Name: Ozan Ozbayoglu
Instrument: Piano
How long have you been involved in music?
10 years
Why is music important to you?
Music is important to me because it serves as a place where I can channel my creativity, and as a place of refuge from stress from academics or my personal life. Music is a language, and I can choose how to interpret that language and apply that to my playing. For example, if I think a piece has a mysterious and disquieting character to it, I will play the piece accordingly, perhaps at a softer dynamic and with ornaments such as accents or staccatos to elicit an ominous feeling from the audience. I have developed the skill of coming up with my own interpretation of a song or a book because of my musical education, and I also can analyze the hidden meanings behind songs, books, movies, etc. thanks to my musical education.
Tell us about your time at The bART.
The bART caused me to realize the importance of music in my life. Before I attended the bART, playing piano was a burden for me. I was completely uninterested in music, mostly because of the techniques required to properly play piano, and mastering that technique felt time-consuming. However, at the bART, I realized that by taking time out of my day to master the technique of playing piano, I made progress, and I began enjoying playing piano much more after I began making progress. Additionally, with music theory classes, I enjoyed learning about the structures of music, and I also enjoyed dictations, writing down the notes and rhythm being played by the teacher onto paper. I also was involved in composing music at the bART, which helped me further channel my creativity by creating my own music. All of the activities that I participated in at the bART made me realize how music caused me to gain different experiences, rather than just an academic experience at school.
Where will you be going from here?
I will be attending the University of Tulsa after graduating. Even though my major will be in the engineering department, I simply cannot live without music in my life, so I will also be minoring in music. Similar to how music was a place of refuge and creativity for me throughout high school, I want music to serve those purposes throughout my time in college as well.
A message from Ozan:
I want to thank my piano teacher, Dr. Allyson Eskitch for allowing me to become more and more confident in my piano playing, and making my experience with playing piano so enjoyable. She also found an affordable upright piano for me, and once I began playing on an upright piano rather than an electronic one, I became much more comfortable playing piano. Thank you for the many performance opportunities you provided me as well, and for supporting me in everything that I do, whether it is academically, musically, or personally. I will continue to improve in all three of those categories to become the best individual that I can possibly be. Dr. Eskitch also helped me analyze music and come up with my own interpretation of the pieces that I play, and apply my interpretation to my playing through dynamics, ornaments, and articulations. Thank you for making me fall in love with the piano Dr. Eskitch, and I hope to continue my studies with you.