107-Year-Old French Pianist Has Been Playing For 102 Years, Just Released New Album
Colette Maze began playing the piano at the age of five. Her grandmother also played the piano, and her mother played the violin — she recalls concerts at their large Paris apartment when she was a child.
Maze and her mother had a tough relationship, so she turned to music for the affection she was missing at home. “I always preferred composers who gave me tenderness,” Maze told NPR. “Music is an affective language, a poetic language. In music there is everything — nature, emotion, love, revolt, dreams; it’s like a spiritual food.”
Born on June 16, 1914, Maze is now 107 years old. As a child, she knew she wanted to pursue music as a career — however, this was a challenge for girls in the early 20th century. Thanks to her special talents, she went on to take exams and became a teacher for nearly 20 years.
“I always knew the piano — from morning to night — she was always at the piano. She sort of breathed through the piano,” said her 72-year-old son, Fabrice. “And for me, it was important that she could record, to leave a trace — to leave a message.”
Thanks to her son’s persuasion, Maze just released her sixth recorded album. She records her albums at home with the help of a sound engineer. She tends to record on Sundays, when the neighbors are out and the building is more quiet.
She says that you have to look at life from all sides; there is always an angle of joy. “Youth is inside us,” said Maze. “If you appreciate what’s beautiful around you, you will find a sense of wonder in it.”
Image source: The Tribune India
Previous
