that even come into the picture and can you explain to people what that is and not speak about Scruggs not why do now but I started the piano playing while I affectionately called might my alarm which it might my arm, but I haven't got And I haven't got my my right hand my right way and about three-quarters of my forearm by have cut my elbow so she'll path my full round.

And with that I can actually play on the piano a single note.

So I started learning 200 pieces if you like I'm playing it as it was worth it.

So I played with my alarm I would play a single notes in the in the right hand.

So I would be paying something with to find pieces which had one night melody lines with them and I didn't even know it existed.

I know one of them the way they told me they existed until I was seventeen and I'm not Why was it was a frustrating because you wish you'd found it earlier or was it frustrating for a different reason why I had no, I didn't want to play it.

I I was so in love with with the records for the idling in a Mozart Mendelssohn and I know these composers which I are going to know and love to them be told at the age of 17 off to get it working so hard and having game to play on the music.

So I was letting you know who told that I had to kind of waved.

Goodbye to their repertoire and say hello to these that time I knew nothing about and I had no intention of it I think is well my asked you that the time being very headstrong 17 year old was that will know I don't want to pay that I can play with my And it was what my teacher at the time said you don't want to become a gimmick and especially with all the TV talent shows which were just coming about then, you know, it was Britain's Got Talent know that kind of thing.

I'm so I took her advice because I would have just being that didn't he would have maybe, you know made it quick back of it to you.

But something he wouldn't have had the respect that I have.

Now that The Pianist I'm certainly wouldn't have to have to create an iPad to date on that.

I look forward to continuing until you know, I'm in my sixties, you know, you have long.

We got burnout, you know, we did it you can you can carry on playing until until you want to stop and I think if I went down that route to believe me Tim I said anything in the papers over here, and I said I said it embarrassing to you as we be able to tell you the month because every year I guess but my manager gets used to get to go ahead management an email to view it to me.

It's just because I've tried to hold open and spread my message in English gimmicky way.

I can I've worked so hard to do that if such as soon as I kind of stole down and eat one of these show order to classical music shows with clothes on me and never gave it to me and then again, I'm sure you know, I'm looking at the wrong time and I always have been ever since I was young so that there are at least two dozen questions.

I want to ask about everything you just said so the two points, I mean just to reiterate something you said which is the importance of playing the long Right because it particularly in a how should we call it steamed High barrier-to-entry World by classical music.

You can eat it might take you 20 years to build a reputation and only 20 minutes to destroy it.

If you make the wrong choices and something that you have spoken with the former podcast guest about Eric Weinstein who is mathematician and physicist nice Adida General Fame is overrated you want to effectively be famous to 3,000 people or so of your choosing and if you do that and if you do that, well you really you can do what you want with whom you want and effectively have all the things that you would like to have an end do in life.

It seems to me at least but one of my question to you was our is rather what what gave you the unusual combination as a teenager of being headstrong enough that as One handed piano player.

Well as a one-handed boy, you would aim to be a concert pianist right? Let me thank God for that that you had that some stubborn will while at the same time you're open to the suggestions of this piano teacher was it was something special about the teacher.

Was it something that your parents instilled in you? It's an unusual combination do to be both very stubborn and open-minded at that age.

I think you're my childhood and I've always seen one of those will be headstrong but headstrong people.

Do you know you tell me I can't do something and I will do everything in my power to get back lost interest in me by.

I'll still go ahead and do it because I need to put the pastor from are your parents.

Probably that contributes to it as well not think that I used to play out in the street together and thing and I'm in the one of the parents said to my mom and she has no enemies and that man I ever had that conversation with my head.

All right, then we will quite young and we all had our training wheels on a bike and then I don't remember even hearing my I have saved myself.

I want to be the first boy not want to be I'm going to be the best way.

I hold of my group of friends to ride my bike without training wheels, and I did I not remember Are all the parents standing at that front porches looking and some of the good women with riding with kind of admiration and things like that, which of course I left as well bury by please myself and I didn't care.

I just didn't catch.

It.

