Alex Jaech found his lifelong passion at the age of 4.

Jaech’s mother, who started taking piano lessons when her son was only a toddler, shared her newfound hobby with Jaech and his two siblings.

While Jaech’s brother and sister had to be pushed to play the piano, Jaech couldn’t be separated from the instrument.

“When I felt like I was good at the piano, I started to enjoy it. I would just do it on my own,” said Jaech.

Today, Jaech is in his second semester at Fresno City College. He has found comfort in his piano class where is he taught by piano instructor Olga Quercia.

“Quercia has taught me since I was in sixth grade. She has given me every opportunity to succeed,” said Jaech.

Thanks to the guidance of his instructor, Jaech has seen himself improve over the years.

“In high school I would just play and hope my teacher would tell me what to do,” said Jaech. “Now I understand it in my head and interpret it. That understanding leads to better playing.”

On Feb. 10, Jaech had one of his most memorable recitals as he performed with professional pianist Keith Snell at FCC.

“It was a great experience playing with Keith Snell. I played a piece I have been working on for over a year,” said Jaech. “I only had my teacher’s opinion on it till now so it’s nice to get a fresh perspective from someone who is an excellent teacher and some who is well respected. He told me some things I wouldn’t normally hear from my normal teacher.”

But it wasn’t the first time Jaech had performed in front of a large crowd. As a senior in high school, Jaech rented out a church so he could perform in front of his family and friends.

“It was a once in a lifetime thing. I got all my family and friends together to show them the skills I have learned and all the hard work I have put in,” said Jaech.

In another unforgettable moment, Jaech played the pipe organ at the First Congressional Church of Los Angeles, which has one of the largest pipe organs in the world. He had received the honor after getting first place at the Southern California Junior Bach Festival.

“It’s intimidating to play with a large crowd. It’s natural to be nervous but Quercia has given me chances to perform so I have gotten used to being nervous,” said Jaech.

He admits that he has made mistakes playing on the big stage but the joy of performing is always there. What drives Jaech is the opportunity to the study the music in depth and to recreate the music for the audience.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to learn in depth, it’s a neat experience. Playing for other people and seeing the joy people get from listening to that music is great. It’s not only a personal joy for me, but it transfers to other people as I get to share my ability,” said Jaech.

From time to time, Jaech discovers a new piece which he falls in love with. Most recently Jaech has immersed himself in Chopin’s Ballade No. 4. Additionally, Jaech’s favorite genre is romance. His favorite composers include Beethoven, Bach and Schubert.

“I try to play all these but music is so complicated it can take years. There’s not enough time to play everything you want to play,” said Jaech.

The piano class at FCC has a recital at the end of every semester. There are also competitions but Jaech doesn’t plan on competing.

“For me, it’s about the joy I get from playing not about competing and trying to be the best,” said Jaech. “I’m not a music major. I don’t plan on being a pro but piano has always has been a part of my life and will always will be.”

As a business major, Jaech plans to get his degree from California State University Fresno.

Outside of music, Jaech is a serious Scrabble competitor. He is in fact director of the Fresno Scrabble Club and the 80th ranked Scrabble player in North America.

Still, Scrabble will never come close to the piano. Jaech is grateful for the opportunity FCC has given him and he hopes more students will get the same chance.

“FCC is a good place to try the piano. We have the greatest teacher in the world in my opinion,” said Jaech. “I’ve seen people go from nothing to being talented and being able to play nice music that people enjoy.”