SIDI
Dear Milad,
I would like to thank you very much for visiting our class this Tuesday. It was a great honor to meet you and hear your inspiring story in person. Thank you for sharing your time and your art with us. You have given me a lot of positive energy to continue working hard. 
ANNA
Dear Milad,
I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for visiting our class this morning. It was truly a wonderful and inspiring experience that I will not forget.
The advice you shared with us was incredibly valuable and came straight from the heart. I was especially moved by what you said about sadness being a sign of energy imbalance — it made me look at difficult emotions in a completely different way. Your recommendation to walk in nature, and especially barefoot, resonated deeply with me. There is something so simple yet so powerful about reconnecting with the earth beneath our feet.
I also loved hearing about your thoughts on meditation and inner balance. In today’s busy world, it is so easy to lose touch with ourselves, and you reminded us how important it is to slow down and find stillness within. Your words about attracting friends with the same energy you carry were also something I will keep close to my heart.
The idea that nature is your canvas and raising a child is your artwork was truly beautiful and poetic. And learning about your connection to Beethoven’s lineage made everything feel even more meaningful.
Thank you for taking an hour out of your busy life to share your wisdom with us. It was a genuine gift.
With gratitude and warm regards, YEN-TING
Dear Milad,
Thank you for spending your time and sharing your experience with us this week! Your life story not only showed your success in music, but also your positive attitude in life.
Your story reminds me that even when it’s hard to start from zero in another country, we still should not give up our dream.
As an immigrant, sometimes I feel confused about my future, and I even think about giving up the job I really loved in my hometown. But after I listened to your experience, it remind me what I started before and encouraged me to keep going.
Strong is beautiful! Thank you again for your inspiring sharing!
VASILII
Hi Milad,
Thank you very much for visiting our class and sharing your story with us. I really enjoyed listening to your experiences and discovering more about your life journey. Your story was very interesting and inspiring. I especially appreciated your time and openness with our class. Thank you again for visiting our lesson. I wish you all the best in the future.
NAY YIN
Dear Milad,
Thank you very much for visiting our class last week. I am originally from Myanmar, and I was so glad to meet you. Your kindness was evident, and I truly appreciated everything you shared with us.
I learned a lot from your talk and plan to apply your advice to my daily life. Currently I am working on balancing my own energy and managing my PTSD through therapy. As you suggested, whenever I feel stressed in this city, I try to spend time in nature to help myself heal. I truly admire the way you live your life with contentment.
Thank you again for your inspiring words.
JUSUN
Dear Milad,
Thank you very much for taking the time to visit our class this Tuesday morning. I really appreciated the opportunity to meet you and hear your thoughts and experiences.
One thing that especially stayed with me was your advice about learning piano. I shared with you that I struggle with coordinating both hands—playing rhythm with the left hand while playing melody with the right hand. Your suggestion to first practice the left hand until it becomes comfortable, and then gradually add the right hand, practicing in segments instead of playing the whole piece at once, really changed the way I think about learning. I find this approach very practical and encouraging, and I plan to try it in my own practice.
Thank you again for your time and for the valuable insights you shared with us. It was inspiring to hear your perspective, and I will definitely remember your advice moving forward. 
GIGI
Dear Milad
It was very nice to meet you in class. I was also very happy to learn more about your experiences and challenges through your visit.
Your story helped me understand that in some areas of Afghanistan, music is still forbidden today. Your immigration story was also very inspiring to me. I was especially saddened to hear that even after living in the United States for many years, you are still waiting for your documents. I am also very interested in your music career and the many projects you are currently busy with.
Thank you for answering our questions and for taking the time to speak with our class. Thank you again for coming.
NAN
Hi MILAD,
I’m Nan, from China.
I’m writing this letter to thank you for visiting us on this Tuesday. I had a very happy experience with you and I learned a lot from your speaking. This is my first time to meet an artist so closely.
It seemed when you came into the classroom, the atmosphere exchanged artistically. You personally exuded a unique charm that I think came from years of artistic cultivation.
The most important thing is that I was deeply encouraged by your paper piano story. I think your family must be very proud of you.
I don’t know if you have ever been to China for holding your personal concert. There is a great grand theater in Beijing, the capital of China. If you have a chance to go to China, the great theater, called The National Great Theater, is a good choice for you. I hope more and more Chinese children can hear your story, and I believe they will get a lot of encouragement from your experience.
Thank you for visiting us and I hope we have an opportunity to see again.
