Samrat Dinkar
Sammy, also known as Samrat Dinkar, is an 11-year-old who has been learning piano since the age of six with Mr. Hanspeter, beginning with online lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic. His passion for the piano is so intense that, unlike most households where children are urged to practice, Sammy’s parents often ask him to take a break. He practices 1–2 hours daily during school days and even more on weekends. He enjoys experimenting with techniques like blindfolded and cross-handed playing. His younger brother also learns from Mr. Hanspeter, and their friendly competitions sharpen both their musical skills.
According to Sammy ‘To me, the piano isn’t just an instrument, it’s my favorite thing in the world. I play it when I’m happy, when I need to focus, or even when I just want to feel better. If I don’t play every day, something feels off. I really like the way Mr. Hanspeter teaches me, and one day, I want to be a pianist like him. Besides piano, I love playing soccer, cricket, and swimming. Oh, and my new favorite thing is playing with my goldendoodle puppy—his name is Biscuit, and he’s the best!’
Here’s a little story that goes back to 2020. Our school offered only online lessons for two months due to COVID-19. I usually had Samrat’s brother, Vedant, come to the online classes. I hadn’t heard much from Samrat at that point. A brief conversation with his father revealed that Samrat wasn’t interested in music lessons. But then the turning point came. When I opened a Zoom session, Samrat was suddenly there. He was playing Vedant’s piece. From then on, Samrat began piano lessons. And lo and behold, his progress was outstanding. He is now one of my best piano students. It is amazing how things can change on growing up youngsters.
