The world Allen's oyster
"I often listened to classical music and in 2020 - during the Covid lockdown - I had plenty of free time. We had an old electric piano in our house and I decided to teach myself to play," says16-year-old Allen Tambrescu.Allen - then 13 - listened to the music and tried to play it, and that's how he taught himself to play the piano.
"I realized that if I wanted to play more advanced music, I had to learn how to read and understand notes. I went to the College of the Arts (Cota) and Howard Duminy was my music teacher."
Then a pastor heard Allen play at his church's youth group and gave him a contact to participate in the Talent Africa competition.
"I was shocked because it was so sudden. I signed up and participated here in Windhoek. I won in the instrumental category. After that I was invited to participate as part of Team Namibia in South Africa. However, I could not be there physically, as I had to write school exams. I participated virtually and won platinum. I was informed that I could represent Africa in Talent America in New York."
The competition takes place from 8 to 10 July in New York and New Jersey in the USA. Allen and the singer Rayne Sadler from Swakopmund are the only two Namibians who will represent Africa.
"I'm quite nervous and practicing very hard at the moment. It's the first time I'm travelling overseas and I'm looking forward to showing what's possible through music.
“It doesn't really take much; I did it in three years. It just takes a lot of practice and dedication. I just want to show that it doesn't matter where you come from. If you really want something as bad as breathing, you will achieve it. As long as you make the effort and put in the work."
Allen's biggest dream is to become a world-renowned classical pianist.
"To realize this dream I need to have money, which means I need to finish school and get a degree. I want to study engineering while saving money to make my dream come true. If I can't make it as a classical pianist, I have to have a degree to fall back on."
Consistency
“Consistency is the key to success. Sometimes when I practice and struggle, I get frustrated and just want to give up. Then I get up, take a break and try again.
"I do it slowly over and over until I get it right. My piano teacher used to say: 'Every madman can play quickly, but not every madman can play quickly right. So, how mad are you?' Practice slowly and be consistent. You must exercise every day - it doesn't matter for how long, as long as you exercise every day.
"I started playing Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu and wanted to give up many times, but I didn't. A few hours later I was back behind the piano again, because giving up is not an option. Today I can play this masterpiece fluently at a concert and this is my greatest achievement to date."
Allen is hosting several concerts to raise money for his trip to the US. The first concert is with the Namibian National Symphony Orchestra (NNSO) and Gazza on 2 and 3 June in the National Theater of Namibia (NTN). On 16 June, Allen and Rayne Sadler will host a fundraising concert at Windhoek Gymnasium.
Follow his Facebook and Instagram under Allen Tambrescu aka @allenissimo for more Notes with Allen performances.