Panaji: After running for four decades one of the 400 tavernas (liquor bars) which surround the Goan capital, Mariano Diniz decided he wanted to strike the right chord.

Down came the shutters on his 43-year-old taverna, which he transformed into a piano practice parlour -- a concept as novel as they come. Tucked away in a lane near the old Latin Quarter here, this idea is already gaining notice.

"Many children yearn to play a piano, but their families cannot afford to buy the expensive instrument. Now they could practice here for a small fee," says the 72-year-old Diniz, who speaks the local language Konkani.

The black and white linoleum floor and the welcoming look of the small parlour with a polished piano dominating the room, is a far cry from the dimly-lit Diniz Taverna.

He hit on the idea two years after he'd decided to wind up the taverna. With backing from his family, he sold the bar's modest assets and used it to buy and repair a second hand Schutz -- ready to provide a unique service to the community. Today, pianos cost anything in the six-figure range.

Music was formerly an integral part of education here, and a good number of children still train in Western or Indian musical instruments, despite rising costs. Diniz's parlour has just two students since it opened in April, but he has no regrets for turning his back of Bacchus.

Diniz waits for the children to turn up for their half-hour daily practice, which brings him just Rs 600 a month, far less than the Rs 150 a day, he'd take home from the taverna.

"It's a complete loss, but I'm happy. Lots of people see what I've done and say 'God bless you'", says Diniz running his fingers over the keyboard.

Music maketh the man, he obviously believes, and all his four children are trained violinists and pianists. Diniz's oldest son is a professional keyboard player for one of Goa's best beat groups, while his daughters have played professionally in local groups and choirs.

"I got tired of watching people drink, knowing that it ruined their families", he explains. Without much of an education, the shop he opened in 1954 in a quiet street next to the Latin Quarter of Panaji was his livelihood.

The drinking habit is picking up with young people now, he says, attributing this to the ease with which one can imbibe larger amounts of hard alcohol, when mixed with one of the many brands of locally-made aerated soft drinks.