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Even at just 17 years old, ‘Plaifah Phankiatpaisarn’ has been selected to perform the opening piano solo for David Foster, a world-class master of music at the Hitman David Foster and Friends Bangkok 2023 concert.
Music is a friend… and a world of perfect pitch.
Plaifah Punthakeirtpaisarn shared with Post Today that she started playing the piano at the age of 4, although she was encouraged to play almost all kinds of music, but she loved the piano and flute the most.
‘ Plaifa is fortunate to have parents who support everything they want to do. Even though the starting point came from the needs of parents. They were science children who had no knowledge or play music. But he wanted me to play music. I had musical skills, so I invited them to play and practice, and I enjoyed playing and I was happy to play. I want to do it as a career. Any day when you don’t play, you will feel like life is missing something. ’
This young musician admits that playing the piano is a part of her life and is like another friend of hers. Because she always feels like the piano talks to her when she plays it.
‘ Maybe it’s because Plaifa has a perfect pitch.’
Perfect pitch is the ability to accurately identify a played note with just one listen.
‘ Perfect pitch people perceive it differently. I heard that some people perceive colors according to various notes, but for the tip of the sky, it will be heard as a voice of people talking more, such as listening to instrumental music, it will be heard as the voice of the person singing the notes along. ’ Plaifa further explains to visualize her musical world.
‘ At first, I didn’t know I had it until 1st grade. I can ask and answer everything. I was surprised that I could guess all the notes correctly, or sometimes I could hear birds singing so I could tell what notes they were. If a song is sweet, the voice that is sung along will be a female voice.’ At this point, we wonder, what if it is a song with lyrics? Aren’t the voices going to hit each other in the head?
‘ I only listen to music, I don’t really listen to the vocals. If any music is because of the vocals, it will be very beautiful.’
She tells us that the advantage of having perfect pitch for her is that when she plays in a band, she knows exactly what the people in the band are playing. Without having to read notes. Another advantage of having perfect pitch is that when you’re lonely, playing the piano feels like someone to talk to. Because when describing her personality, she often says that she is highly private and likes to stay at home and may have few friends.
‘Music is a beautiful language and has a history to learn. Music looks different depending on the storytelling. Events that occurred during that period, as well as music lessons. It allows you to get to know yourself and keep up with your emotions.’
From pianist to young composer
She is currently studying at Trent College, England, which is an open school for students. She has performed her own piano and compositions and won awards from the London Young Musician Awards and UK International Musicial Competition and several awards for playing classical piano.
At the age of 12, Plaifa became more interested in songwriting and composition, starting with composing songs based on her own memories. She would have a notebook to write down the lyrics, which usually started as a poem. Then her music is usually played according to her favorite feelings and melody, and when she gets the song she wants, she sends it to her friends. and Pum Pongprom Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya of Tawan Band, who is the main advisor in songwriting.
Another channel she used to publish her own poems.
Even though they are young, they are always mixed with classical music. She was open to music of all ages. She listens to old music and falls in love with jazz. They love Eric Clapton and Frank Sinatra while listening to K-pop music like a normal teenager and enjoy K-pop music as well.
‘ We see classical music as the foundation of many styles of music. When writing pop songs, I want to add the ingredients of classical music to it.’
In addition, with her ability to play many different types of music and her love to experiment with music, the creation of music by this young composer is a creative characteristic. It also seeks to reduce the complexity of classical music to create music that is easier to understand.
‘Our songs are stories based on my own experiences, of my friends. The first song I wrote called Mind dance was a song about sleep, about thinking that it was interesting that when we sleep, we didn’t move but our brain was moving because we dreamed a lot, which was written about sleep, and another song was written for a friend during the breakup, and there was also a song written for a public company that was about to be released, which he contacted us because he saw that we were young composers. He wants us to connect long-standing companies with young people like us through music.’
The song “Mind Dance” can be listened to on Plaifa’s Youtube channel.
Plaifa said that his favorite song since he wrote it was bubble tea song. It was composed while hanging out with friends and friends ate bubble tea and stuck it in their throats, and when they play this song, they can’t help but laugh and enjoy the time they spent with their friends. It was the bubble tea song that took her to the big opportunity of her life: David Foster’s opening concert in early August.
From playing for yourself, to playing in the big hall, and dreaming bigger.
‘I heard there was going to be a concert on the news, and my dad asked if I was interested in sending it, so I sent him an audition clip of 3 songs, to which he replied that he chose us to perform as the opening show. Because we sent a song that we wrote ourselves, ‘Bubble Tea Song,’ he chose us.’
Plaifa took a photo with world-class musicians and singers.
That’s how this show started. For the instrumental music that the sky ends used in the opening. She has arranged David Foster’s music in orchestral style, playing the piano and flute in live instrumentation along with the backing track.
When asked about the excitement on the day of the event. She said she was excited but tried to hold back because she thought
‘We look at playing alone or playing for 5,000 people, we have to play our best.’
From a piano that is a friend. Today she has the opportunity to play in large concerts at the events of world music masters. No one can take this chance. Also, one of the things she impressed the most after the show was the extraordinary moments.
‘A family came up to us and said they liked the bubble tea song we wrote. We’re so happy.’
Because the dream of this young novelist does not end here. She dreams of creating music. It’s okay not to know her face, but just let everyone listen to her composition.
About ‘Plaifa’
You can follow the work on IG and Youtube channel: Falalaartist