Just didn't I didn't feel I would count myself among those people.

What do the hens generally do in piano meaning the left in the right? You mentioned Melody earlier is that typically the responsibility of one hand over the other? Yes.

Definitely the right hand is that me the star of the show.

Florist Inc.

Clayton music.

Big stuff that you staying in Cary that Melody like yeah, he usually ends with left hand weapons that they didn't text to believe in three hands play The Piano Guys.

In fact, and I will talk to you record record stuff and then play along with it.

Illusion where it doesn't look at, you know the sound it looks better than it looks.

I'm playing a silly question to ask it anyway right hand virtuoso Fleer left hand Rhythm tradition in piano.

Does that create difficulties for Two Handed but left-hand dominant piano players that was created by people who were setting the Norms in her right-hand dominant.

Does that mean at the highest levels of two handed piano playing that the majority of players are right-hand dominant? See when you're when you're holding your car is at that.

I did the level that we are planning on Cross to us.

It doesn't matter what hand is dominant and I'm taking put them with one hand as she died.

So I can't be there and I would say that you're not because you're practicing so so much that even if that left time this morning actually don't because the right hand is the way the music in you having to do this these right hand technical difficulty.

And if you can't do it and you don't play the pity then I think it's just something that has 210 is woodchuck get over.

They just have to work, huh? I'm not left-handed and right-handed but it's when you really stop to notice a lot of the day-to-day interactions with objects.

They seem to be designed very much for a right-handed world and even something as unread.

There's not obvious as for instance dog training and they always have the dog heel on the left hand side and I was at least in the United States.

That's true.

And I was thinking to myself of why is it on the left hand side and the only explanation plausible explanation that I could come up with pure speculation was that because many people are right-handed perhaps this was developed for say seeing eye dogs were someone with have something in their non-dominant left hand securing them to the dog and I just brings up all sorts of questions, but I don't want to to digress too far.

Now we've we've heard some stories of your supportive parents, but not everyone has been that supportive I would imagine.

Can you can you tell us about your your process of applying to 2 musical schools? Yeah, that's where it kind of started getting slightly more difficult this day started with as I mentioned that he responded to her.

She was really really choose to think outside the box kind of go, you know, and she very admirably said sit to me and my parents become more than I am and she felt she was doing me a disservice by continuing to teach me.

She felt that I need to go in and studying public, you know in London with constipation asked if I wanted to become a concert pianist So I always get that for me, so I might my friend to inspire me at age 14.

She went to a thank you for that, and she went to a specialist piano school and it wasn't that far from me.

And so I can go to school at University high level School.

So I owe can I buy not the headmistress office school one day after after I finished do I come in and around her and she was very do you know what I mean by an old school headmistress? I think so like yeah, she was very old very traditional in her teaching in everything, you know, and it turns out she wasn't like my other teacher worksheets.

She wasn't thinking outside the box and she the phone call went something like that and he had a lesson with one of the one of the school teaches one of the school teacher in the school.

Take me to Gordon Lightfoot.

And how old are you to be my faculty? And because you know how you how you can possibly know how how you supposed to play scales and I was quite the cookie 16-bit a crowd-pleaser and I was deeply upset by the time she could probably imagine cuz you know, or maybe you didn't, you know to me I felt at that age.

My one paw that was my phone part of becoming a because this woman has talked about that likes to 226 s Witte quiet down and didn't play the piano.

Walking home from school one day and I thought to myself why am I letting you know I'm letting one person even see me play the piano station.

At the Music School of Music and drama in London School of Music and drama in London in for them.

I didn't I didn't say about my disability in the application.

Piano and three judges at the back of the room and I had to work and then they find the place and I'm so pleased that I listen to when I had that little chat with myself on the way home from school.

Do you know what interest me Nathan now the fact that she was in her late sixties early seventies and repertoire.

Yes, I would like to come to that kind of Life In Pieces fast before she didn't even think of that and now I'm just so thankful because they might buy that talk and that that series of events it took me to a better school.

It took me to London, which was just more.

If you decide to put much higher than my future career in some ways.

