An improvisational pianist and composer, Mario Mattia lets instinct take the lead, creating music that takes shape in real time. In his new release “Parallax Field”, he gives us a closer look at the creative process behind that approach.
For most musicians, the process of creating a piece of music begins with an idea. There might be a melody, a chord sequence, a particular feeling or even a fragment of something that eventually develops into a finished composition. For Mario Mattia, the starting point is rather different. He sits at the piano without a predetermined structure, theme or destination, allowing the music to find its own direction as he plays. What emerges is impossible to plan in advance and, perhaps more importantly, impossible to recreate in exactly the same way.
An American pianist and composer with a background at New England Conservatory, Mario has built his musical practice around this freedom of expression. His improvisations move between lyrical, contemplative passages and more abstract explorations of harmony, texture and rhythm, often taking unexpected turns along the way. There is no fixed formula, only the instrument, the moment and the willingness to follow wherever the music leads.
His new video, “Parallax Field”, offers an opportunity to see this process at close quarters. Filmed during an uninterrupted piano improvisation, it brings the physical act of creating the music into focus, while four abstract images introduce an additional visual dimension. It is an invitation to look beyond the finished recording and consider the decisions, movements and moments of expression that make up a spontaneous performance.
We spoke to Mario about the thinking behind “Parallax Field”, his relationship with improvisation, and why he believes some of the most interesting musical discoveries happen when you have no idea what is coming next.
Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize the song specifically in this way?
“Parallax Field” is an entirely spontaneous piano improvisation, created without a predetermined theme, structure, or musical destination. What unfolds is a reflection of my emotional and intellectual state at that particular moment, expressed through the instrument in real time.
I chose to film myself performing because I wanted listeners to experience something beyond the music itself: to witness the actual process of spontaneous creation. Seeing the hands move across the keyboard, the interplay of technical facility and lyrical expression, and the immediacy of musical decisions offers a perspective that listening alone cannot provide.
I also incorporated four abstract images at various points throughout the seven minute performance. These provide visual contrast, complement the character of the music, and introduce another dimension without distracting from the central experience of watching the improvisation unfold.
What was the inspiration behind this video? (Visual, storyline, etc.)
There was no specific external inspiration or preconceived storyline, either for the music or its visual presentation. In fact, that absence of preconception is fundamental to my approach to improvisation.
When I sit at the piano, I allow the music to develop organically, guided by what I’m feeling and thinking in that particular moment. The result is often a musical journey that I could neither anticipate nor reproduce exactly.
My visual approach follows much the same philosophy. Rather than attempting to illustrate a particular narrative, I selected abstract imagery that resonated with the music’s evolving character. The images suggest possibilities rather than dictate interpretations, leaving viewers free to discover their own associations.
Ultimately, I wanted the visual experience to preserve the freedom, immediacy, and unpredictability that characterize the music itself.
What was the process of making this video?
The process began with a live, uninterrupted improvisation at the piano. I filmed the performance using my iPhone with the Blackmagic Camera app, while simultaneously recording the music through my dedicated, high-quality audio recording system. The iPhone was used exclusively for the video, not the audio.
Afterward, I mastered the audio recording to preserve its dynamic range, tonal character, and expressive nuances. I then selected four abstract images that I felt complemented different moments in the improvisation, created the cover artwork, and assembled the visual elements.
Using DaVinci Resolve, I synchronized the mastered audio with the performance footage, incorporated the abstract imagery, and refined the transitions and overall presentation.
Although the production process involved considerable attention to detail, the underlying musical performance remained entirely spontaneous and unaltered. That distinction is important to me: the video is carefully produced, but the music itself is an unplanned, authentic expression of a single moment in time.
Watch “Parallax Field” here:
Connect with Mario Mattia on his Website
