What does the world of today's young musicians look like? How much passion, work and failure hide behind one moment on stage? To find out the answers to these questions, we're here with professor Anamaria Biaciu-Popa and her students at the "George Enescu" National College of Music in Bucharest

Teea Câmpeanu - first grade, Matei Vârtej - second grade, Emilia Ceban - third grade, Alexandra Vârtej - seventh grade, Alexandru Negrilă - ninth grade, Medeea Voica - tenth grade and Emanuel Drăgoi - twelfth grade.

At a first glance, the piano seems like an easy instrument. You press a key and the sound comes out. But behind this surface ease lie years of training, concentration, and especially a teacher who knows that studying an instrument means more than excellence, it means forming one's character, developing sensibility and inner discipline.

"I think any musical instrument, especially piano, because we're in a piano room right now, develops and shapes the character, as well as the emotional depth of the one playing it. It develops perseverance and patience, as well as emotional intelligence. This is how learning an instrument becomes a medium for artistic expression, as well as an instrument of personal discipline. Starting early is very beneficial, first of all because it's the best way to stimulate children's neuroplasticity. It's an activity that engages visual, auditory and motor centers at the same time. One benefit is order, order as in organizing their daily schedule and study material in smaller amounts of daily work. Of course, they're taught and helped to manage their emotions and stage fright, and it becomes, in time, a positive thing, a comfortable feeling."

Studying piano means discipline, patience, and many hours spent in front of the instrument, and this often requires sacrifices.

"My friends asked me many times if I want to meet up, go out. I had to reject them because I had to practice, even during vacation. We plan vacation so that I have a few days left to practice piano too."

"Free time is the biggest sacrifice a pianist can make. I guess you wouldn't be losing anything else, just time, because time is important."

"It could be giving up free time spent with friends or other activities. I don't know, I'm not making any sacrifices right now."

"If you see many friends playing outside, you have to give up your free time to play piano more."

"I don't know if I sacrificed anything, but I liked to sit down and play the piano throughout the day."

What does musical success look like through the eyes of young pianists?

"I think the applause, prizes etc. are consequences, validations of our work, but it's much harder to build something without enjoying playing."

"Musical success means being happy, going to many concerts and becoming famous."

"Getting applause."

"Musical success comes from enjoying playing."

"I'll be as honest as I can, applause and the audience, because if you perform somewhere and you don't get the same response from the audience, it's pointless. You have to like it for the audience to like it too."

"For me, musical success is when I manage to convey something to the audience while enjoying what I play on stage."

"For me, it's applause and when I manage to do what I planned to on time."

But can classical music be a good friend to today's youths?

"Yes, because it's different from today's music and can convey something different."

"Yes, classical music can be a friend to today's youths because many consider it a place to escape from the real world."

"Whether classical music can be a friend? Yes. Will it be a friend? No. In the songs you see on social media, you rarely find classical music, and most attendants of classical music concerts are from older generations. The youths these days mostly listen to electronic music. If I were to compare classical music with a friend, it would be the kind of friend who has glasses, a gap-tooth and freckles, who's always reading books. It's a friend who'll help you in the future, who you can talk with."

Curious to hear their answers, I asked them what they would say to youths who think classical music is boring.

"First, I'd show that classical music has nothing to do with snobbery, elitism or other things like that. And I'll give examples of musical jokes. A Haydn symphony, a septet, Mozart's "A Musical Joke", famous for satirizing less skilled composers. I mean, it can be funny, human."

"They should listen to other authors, because maybe he only listened to one author and said 'Well, this is boring, I'm never listening to this again.'"

"I'd tell them to close their eyes and play it in their head, because classical music is magical."

"No one will say it's boring, because It makes you feel things, joy and much more."

"I'd say they should try listening to more composers or more pieces, because they're different and they'll surely find one they'll like."

Looking towards the future, I wanted to know what their dreams are regarding piano, or music in general.

"My dream is, mostly, to go to canto, but I want to continue playing the piano, too."

"My dream is to transmit feelings."

"I want to continue studies at the Conservatory, and then perform in concerts with an orchestra and share what I'm performing with the audience."

"To play the piano on a big stage."

"I want to bring joy to people's hearts, to play the piano on big stages."

"Less on piano, more on music. I want to study pop music composing at the Conservatory. My dream is to become a music producer renowned and popular enough in Romania, and, God willing, abroad, to live decently."

"To enrich my musical culture and make it to the Conservatory, but still keep the child-like joy of listening to music."

Today we discovered what the world of piano looks like through the eyes or professor Anamaria Biaciu-Popa's students at the "George Enescu" National College of Music in Bucharest. I'm Ioana Țintea and I'll be seeing you again in two weeks with other stories from our idea lab.