It's dodged quite a bullet as well in the sense that you can have old school teachers there different ways to interpret that of course who are open-minded in some respects it again old school teachers are very close-minded.

It sound like she was in the closed-minded camp.

So if if if organizations take on the personalities of their leaders, it's quite a good thing indeed that have your phone skope bill tonight at that school isn't around anymore Paul Stein Bowl II Stein.

Basically, I'll tell you a brief history of Latin repertoire.

Legendary most people in the world are right-handed.

So deputies you forgot these realities.

They were there any celebrities of the day they would set out a minute so I can put on the back then they would close some of them down call David perform something with left hand with my weekend like a princess bride moment and then gets fast forward in history the first what will happen.

Automatic pool vacuum.

My family was a very wealthy very well-respected Society family of the time and pulled well in those days being a concert pianist in no kind of families when pools that died.

He went out and gave his concert debut until you had to pay in a side of him in the festival happened and quilted within six months.

He was in battle and he lost his right.

And I also talked about Stevie determination.

He was taken as a picture of a bull and during that time.

He took he found some old wooden crates attendees crates opener tool set up a piano keyboard on speak, right and he works out how to play some of his most faked his favorite to change Temple at times and it's the fact that you know today to write pieces for him and Benjamin Britten Richard Strauss composer.

The sum of 30000 pounds back then imagine back then that amounts of you buy you could buy a house, but it was that that booty expanded star left hand repertoire really prove it to be, you know to the Kumon now most 200 penis.

If you if you ask them to print out that most of them will have at least one or two nap time piano Concerto in never.

Usually Ravel piano concerto.

I proved you mentioned before that you've arranged but not composed and that might be out of date but to be perfectly honest I have no I thought I knew what compose mint and now I'm not sure what it what is a ray.

Music vs.

Composing music in condo, you know what's Making Waves in their industry and in the 21st century on to be me and that's about it.

And I want to provide as much repertoire if not more than that whole bit and I left for the likes of me coming on and play in the future Day by doing that.

I do love commission.

I do a lot of arranging it is ranging taking two handed music and converting it into in this case.

And creating piece of music arranging is why would take take from my albums in since I got to my favorites music gasping summertime.

This is on your album Solo in Solo yet.

And I decided that would work well for that time today, but you did so I arranged for that time learning.

There's two other arrangements on the album as well and lovely people ready, which is lovely because I was kind of in my head doing it.

So when I die, I'm going to be hot I think you need to get those on on paper young man.

That's a long life is not guaranteed not to get all morbid and stoic but I look for you.

Tell the story of the blind man in Malta just because I found a very touching and I'll leave it at that.

I buy the be clear.

That's usually when I'm when I'm playing a concert.

I have see I usually do my album signing off the concert and then there's something people waiting list if they want to come back at that stage.

What's the picture now? It's alright without.

Yeah, that's fine.

And he said he said I just I'm so sorry to disturb you while I had to come in and speak to you now my my friend put the tickets for me and I didn't realize until the until my friend in the info just at the end.

I got locked up.

He was attacking before I will just a wonderful.

I just don't believe in my are never ever lie to me that I do not believe that you have one hand.

Can I feel can I hold you last time? Can I feel for right around here that my job.

She said it's arousing story London and Paris by Armon and he still can't believe David my I aim to do so, yeah, it was done.

It was lovely probably have two hands and I would imagine it's difficult for them to imagine what would be difficult but might not be as difficult for someone with a single hand.

You shot me with with no elaboration.

Of course was I wanted to be a chef before I was pianist now I can you please elaborate on how you cook.

I mean not enough course you'd are ways you can cook with one hand, but what what types of approaches or Cuisines or modifications have you made and and why cooking again, is it an equate extra strong? I think you know I think one one thing if I'm cooking for friends, but I was so I can get with my alarm.

Why do it die that way? I just I didn't even know if they're behind the Bible was Michael being quiet and thought you had sex with one hand.

