My earliest memories are of my mum, who trained as an operatic soprano in Korea. She took me to her rehearsals and to orchestral concerts. I fell asleep at some of them, but I was fascinated by the instruments. “What’s a timpani?” I’d ask, and she’d tell me all about it, how to tune it, and so on.

Dami Im. Photo © Glenn Hunt

When I took up piano, I remember my mum always telling me to practise more. I didn’t want to, but when my school started a group violin lesson, she got me a violin, and it reignited my love for music.

We came to Australia when I was nine years old. I didn’t speak English, and going to school was overwhelming. I wanted to fit in, and the piano was a real source of comfort. I remember playing at assembly for the first time – it was probably a Mozart sonata – and I could tell the kids and teachers were impressed. It became my thing and made me feel like I was good at something.

At the time, kids were listening to the Spice Girls, and...