I have recently been teaching the second movement of Beethoven's Pathetique sonata Op.13 no.8.

I have loved this melody since I first heard it as a child when my mum played it in the lounge beneath my bedroom and I listened to it as I was trying to get to sleep. One night I crept downstairs and stood behind her as she played so I could get closer to the music. I was so pleased when I could actually play it for myself as a teenager. Those feelings of intense emotion could so easily be poured into the rich harmonies and nuances of the melody.

My piano piece, Memories, starts with a tiny echo of this masterpiece for me. It's only a whisper and then it goes, but it is enough for me to remember those early days of musical awakening and to enjoy the memories.