The power of discipline: An interview with Hungarian pianist and composer Havasi
Edited by Arina Yakupova. Reported by Arina Yakupova.
A podcast of Arina's interview with Havasi
Arina interviews Havasi.
I met Hungarian pianist and composer Havasi at a press conference for his upcoming tour in China. This is his second visit to China; the first was in 2010 during the Shanghai Expo. He has a unique connection with China – his grandfather worked in Beijing as a representative of a Hungarian company in the 1950s, and his mother lived in China as a teenager. On social media, he often emphasizes the importance of believing in your dreams. His dream was to achieve global recognition, and he made it happen. After the press conference, I had the chance to talk with Havasi personally about his music and his journey to international fame.
Arina: What is more important to achieve success, to be talented or disciplined?
Havasi: You cannot be successful without being disciplined. That's what I believe in. So, you cannot separate these two things. I don't believe that you can achieve anything without being disciplined because even if you are the most talented musician in the world, if you don't practice, if you don't go for it, if you don't work hard, you're not going to be successful. So, yeah, discipline and success, they go hand in hand.
Arina: Were you always like this? Well-disciplined?
Havasi: I think so, but I think I am like this thanks to classical music. When I started, I was 4-years-old. They teach you to practice every day. It's hard at the beginning because your classmates are going out and playing football or in the playground. I was sitting in front of the piano and practicing. But somehow, I started to enjoy it, and nowadays, I'm still practicing two hours a day. But I don't feel it anymore. It's so much a part of my personality that playing the piano feels like breathing. If I don't practice, I miss it. I have to practice, I have to play the piano every day. So, it has just become part of my whole spirit and body.
Arina: You've been involved in music since you were 4-years-old. Is it luck to find your calling so early? Have you ever considered changing your career path?
Havasi: Yes, I don't believe it was luck. I don't believe in luck. I think it was destiny. It was my destiny to be a musician. I think I was born to be a musician. And I never had a plan B. Successful people say that if you don't have a plan B, you're always focusing on plan A. And that's a lot of power because you know that you have to stick with plan A. I always wanted to be a musician. I had, of course, many challenges, especially being a piano teacher 15 years ago and reaching an international level. Along the way, there were so many disappointments, so many rejections, so many challenges. But I always stuck to plan A. I always wanted to go through these challenges. And finally, I got here. So it was destiny. I really believe it.
Havasi poses with Arina.
Havasi speaks at the press conference ahead of his tour in China
Arina: Talking about these obstacles, what drives you to keep pushing boundaries in your career and personal life, even when faced with obstacles?
Havasi: I need music. Music helps me a lot to go through all the challenges and connect with people. That's a lot of energy. So when I play a show, it's not only the people receiving something; I also receive a lot of energy from them. When I go back to my hotel room after a show, I feel uplifted and full of positive energy. That helps me a lot to push through any wall. I feel like a superhuman because I use the energy of the audience.
Arina: What was the turning point in your career? Do you remember that moment?
Havasi: It's very romantic. Twenty years ago, I was still a piano teacher, and I had a demo CD with some of my first songs recorded in a studio. I gave a copy of the CD to a young girl. She started listening to it in her car every day. She became my first fan, and later, she became my wife and the mother of my two children. She believed in me when no one else did. I think she helped me grow a lot because we grew together. Her energy and belief in me helped me get here, and I think that was one of the turning points of my life.
Arina: It's so romantic. Yesterday I heard a sentence: "That's why it's important to be a partner, not just a cohabitant"!
Havasi: Exactly. Without her, I wouldn't be here. She was the one who recognized that I should play only my own music and nothing else. She felt the same enthusiasm that people feel today, but she was the first one.
Arina: Your grandfather's role as a representative of a Hungarian company in China during the 1950s often comes up. You mention you have a strong connection with China because of him. How come he was in China at that time?
Havasi: He was a very talented engineer, and in Hungary, his company gave him the opportunity to travel to China as a representative. I think they were making buses, and he helped the engineers with these buses. He really liked adventure. After a year, my whole family followed him. So my mother was here as a teenager, only 13 years old. It's family history.
Arina: Do you see any of his traits in yourself?
Havasi: I feel like I follow in my grandfather's footsteps. I feel he's very proud now because he was here 60 years ago, and now I'm in the same city he was in. It's fascinating. It's very important to have family roots and understand the past. The future is also very important to me. Knowing where I'm coming from and where I'm going gives me a good mindset all the time.
"Successful people say that if you don't have a plan B, you're always focusing on plan A," Havasi says.
Arina: You are very into self-development, right?
Havasi: I'm improving year by year, and I think everyone should strive to be better versions of themselves. For example, one of my secrets is a breathing session before shows. Wim Hof has a unique breathing method: you breathe heavily 30 times, then hold your breath for two minutes, then repeat. It's a lot of oxygen for the brain. Every morning, I go to the gym. I have gravity boots; I hang myself upside down. It's like an espresso for the brain. Another secret is an ice bath every day. I had 30 kilograms of ice brought to my room today, and I sat in five-degree Celsius water for 6-10 minutes while meditating. So, my routine includes meditation, breathing sessions, ice baths, hanging upside down, martial arts, and gym time. I avoid alcohol and sugar, and when on tour, I eat no meat, only fish and vegetables.
Arina: What emotional legacy do you hope to leave behind for those who know you personally, beyond your professional achievements?
Havasi: I hope to convey that music is a universal language, connecting us no matter where we were born. Being here and meeting the leader of the Havasi fan club is a great example of this connection. We are all a big family on Earth, and music is a language we all understand. It proves we are all connected. This is my message.
Arina asks a question at the press conference.
