The first thing that fascinated us about Yash and Kashvi Aggarwal was that they are both piano players. While Yash is 15 years old, Kashvi is just 9 years old and this brother-sister duo, who study at Silver Oaks International School in Hyderabad, don't just have a knack for the piano, they are quite proficient at it. For Yash, it all started with a toy keyboard which he pestered his parents to buy. "When they noticed that I could pick up tunes easily and after watching me perform at a function at my mother's office, they enrolled me in professional piano classes," says Yash. Today, he has an ATCL Diploma from Trinity College London and is currently preparing for the LTCA. He also happens to be equally proficient at academics, especially Math. "I heard that musicians are really good at Math, maybe that's why," he says and laughs.
"Playing the piano is different from academics, there is no right or wrong. It actually gives me a break from academics," says Yash who humbly admits that he still has a long way to go in terms of understanding all the aspects of music. He strongly believes that the piano is helping him develop a well-rounded personality and he wishes to pursue it alongside his higher education. "I would never want to leave it completely," he shares. Both the siblings have performed at concerts organised by Joe Koster, the music coach who started Hyderabad Western Music Foundation, and have trained under him too. When it comes to Kashvi, she started playing when she was a little over two years old and started with tunes from the popular Japanese manga series Doraemon. "I used to look at my brother silently and wished I could play too," says Kashvi who has completed her Grade VII exam with the Trinity College London. "I think I have a reasonable command over rhythm and notes, but I need to work on my speed and dynamics," says Kashvi who plays the piano for about an hour every day.
Yash's repertoire includes:
- Chopin's Scherzo No 2 in B-flat Minor, Op 31
- Bach's Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887
- Schubert's Impromptu No 3, Op 90
- Szymanowski's Etude in B-flat Minor Op 4, No 3