Mr. Pierce is a student of rock's past masters and is intrigued by other musical forms.

WSJ: Spiritualized Revival | By Jim Fusilli

Born in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, jazz is rooted in African traditions, draws from European musical forms, and has evolved into various styles across the globe.

UNESCO: International Jazz Day evening concert in Istanbul

He says growing up listening to his mother sing in Houston, Texas, helped shape his appreciation for various musical forms such as jazz, rock, and hip-hop that he now incorporates into his own work.

NPR: Young Pianist Ready to Be Jazz Ambassador

The Radif of Iranian music is the traditional repertoire of the classical music of Iran that forms the essence of Persian musical culture.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

Characterized by the accompaniment of the ''saz, '' a stringed musical instrument, the classical repertoire includes 200 songs, 150 literary-musical compositions known as ''dastans, '' nearly 2, 000 poems in different traditional poetic forms and numerous stories.

UNESCO: Culture