Yeah, I struggle with with cooking and I think What's your favorite Cuisine? Do you have a favorite Cuisine so good then like the cat that looks like the deep fried pork cutlets on rice with Chinese food.

That's an alien landscape.

It's really an incredible experience.

Is there a particular that we're having this conversation with Paul Levesque the Triple H.

He's very well-known professional wrestler and he was at one point over.

Dinner describing to me the differences among Marcia Cross different crowds and how the Japanese are totally different from the Brits.

We're totally different from the next person when you perform is there any particular audience or place that treats you with just an inordinate amount of respect or reverence the different light without your huge fight with that is very vocal if I enjoy something when I paid in the state in the state's a couple of times now, And I think you know you guys kind of get my story by the law of painted by Franz when they not really interested in in the story that goes with me.

They just want to hear the music, you know, it is 7 a.

m.

In Japan and South Korea in Japan with back to Brock's, you know that you know, what was that country's I like with that with that.

Which honestly don't know why I called the rapid fire questions.

They tend to be sure to questions but your answers don't need to be sure they can make but don't need to me the 1st is when you when you hear the word successful who is the first person who comes to mind and why I would say successful.

I was eight Bethenny Frankel big fan of head.

I love I love the car wrecks to riches thing.

You never know types of what she didn't the branch created and I know I'm not in a liquor brand.

But again, I'm trying to create my own brand new, you know, and it caused, you know, people don't teach you when I'm at the crate brand create your own, you know, you're so Tell myself but I do think I think it's a stye in my industry.

I would say United that whole brand endorsement staying and everything, which I hope to do, you know, you can't deny that he is such a dominant in in our industry.

What books were books.

Have you gifted the most other people if you have I'm not ready.

I'm not I'm kind of a motor Kendall kind of passing.

Okay.

Well we can we can we can dance with that said what are there any books you've read more than once that come to mind about people.

I like books about interesting people.

So I like but not like a reality of their Auto bios come to mind.

Bounce Nina Simone.

I like I like that.

I like the real life real people.

They aren't anyone's going to get lost in a novel by alone make a suggestion for autobiographies, which is open by Andre Agassi.

Even if you're not a tennis fan or player, which I'm neither really but open it is one of the most incredible books in terms of autobiographies in a bread and probably last five years.

I think you might enjoy 25-25-25.

What advice would you give to your twenty-year-old self? And can you place us as to where you were what you were doing? H20 I forget what I think would be best for us where he died consistently not listen to buy of the listening to the negative square.

I have listened to people in older people in the classical industry is a shame that you never told me.

You weren't ever really be able to have a recording career and Why would you want to do with or respond to negativity? Is there something that you say to yourself when you hear it? Because of course, there's a lot of negativity in the world.

I go online and you're going to end up waiting in the mud at some point.

What do you how do you how do you train yourself to not take the negativity to heart.

Was there something you say to yourself? Is there practice some type that helps with that? I usually know I was now trying to spin it and make it into a positive by using visualize my stuff.

I'm quite a visual person.

Celebrity like me and negative control myself in that situation in two years Time Princess.

I used to type thing didn't get so frustrated with things and so upset about things, you know.

You don't have to choose that but if you could put anything on a gigantic billboard that was not an advertisement, what would it be? What would it say? Hennything is it might be because I do understand why why wouldn't I think that because a guy who's coming from a non money background from the village in England as well? And it's been becoming an entity this Arena row highbrow classical music and kind of disheartening you crafted it today to the highest level.

And I think those things by I can't believe that you know, I couldn't go out and be that she wanted to and you actually wanted to see if you believe that yourself and you thought that you were a Galaxy.

Tough talk I like it.

Tell how it got to tell it how it is.

Do you have so many routines are habits that are important to you send the first hour or two every day at 9 a.

m.

I would fail because I'm on stage usually at 7:30 and I'm off stage at 10:30.

That's kind of mole where I can find out what I still feel like I'm missing out about 9 a.

m.

And I usually go to the gym in the morning to do a run.

I'm I'm quite a good run it and I enjoy it well and United World cupsy jogging and running with their heads and didn't help me with nothing in my time everything.

