German pianist Stefan Aaron plays paino on the Great Wall in Beijing on Aug 12, 2012. Wang Jing/Asianewsphoto

"Nobody knows how a piano sounds above a 4,000-meter altitude or among ancient stones. The piano needs time to adjusting to the environment. Last time, when I played the piano at the mountain peak, the sound of the piano was so lasting and deep among all the quietness in the mountain," Aaron said. "When I played it today on the Great Wall, it beca,e as hot as the sun. The sound is so strong and energetic."

The color of the piano also fits the song's vibrant beats. "It's a customized piano," he says. "The piano was brown when I bought it and I spray painted it orange last year before the shooting. I don't know why pianos in the world are all in black, brown or white, which make the piano players feel depressed. But my music is happy and I want the piano to be happy too."

Born into a family with no musical background, Aaron took his first piano lesson at 6. After school he studied vocals and jazz-piano at Munich, he immigrated to Los Angeles, where he studied American pianists at clubs and bars.

"I observed how they communicate with the audiences. Unlike classical pianists who immersed in their own music world, those musicians at small venues talk to the audiences during their performances. They always cheer up the atmosphere and regard audiences as part of their show," Aaron says.

He then returned to Germany and began playing piano at hotels and on cruises.

"I never want to become a great musician, who has amazing techniques and can play the hardest notes in the world. I like writing my own songs and have a very different approach to music," he says.

Aaron says playing at locations such as the Great Wall renew his passion for music. His next goal is to play piano at the Mayan Pyramids in Mexico on Dec 21, the date which marks the end of the world on the Mayan calendar.

"I am working on my next goal and if it could happen, I will write a song about the end of the world prediction," he says.

By Chen Nan