About David

The exact details of David’s birth remain a mystery. Some whisper he materialized during John Coltrane’s solo on “My Favorite Things” in 1961. Others say they saw him with Buster Keaton, jumping from building to building. And now, he’s going to stop talking about himself in the third person.

I am David Magyel, a pianist and dancer living in Norway, with a surname that’s difficult to pronounce (at least for Norwegians).

I started playing the piano at the age of five, though it wasn’t exactly my own choice. At that time, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but my parents had visions of me becoming the next Mozart, so I played along. Despite their hopes, after three years, my piano teacher suggested I should quit.

(It wasn’t surprising, given that traditional music education has always had a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to play—and I kept trying to break those boundaries. While I became skilled at reading classical scores, I never had the opportunity to improvise, compose, or express myself freely on the piano. Such freedom was often reserved for the talented or those headed to jazz conservatories.)

My parents, however, insisted I continue. As a result, I spent twelve years studying classical piano in Slovakia. Just when my parents started to think piano might not be for me, I began to enjoy it. Ignoring concerns about my future, I decided to become a pianist and moved to Hungary to study at a jazz conservatory for three more years.

After completing my studies, I still felt a passion that needed to be “unlocked,” so I began traveling and performing in various jazz groups, even opera jazz, searching for a signature sound that truly reflected my emotional landscape.

Now at 36, I live in Bergen, Norway.
Why Bergen? Because I am only happy when it rains.

Initially, I never planned to teach piano, but life had other ideas. No matter where I went or what I pursued, I always ended up teaching piano. Through my lessons, I’ve inspired people to practice, compose songs, and discover the joy of playing the piano. My students range from excited children to enthusiastic 90-year-olds, all finding my approach engaging and rewarding. To accelerate their progress, I created a website, soundofemotions.com, with over 590 video lessons, covering everything from absolute beginner to advanced jazz techniques.

A few years ago, I started sharing solo jazz piano arrangements of popular jazz standards and improvisational etudes on YouTube, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views. Yet, the method behind creating these lessons and etudes remained unknown, though not hidden. It’s all here, embedded in the Sound of Emotions Curriculum.

Driven by a desire to share my knowledge and inspire others to practice, I decided to create this new website, aiming to inspire and support aspiring musicians and make a meaningful contribution to piano education.