he continued to learn the piano while he was at cadet school. he was never a brilliant pianist, but he enjoyed playing tunes from operas on the piano. he got to know several young composers who were already becoming famous: balakirev, cui and mussorgsky. balakirev gave him advice about his compositions. he started to write a symphony, but then he had to go to sea for two-and-a-half years. he sailed on a clipper called "almaz". the boat went to gravesend, the baltic sea, new york, rio de janeiro and the mediterranean when he got back, balakirev made him finish the symphony.