Jared Peroune has a love for the piano where he finds his sanctuary. In other words, he has an insatiable passion for the instrument.
Jared, 25, believes that he is on his way to “something big” in the music field, and if things work out as planned, he could be a celebrated pianist in another few years.
But outside of his own personal ambitions, he intends to lend a helping hand in raising the profile of the piano here. He said there were many music lovers in Guyana who were working to encourage a greater relevance for the instrument, and who were in addition searching for a break to share their talent with a wider audience.
Reminiscing on how it all began and how he got where he was today, the ambitious young musician told The Scene in a recent chat that it was migrating to the United States some 16 years ago that made his dreams possible.
The US- based Guyanese said that it was at the age of nine he recognized his love for music, and more especially playing the piano, and knew immediately that he wanted to have a career as a pianist.
He said that though he was into many genres of music, his favourite was classical. He particularly enjoyed Sonata by Domenico Scarlatti, a piece he performed at a recent recital here. For Jared, the piano is a means of expressing himself and finding inner peace and tranquility.
He explained that music was a part of his school syllabus in the United States and that he happily made use of the opportunity when it was presented to him. In addition, he recalled having the privilege of choosing one musical instrument during those years and naturally, he chose the piano.
Jared said a music teacher who also loved the piano recognized his potential and encouraged him to take it up. Apart from school, he received piano lessons at a church in Florida, and as his love for the instrument grew he decided to get serious.
Jared now has a music degree under his belt specializing in the piano; he graduated from the Barry University, Florida in 2006. When asked about his future plans, the former St Agnes Primary school student explained that his objectives were three-fold. Apart from rising to stardom, he told The Scene that after completing his masters in collaborative piano, a course he was hoping to embark on this year, he then intended to spread his love for the arts here.
Jared also has plans to support other young local pianists who share his passion for the arts, but are struggling to demonstrate this. The only satisfaction he is looking for is to achieve a positive impact on young musicians here. For him, Guyana has always been, and still is his home.
Further, he also hopes to establish a networking group with other Guyanese in the diaspora as a means of developing the local arts here. The focus, he said, would be on “giving back” and contributing to any body or organization that was in need of funding.
When he was recently home on vacation Jared gave a piano recital in an effort to raise funds for a local charity which promotes the arts here.
The aspiring collaborative pianist said that while he loves solo performances, he enjoys collaborating with other musicians as well. He explained that performing with others added flavour to the finished product.
As part of his dreams, he intends to perform for groups, companies, celebrities, and by extension anyone desirous of hearing his talent. At present he teaches piano lessons to children whose ages range from three to thirteen. (femicureforall@yahoo.com)