EVGENY
Dear Milad,
Thank you very much for coming to our class and sharing your story, your perspective on life, and your journey of self-development with us.
It was very inspiring to meet you in person. Your kindness and strength of spirit made a deep impression on me. During our meeting, it felt as if you were conducting our feelings and emotions.
I especially admire that you continue creating music and art despite all the difficulties you have gone through.
I wish you and your family peace, reunion, and good news in the future.
[END OF LETTERS]
SIDI
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
My connection to music is primarily as a listener rather than a musician. Since my teenage years, I have always enjoyed exploring different types of music, especially from Egypt and the Levant, as well as international styles. I do not limit myself to a specific country or genre; instead, I appreciate any music that touches my emotions. For me, being a listener is about “tasting” the art of sound.
A golden cage 
I completely agree with Milad’s statement that a golden cage is still a cage. In my opinion, the feeling of freedom is a value in itself. Freedom means having the ability and the option to do what I want, even if I choose not to do it.
For example, the freedom of movement – knowing that I can go anywhere I want at any time – is a wonderful feeling, regardless of whether I actually go or stay. No amount of luxury or “gold” can compensate for the sense of being restricted. True comfort comes from being free to make your own choices, not from the beauty of the place where you are held.
XUN ZHU
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
I am mainly a listener. I really enjoy pop music because its lyrics are often very relatable and allow me to resonate with everyday life experiences. In addition, the beautiful melodies help me relax and can even uplift my mood or motivate me when I feel down.
As a result, listening to music more often has also helped me improve my singing ability, and I can now sing along without going off key.
“People will always ask for more.”
Yes, this can be seen as human nature. People always want to improve and continuously pursue more goals. This is true both during the study period and after entering the working stage. Especially in the workplace, people usually have higher expectations for their income and work results, hoping that things will get better year by year. At the same time, people also realize that achieving these expectations requires corresponding effort and investment.
For example, in my own experience, when I first started working, I was satisfied with a certain level of income, but over time, I began to expect higher pay and better career development. After more than ten years, as I gained rich experience and resources, I eventually started my own business.
In fact, this desire for continuous improvement is also one of the driving forces behind social progress and material abundance!
VASILLI
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
I have a strong personal connection to music as a listener. I love different kinds of music and I listen to it all the time. I’m a music lover, and I enjoy everything from classical music to rock.
Music helps me focus, relax, and sometimes understand my emotions better. I especially like listening to music when I work, because it helps me concentrate.
During a very difficult time in my life, when I was in detention, music helped me not give up. It gave me strength, supported me emotionally, and helped me stay positive.
Different types of music create different moods for me — sometimes I need something calm, and sometimes something energetic. Music also reminds me of different moments in my life, so it feels very personal.
For me, music is not simply entertainment, it is also a way to feel and think.
“People will always ask for more.”
I think this statement is true. In my life, I have noticed that when I achieve something, after some time I want more.
For example, I started learning English only in October 2025, and before that I almost didn’t know it. Now people tell me that my English is very good, but it is hard for me to fully accept it, because I feel that I still need to improve and learn much more.
This shows that even when we make progress, we continue to want more and grow. I think it is natural for people, because it helps us move forward, develop, and become better.
ANNA
“People will always ask for more.”
I think Milad is right. People always want more, even when they already have a lot. Milad saw this at the music camp in New York. His friends had food, music, a pool, and a beach — but they still complained about slow Wi-Fi. Milad grew up without electricity in Afghanistan, so he felt just lucky to be there.
In my own life, I see this too. For example, when I get a good grade, I am happy for a moment, but then I already want a better one. Or when I buy something new, after a few days, it feels normal and I want something else. I think this is just human nature — we get used to good things very fast and always look for more!
A golden cage
Milad’s last words are very meaningful. A golden cage is still a cage — it looks beautiful, but the bird inside is not free. For Milad, New York is like that golden cage. He has a scholarship, a piano, and great opportunities. These are all wonderful things, but he cannot go back to Afghanistan. His family is far away, and many people he loved are gone. So even though his life in New York looks successful from the outside, he still feels like he is stuck and cannot truly be free.
The most important thing for him is not fame or concert halls — it is his home and his family..
NAN
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
When I was a child, my parents asked me to learn to play the piano from a teacher. That’ was my first time touching a real piano. Before that, I played the electronic piano sometimes. I remember going to the piano teacher’s home for lessons at least twice a week. Every class was 40 minutes and cost $10 in the 2000s. It was much cheaper than now.