I'm surrounded by musical ghost.

I'm doing something that I like the silence.

I like the Silent Running without happens it without me talking about myself without doing anything to run and I do I do a lot of money for two different reasons one because I said, I love food so much too because I find running the best way to increase them because I have to have a very high stamina.

So yeah, my morning routine usually full time and then I'll come home have my shower and then I'm just ready for the day then whether that is a little bit if I take my dog for a walk resources books quotes anything that you found very helpful in trying to differentiate yourself and build a career again, because most books on branding it soaking about a car.

And yes, I know I am a product essentially it different.

1/8 kind of different you have to pay no stay with me having one hand.

I didn't need different shape myself anyway in that sense, but I've always found his way of trying to find a way of finding myself without always screaming from the rooftops.

I have one on, you know, I never want to just to be like well, yes, you never know now, he's a fantastic pianist.

By the way.

I've come a long way with one arm.

Montana is not fine, but it is what it is.

I would have done one of the big TV channel checks and I think you better give me the right choice on that.

We've talked about some of your your wins.

Have you had any particularly punishing failures that have set you up in some way for later successes, or do you have a favorite failure story of any type of Dipping a bipod get past 9 crimes been anybody is to the public is Google cuz I love motivating people inquiring people in any way possible and the BBC picked icon on the fat guy with a good presenter and they asked me if I'd be interested in Eventing the television a couple of the BBC proms picture of the huge D like to hear what is I apologize, but I hear the word from in the US.

It's usually associated with survey a a ball of sorts with like high school graduation or college graduation safety and it's it's it's a big big Festival every single day by the biggest 9 to the whole world on it now and it's where you can get five Town tickets on the day for standing in the arena, but it's a mathematical to staying here because we do get their biggest names and the biggest every single day from Go die in a hole in people cute old way in everything most the countries that out very very quickly, but they don't sell those promise tickets until the day and you have to queue up for them.

So you'll pretty much guarantee the ticket if you're willing to be a, I like today and one of the the crumbs I was meant to which I was asked for them was a Pianist was paying Ravel left hand piano concerto.

So when he asked me to 2, but I be interesting for them.

And I said, that's why I did not cross your mind that maybe having listened only 100 companies that she probably the world's only one kind of complicated.

From 200 painted playing without left hand piano concerto.

Do you think that might get a little bit and I need to do that.

Some of my sad so very very loyal to take find it as though they'll just find it and they will come in, but I said that and then I was worried that no one would brightens to BBC tweet Tunes to BBC about.

You know, how willful day is that necklace and take this problem when a 200 penises playing and you know, it was probably not the best decision on their part to me.

It was fine.

It was kind of hard water at first cuz I thought why wasn't me? Good for him and I will pay that people tweeted and and Welton.

What what is been the best investment you've ever made that could be money time or energy? And I know it's a big question.

But whatever comes to mind when you're starting out in any creative industry and investing in yourself.

I completely comfortable temperature free just to build a fanbase just got a couple of myself, but she's DD I'm going to be in the money off of that means spending two thousand pounds to bypass TD just so I can set it and yes, I make my money back when you know, I didn't know I was going to make my money back so many times and things Set timer content equal access to become 10.

If you want to be part of that you go to create that content.

And as you noted that isn't cheap to do that isn't cheap to do you use it as a cox-2 it take people to do it or down your road and I'm not got to take money to do that.

So I would say that's being so many things.

I would say maybe I think I got off at a time by do you know that the violin is Nigel Kennedy at the Four Seasons Vivaldi The Four Seasons and he sold pop numbers of them already made classical quite kobach bendy and the ink which is the biggest part of me.

And you know, what happened.

You know, I love you a lot and that and he contact me that you know, I'd love to put juice the demo disc for you if you'd be interested.

J7 Pop, I didn't know who it is.

I've never had.

So he might not having to sell produce discs very crudely done to them in a console with educating them.

