 As soon as I started playing other people's music by ear, which was when I was two years and two months old, I started improvising my own music as well. As a child, I used to compose a lot. As soon as I learned how to read music, I started writing down my own compositions. So I tried different styles, different instruments. Once, a schoolmate of mine who was a violinist and we played together a few times privately, not in concerts, asked me to write a cycle of variations on some famous theme. So I chose the first theme of Mendelssohn's Violet Concerto, wrote a cycle of variations, gave it to my friends. He looked at them and said to me a few days later, you know, if Yasha Heifetz, Heifetz was still alive then, practiced really well, he probably would be able to play half of it. And then came a point when I stopped hearing my own music in my head. I didn't know what to do next. That coincided with the time when my activities as a concert pianist began to increase. And then a few years ago, I began to feel an urge to compose a game. I wrote four pieces for piano solo. One of which, which I made the last one in the cycle, the Takata, I had actually started to write back in 1986. But then I only wrote a few lines and stopped. And one day I was living in Paris at that time. I learned by accident that our pad was in town. So I contacted some people and asked to arrange a meeting. I brought the manuscript of my four piano pieces, wanted to show it to Maestro Pad, but he said that he would need to listen. That was a piano. So I played it for him. I couldn't play all the notes because I hadn't prepared before and some of the pieces are quite difficult to play. But he got the idea. He gave me some advice about the very first piece in the cycle, meditation, which was absolutely right. And as soon as I got back home from my meeting, I made some corrections according to Mr. Pad's advice. But then at the end of our meeting, I asked him, please tell me very honestly, do you think I should continue composing or is it not worth it? And he said that I definitely should. That of course encouraged me and I continued. I began to send my music to various musicians, performers, honestly not hoping for anything and asking each one of them, please tell me your opinion. If you don't like it, please tell me honestly, I want to know it. And most people told me that not only did they like it, but that they would be happy to play it. In particular, Steven Isseless became very enthusiastic about my sonata for cello and piano. David Geringas played it. Gauthier Cartuson played it with Yulja Wan at the Derby Festival. And I also wrote a string quartet, which the compliment quartet, wonderful musicians, my old friends, became very enthusiastic about. I had never learned to play any string instruments. So according to them, and even asking me to demonstrate some other options, I made appropriate changes. A year and a half ago they recorded it. As long as I am capable to play piano, I'll continue playing piano and that will always be my main occupation. Because you're the best, obviously. You are. Everyone knows that. I love studying music of great composers using your editions.