Ridley Academy - The Life of an artist.

LIFE is something that either happens to you or happens because of you.

It is everybody's masterpiece. it is your creation.

Some people write a beautiful novel and some people finish their life with an empty book they didn't even pick up the pen. That's life. 

There's three moments, and they came very close together and that's when I realized I wanted to be a musician the first time.

The first time was when I was less than two years old.
It was seeing my father, who was quite an aggressive and serious guy, But when he listened to Elvis he became soft. He became Elvis.

I thought whoa what is that? What is that power like the power to change even a man as strong as my dad? I want that power.

The second big moment for me was inspired by a quote from Woody Allen.

He says that the job of the artist is not to succumb to despair but to find an antidote to the emptiness of existence. and I realize in this moment existence doesn't have to be so empty.

When I would play, I realized I can be anything I can be anywhere I am infinite it's it's that's what it did to me.

The third thing was a bit more personal…

I see a man is playing guitar on the street and I watch this guy for four or five hours and he's the freest man I've ever seen.

In Russian there is this word, white jealousy. It's like admiration, Wanting what someone else has, without any ill will towards them. I love that word. 
I feel white jealousy, I feel total admiration for this guy for the bravery of what he's doing

And as I'm walking home I see this piano... 

I take the piano and put it in the street I play and I feel like I have very little to lose. 

I have a life I don't love, exactly like my father, he died when I was 15.

I saw him leave this life with his heart full of dreams, and he didn't really do any of them.

I didn't want that to be me. But the only thing harder than chasing your dreams is not chasing your dreams.

The only thing harder than that is going to the office every day and knowing you’re gonna fail.

Being an ARTIST is a frame of mind, we CREATE. I'm going to create my life. 

I'm not gonna fall in love, I'm gonna create love.

I'm not waiting for luck, I'm gonna create luck. 

It’s an attitude of “I Create.”

That's what I mean by having an aesthetic life and that's what I want.

music is that animating force which makes everything feel.

It's a moment, it's significant. That's music.

It is the animating force which gives life.

That's why I created my academy. www.RidleyAcademy.com.

If you want to start taking life, and living it, expressing yourself in your own unique way, that is wholly YOU, come join me in my masterclass.

Learning the piano isn't as hard as it used to be. I've developed a method which is fun, fast a simple. come take a look.