And you know I said I had to cost money because I had to pay for their how to teach here about you if you trace it back like what is what is the spider's web look like on the master bed and then go and touch with me about Lucrative what happened, you know a competition and get signed by an agent and then they stopped, you know Towing around and then they get signed by big record label and then I'll see the payoff on that is amazing and you know, they need to come and help and I thought it's getting major major worldwide the national class before I even get picked up by the I tried to get signs dates, but none of that happened.

I did everything back.

But so I was already staying at the success.

Even though the reality wasn't that you know, yes, I was because I was only with each other people will hate seeing my name at all.

But I didn't have any of the things which kind of went with the I didn't have that night to come to see if I didn't have the CD was just being sold around the world and every time was on the show, but it wasn't happening.

Didn't happen.

So everything's topsy-turvy with me.

If you were to be in charge of a piano school or to just teach someone with no musical background how to play piano and you could choose you you could choose one-handed or two-handed.

Or were designed the curriculum if you wanted to but I feel like there's I have taken music lessons for piano trumpet trumpet on a recorder flute you go down the list.

The only thing that really stuck for me was the drums I think in part because I've been patient and you can sound conceivably tolerable pretty quickly with the Trump.

But if you wanted more people to stick with piano, how would you teach them in the first few weeks or what would you do differently than is is commonly done at the bowl.

I would find out what that needs time by Hibbett that people say, oh no no, no, But you might love Hannah you might not love but you might love Shopkins music, you know, you can't just write you contact discount at whole section of our history and culture just because you've had a couple of the Costco gas station Bensalem.

I don't like pop music because you might like Adele music because of my tattoo pieces that are not part of my And then I run with that other than survive.

So you like Russian 20 Century Music on on the tip of everybody's tongue.

But I'd so you might love you know, so could you do on that point if I do enjoy a lot of classical music but don't know the first thing about nine times out of ten have no idea what I'm even listening to you.

Honestly if if I wanted to or people listening wanted to explore a few lesser-known classical musician or composer is who might you recommend a very famous Tycoon YouTube Hancock the Pinnacle Martha argerich she is just like she sold out the role of a whole butchered smart 6000 signal a day or two.

I think I've got a huge ship her because you eat so much for watching her is it's just it's just some of the worst advice that you see or hear often meeting with an agent once and she said this before I cut my my management and things in this white sign Michael Jalen.

Stop by and by saying yes, but I think you should you should go and do your monster to Green at nine thousand pounds a year or two years.

And then I think you should take another two years out and go and study in Vienna spend eighteen thousand pounds minimum on playing concert and never going to fit into never I mean, Daytime talk show no classical pianist was doing though because you know, I had to do these chats show.

I said why you know, it's not very high.

That is 140000 year old.

Listen.

Listen to buy some very Punk.

If I allow the time, like I said, I feel that people were very quick to try and apply this blueprint to me and I was never going to be you know, these reasons is that timer.

Never seen someone you can look at what he had a very successful career and he was just like you gets back from his having already had some sort of prayer the 200 pennis I was starting strength way in left and right for the 101 to have to do that.

How can you apply the same blueprint you teach with 210? How can you play blueprints could work? It seems like a blessing in many respects, but certainly in the sense that you would lead you to at least ask or city yourself.

Wait, hold on a second.

Now, let's let's test these assumptions in a let's question these assumptions because maybe it doesn't apply to me.

Where is a lot of other people would have probably accepted.

The blueprint as the default but you were in a position to have that instinct show response of questioning, which I think is is always a good instinct to have I know you know, I've got it wrong many times as I've made Israel cool snow by the same time.

I think my decision very quickly.

We mention Street mention food a couple of times.

I'm quite a fan food myself.

What is the best meal or drink you've ever had mail I had was in Japan.

It was the end of my I went out there to make my album like today and so I was out for 10 days.

So late Crest, you know what it's like when you're doing a promotion to fix whatever you want me to do with wet and the end of it.

I took me out for this Saturday to email.

Private Chef in the private dining accident you beautiful and that was the handsomest man in my life stood.

