Alex Nero has a goal to gather as many Greeks and Cypriots as possible worldwide onto his social media page in 365 days and he is using the magic of music to draw people in.
The Sydney musician is working towards this goal through ‘The Greek Series.’ He posts a daily video of him playing the piano to Greek and Cypriot musical hits on Instagram and Tik Tok.
“I wanted to commit to it every day so I thought to make it a challenge,” Alex tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
Ultimately, Alex hopes to create a global hub for the Greek community and share the love for Greek music to other ethnicities too.
“I’ve always loved being part of the [Greek] community and connecting with people who have the same or similar interests,” Alex says.
“I began this challenge on Christmas Day 2022 and since then, I have gathered an extra 20,000 people across all platforms.”
As a young 21-year-old, Alex explains he is fusing Greek modern and old classics with the piano because it is something he hasn’t seen many people do online.
“I hope that by playing Greek music I can make people feel closer to home or perhaps feel a sense of nostalgia, of a person, place or a certain time in their life and spark old memories,” he says.
‘Music is my life’:
Alex has been playing piano since the age of six and achieved two diplomas in music by ages 12 and 16, AMusA and LMusA respectively. He says he comes from a musical family who have had a “massive influence” on him.
His father is a keyboardist who performed at Sydney Greek night clubs and his mother is a pianist with an extensive classical background and a singer who had an international tour.
For Alex, the piano is an instrument he knows best. With 12 years of piano studies and four years of piano teaching under his belt, the keys are his craft.
“What I love most about playing the piano is the fact that I can be myself,” he says. “It’s me and my wild imagination having a good conversation.”
Now, since finishing piano studies, Alex says he’s moved away from strict piano books and explored himself through music.
“This has sparked my interest in producing music,” Nero says.
The music enthusiast has met many famous Greek musicians such as Panos Kiamos, Gogo Tsampa and Evangelia – who he recently collaborated with on her Australian tour.
Having been acknowledged by globally recognised Greek artists for his talent, Alex feels inspired to continue pursuing his goal to become an artist performing in Greece and worldwide.
Greek Australian identity:
Learning Alex’s story, it’s clear he endeavours to preserve the Greek culture in Australia.
“I see the impact that Westernisation has had to younger generations in this country… It’s made them disconnect from their roots,” he concludes.
“I want to show kids that just because you’re born on the other side of the world, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible or too late to get to know your culture.”
You can watch ‘The Greek Series’ on Alex Nero’s Instagram @alex.nero1
