New Zealand Listener - October 13, 2018

OCTOBER 13 2018 LISTENER 31

sleep but I was always in the top 5% and

so was my sister.

When did the light switch on in your head,

regarding music?

I would put the headphones on and listen

to music through the night after work-

ing in the shop. When I was about 11,

I started having very profound experi-

ences with the music, whether it was an

Elton John song, or a movement from

a Beethoven piano sonata, or a Greek

song, or something by Alan Parsons.

Within a short time, I was improvising

at the piano a lot and thinking, “What

would be the best thing that I could ever

imagine doing?” I

knew it would be

giving people the

kind of feeling that

I experienced when

I listened to music.

I’ve been locked into

that idea ever since.

When you walked here today, what were you

listening to through your headphones?

When I was much younger, I became

addicted to Toto’s album Hydra, and I have

been listening to them ever since. Most

people know them for their song Africa.

Their music is positive and life-affirming.

It’s not particularly deep, in terms of lyrics

and songs, but they’ve been custodians of

my belief in music in the same way that

Beethoven has. I went to see them live in

London and felt this absolutely over-

whelming rush of gratitude. There was so

much love in the room – from them and

from the audience for them. That, for me,

is what music really is about.

What about musical development, or

exploring new forms?

I’m always exploring. That might be

finding, say, Hamza El Din, a Nubian

Egyptian/Sudanese composer and oud

player. His song A Wish is an example.

Music for me is an essential element in

life; no other art form comes close.

Was that connection you made to an audience

of a billion – with the opening and closing

music for the Athens Olympics – the deining,

or high point, of your career to date?

The Athens experience, for me, was more

cultural than musical. Greece had been

through very difficult times the whole

of the 20th century, so the team I was

part of were giddy with the thought of

creating a positive historical moment for

the country. It was also, for me, a way of

giving back to my parents; it was huge for

them. Unfortunately, I can’t really have a

positive conversation about this in Greece

these days, because there’s a general view

that the Olympics cost

the Greek economy a

huge amount of money

and contributed to the

current crisis.

What’s your next big thing?

I’ve just come back from

six months overseas with

nearly 30 new projects.

That’s at least four or

five years’ work, so I’ve

decided to scale back

teaching and to focus on

composing. One thing I

discovered: I met really

great musicians, and they

know who I am and what I have done,

especially percussionists. The percus-

sion teachers I met all over Europe said,

“Every one of my students is playing your

music.” It’s been incredible coming to

terms with the fact that I have a presence

there – I had no idea. Here, it’s hard to

comprehend that.

CLARE DE LORE; PSATHAS’FAMILY COLLECTION

John Psathas had no idea of his following in Europe and has nearly 30

projects lined up. Right, in Taumarunui, aged 4, in a Michael Mattar suit.