Was it the company? Was it ever believe it was the relief of having done what I like working and I like it when a guy as well as we know it was that it was it was just brilliant, you know that waiting great and my manager was with me as well.

It was lovely to travel and it was just everything as well as the whole thing Santa Rosa.

It was just pretty Nice makes me this all makes me want to go back to Japan outside of music.

Where do you get out meaning give any odd obsessions or sessions like Star Wars a sports team wine anyting I'm very much interested in something I do and I love you know, how does it help my mom and dad a lot like that is not her friends and pick me up and I love getting into people's heads to see what that started them what they want and I like to put together and see if I put the timer time anymore TV design books or looking for various things.

I want to do to my house then it's so different from my job.

It's so different from what I do and it's something that I do to quite excited about anything.

But you know, I love going kind of Interiors dropping.

Are there any do veneers favorite books or magazines or anything else? Yeah.

My my favorite design is cutting open T-Mobile.

I think she moved out on her, but she doesn't lots of luck to Grady high end luxury hotels in Jansen various things, but she looks like she's got a really nice then these nice books, which I've done had heard more normal hiding to be like know how to design Ann and hasil Craigslist my like that I like reading that have actual proof that someone just telling you this is why I did that, you know, if you put this against it's really wet and it will create some drama and I like I like I mean I need switch.

I like a lot specially when we mean anything to you about anything to anybody because it's sunny design style.

What is what is one that comes to mind? Are you be surprised if listen to this and it's very similar to my side of my house and do I divide my whole house almost off the back of a styling of how they design their interior Hill House Interiors.

What purchase for less than $100 that are know the exchange rate is now so his his most positively impacted your life in recent memory and it could just be a purchase.

I'm just looking for something.

It isn't say the price of a grand piano.

I love it.

It's a diffuser for therapy oils and and I have it diffuse run and I put different oil thing.

But when I try to stay and I will put geranium in Princeton, which I love and I just find kind of relaxes me.

At same time Keep Me Patrick topping not to be able to work, right? Because I can I buy a hundred then felt the effects of different Aromas and my concentration on my relaxation or whatever and the oils that I bought with that probably amounted to entitled to Maybe by 80 90 pounds.

So yeah, it kind of natural organic aromatherapy oils in skincare products.

And I love that one of those two fuses not like you for the kind of late night instead of an electric one, which kind of Batman steam leak out a Sona a Build-A-Bear also know based on specs from two former Guests lyrics Hamilton the world famous big wave surfer and Rick Rubin the music producer.

And I've bought various oils like eucalyptus oil and I do not know what the hell to do with them.

It was just it was just in the people who bought this also bought category in Amazon.

So I went on like at 3 a.

m.

Binge and bought a ton of stuff but I also noticed about a week ago.

I had a woman blow frankincense basically put oils on her hands and then blew through her hands on to me and says requires a lot of explanation I will get into but to to relax relax me and it were it had the desired effect immediately.

It was very enseco somatic or not.

I don't really care in this case because I needed to fucking relax and it were Taft so I will have to check out.

Achievement and I think the people often have it at the lucky smells and have a lovely they didn't sleep transform the environment doesn't my working like it helps me concentrate and I miss it for sure.

It's a geranium, which I have none of that.

So it's relaxing but allows you to have a calm Focus race.

You keep going for hours.

I am sure Nicholas but I would want to be respectful of your time and there were a couple of times on the part and where can people find you online.

Learn more about view your music say hello on social if I if you're engaged in any particular platform and Saint Nicholas McCarthy, they'll be able to at least see what I do on Facebook a time and McCarthy piano on on Twitter and Facebook to come and say hi.

And yeah.

I hope they I hope that they all check out your work and listen to your work and say hello on social and for everybody listening, of course links to do everything that we discussed will be in the show notes as usual at four hour work week.

Com forward podcast.

We can find all previous episodes as well and Nicholas.

Thank you so much for the time.

This is a good this is great fun.

Thank you.

I really enjoyed.

Thank you and to everyone listening as always until next time.

Thank you so much for spending time with the Tim Ferriss show.

Hey guys, this is Tim again.

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