Have you ever noticed how your taste is never just one thing?
When I look back at mine, it feels like a mosaic, different sounds, cultures, and emotions layering over time, each one leaving something behind.
My early childhood was filled with the notes of Italian pop music. Sicilian-born Salvatore Adamo’s voice turned boring car journeys into fun memories, while after-school afternoons with my sister were filled with the instrumental melodies of the Japanese animation Candy Candy, many of them written by Takeo Watanabe. The emotional themes of this heartfelt anime were so beautifully painted with sound that they left an indelible mark on me.
I was unknowingly absorbing the world of soundtracks, discovering how sound could lift a scene.
Alongside that, there were sparks of English music. Duran Duran’s Save a Prayer is my first memory of pop music. I remember being drawn to the cool sound of Rick Rhodes’ Yamaha DX7 synth, opening a doorway into a completely different sonic world.
Maybe you’ve had a moment like that too, when a sound just stops you and quietly shifts your taste.
As I entered high school, while training to become a classical pianist, I fell in love with emotional and atmospheric works by Chopin and Debussy. I joined the school orchestra, playing piano, percussion, and singing in the choir.
Music stopped being something I only listened to and became my first stage.
The school’s guitar teacher, Gian Pietro Marazza, saw something in my talent and opened another door by introducing me to film, Broadway, and West End scores, with a particular love for Burt Bacharach’s timeless songwriting. I was discovering how sound could carry narrative, emotion, and imagination.
I developed a deep admiration for Ennio Morricone, whose ability to pair melody with image felt almost otherworldly. This was when I began composing my own instrumentals, and first imagined the possibility of writing music for film.
In my teenage years, my listening expanded again. I got into dance and retro sounds, drawn especially to Robert Miles and his timeless soundscapes, where emotion met trance. Around the same time, I was also inspired by the theatrical energy of The Doors and the lyrical depth of Jim Morrison, whose words felt poetically unfiltered. My taste was becoming eclectic.
The Beach Boys introduced something entirely different with intricate, joyful, angelic vocal harmonies.
That layered approach to vocals later became an influence in how I build harmonies in my own songs.
More Italian music found its way into my Walkman, particularly Claudio Baglioni, with his expressive piano arrangements, and Lucio Battisti, with his rock infused songwriting. Around the same time, I discovered Supertramp, whose blend of rock, pop, and piano-driven songs influenced how I arrange piano in my pop rock work. I also fell in love with ABBA and their effortless gift for catchy melodies.
While studying Music Recording at Salford University, I explored jazz piano, particularly Bill Evans. What drew me in was the way he blended jazz with the delicate touch and harmonic language of Debussy. His ballads carry a quiet melancholy and a deeply romantic atmosphere, expressing emotion in an introspective, intimate way.
That influence naturally shaped how I approach writing my own ballads.
After graduating, my musical world expanded even further. I explored melodic rock bands such as Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins, electronic influences like Madonna, Air, Björk and Britney Spears, and piano-driven singer-songwriters including Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos and Vanessa Carlton. Alanis Morissette’s influence brought a direct, rebellious edge to my early lyrics, while P!nk helped shape the empowering and resilient voice in my pop-rock writing.
Lately, I am expanding my sonic palette into country, inspired by the heartfelt songs of John Denver, alongside a more cinematic Americana. I am continuously deepening my understanding of how to pair stories that move with melodies that stay.
None of these influences exist separately. They overlap and blend into the way I write: melody led, emotionally driven, always searching for that balance between intimacy and something bigger than the room it is played in.
Influences do not have to fit into one box. The things you have loved at different times in your life all become part of what makes you, you.
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Podcast
The Consu Narrative is inspired by and expands upon the themes explored in Consu's blog. Although not narrated by her, the conversations are rooted in her stories, reflections, and creative vision. Through warm and thought-provoking discussions, two hosts explore the stories behind the music and the life experiences that make us human, delving into meaning, purpose, challenges, and the ongoing journey of self-discovery.