Rhys Wynn-Jones
Appearances
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
The director came over to me because she saw that I was suffering and she asked me, is there anything that you needed? It just struck into my mind that a church like this might have a piano for me to play on. So I asked the night church, do you have a piano? And I was expecting the answer to be no. But instead she said, yes, we have a piano in the church.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
And she showed me over to this lovely baby grand piano in the corner. I started playing and the reaction to everybody in the church was wow. Everybody came into the main church room to see me play and I ended up getting recorded. And it went viral.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
The transition to that was due to the social media presence. There was a lot of comments saying that, oh, I would love to see him do a concert. And, oh, he's really good. When is he going to perform live? It planted a seed in my head and also in Night Church's heads about the possibility of doing a concert.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
And I was very reluctant at first to come forward about who I was and my identity because of all that I suffered. Being homeless is like another level of pain that you can't really experience in society. But when you're in that place, you make friends in the homeless community and you see them dealing with the pain as well.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
When I finally got the confidence to do a concert, the night church said, oh, that'd be brilliant. And all the money that you raise will help you get out of your situation. You can profit from this. But after everything I've seen, I was like, how can I? How can I take any money from myself?
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
I need to help the people who have a coping mechanism like I do, because the piano is how I cope with pain and the people on the streets don't have that. So by doing these concerts and fundraising for the people that I know on the streets and also the people that I don't know, I'm helping them out the same way the piano is helping me.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
So I started learning when I was about 11, 12 years old and I had four years of classical training.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
I have to say, well, it was a bit of an understatement. It's been absolutely wonderful. Incredible response. I've packed all the churches out. Hundreds of people have attended. And I even packed out Truro Cathedral, my dream venue since I was a child to play in. I've raised over £12,000 now. I think it's now £13,000 for the latest concert that I've done.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
I am so grateful and so appreciative that people have allowed me into their lives and into their hearts. And I just want to say to everyone, thank you so much for changing my life. They've saved my life.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: Playing the piano saved my life
I'm Alex Ritson and in this edition... I am so grateful and so appreciative that people have allowed me into their lives and into their hearts. Thank you so much for changing my life. They've saved my life.