Four years later, I quit the piano learning program because of my school studies when I became busier and busier. Actually, I felt relaxed because practicing piano was always a boring thing for a child.
Now, my lovely piano has slept for many years in my home. To realize its value, my mother has been learning piano now. I hope she can keep going and enjoy the learning tour.
YEN-TING
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
I think music is reflect my current status, when I have happy or sad emotion, I love to listen to lively or sad music, I can feel the music understands me at the moment.
Sometimes when I feel stressful or I am busy the whole day, I love to relax to music. It always helps me feel better and. I can also have quality time by myself!
“They will always ask for more.”
I agree with this idea. Everyone has different goals in life – some people want a better job, earn more money and improve their life quality. I also think people have a goal in their life can increase their motivation. However, I saw that some people have a lot of ideas, but they lack motivation.That makes them feel stressful. I think if you want more, you need more actions to strive for what you want.
NAY YIN
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
I am a listener. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, including pop, rock, and country music. I also love listening to music in multiple languages; even if I do not understand the lyrics. Often the melody is so beautiful.
My playlists include Burmese, Chinese, English, Korean, and Spanish music. Different melodies have a significant impact on my mood, with some making me feel happy and others making me more emotional.
Milad’s website 
Through his music and his poems, you can feel his sadness and longing for a peaceful world. Particularly, I like the performance of IMAGINARY PEACE and the poem HUMANITY.
“It’s time we choose a kinder way, to see each soul, to truly try. To hold our light, not turn away, and be more human before goodbye. Tell me now what happened to us? What happened to our kind? Where did our moral drift away? Where did we lose our mind? I missed the time we cared and felt, when hearts were warm, not stone. When ‘human’ meant compassion deep, and love was widely known.”
SERGEI
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
I am more of a listener than a musician. I really enjoy going to classical music concerts, where I feel great pleasure. Music helps me relax after work, especially when I have a hard day. I like listening to classical music because it improves my mood.
I don’t play any instruments, but I respect people who create music. I know it takes a lot of talent and hard work. I had an unrealized dream to learn how to play the piano.
The best moments in my life have always come together with the saddest ones.
Yes, I can relate to this. I also had moments like this in my life. For example, when I moved to another country, it was something new and good—new people, new connections, and new experiences. But at the same time, it was very hard. I had a language barrier, no proper place to live, and I had to look for a job and learn everything from zero.
In life, it often happens like this: first there are difficulties and stress, but then a person finds strength, gets used to it, and moves forward. These moments are hard, but they give experience and help you find your way.
EVGENY
In economics it is widely accepted that human wants are unlimited. This is one of the basic assumptions of economic theory. This idea is also reflected in folk tales that have existed for thousands of years.
For example, in the Grimm fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”, the woman keeps asking for more and more, which shows that human desires can be unlimited.
In our lives, this usually appears as over-consumption – buying unnecessary clothes and replacing devices that still work (such as phones and laptops).
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
Unfortunately, I have a complicated relationship with music. I prefer silence or the sounds of nature, because they help me relax.
MARIIA K.
What personal connection do YOU have to music? 
I am not a musician, I am a listener. My connection with music started when I was a child. I took dance classes and I really liked listening to music and learning new moves with the rhythm of songs, especially Britney Spears songs. I remember I recorded her performances on cassettes and watched them many times.
When I grew up and lived in Moscow, I started to go to concerts of famous singers and musicians, like Sting, Lara Fabian, Ludovico Einaudi. These concerts were very special for me.
After immigration I had more opportunities and my husband and I started going to concerts in America more often. We went to concerts of Elton John, Queen, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, The Weekend, Metallica, Sam Smith, Aerosmith and others.
Every time I go to a concert I feel like I am in another world. I listen to music, forget about daily life and get a lot of positive emotions and energy.
In America I really like the atmosphere at concerts. People support artists a lot. They often stand during the whole concert, clap, and sing almost all the songs together. Many people know all the words. It is an incredible atmosphere and it makes every concert unique!
I also like going to the opera. In the future I would like to visit Carnegie Hall too.
OLEG
What personal connection do YOU have to music?
It makes me feel happy and calm when I am sad.
Music helps me relax after work.
I think music is very important in my life.
Good times, bad times
I can relate to Milad’s words.
In my life, good times and bad times often come together. When I came to America it was very hard, but I also learned many new things.
Sometimes when something good happens, something difficult happens too. But these hard moments make me stronger.
I understand what Milad means.