ABRSM Jazz Piano Grade 3

Here are the videos of one of my students, who took The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Jazz Piano Grade 3 recently

Barrelhouse Blues by Tim Richards

A Smooth One by Benny Goodman

A Spanish Sketch by Terry Seabrook

*New Video on riamusicdesign Channel*

A wonderful piano solo piece with a touch of Indonesian traditional music composed by Indonesian renown composer, Jaya Suprana.

The piece opens with a peaceful atmosphere and it ends with a fiery rhythm of Kendang & Gamelan.

~Performed at Melba Hall, The University of Melbourne, Australia on Sunday 25th October 2009~

2009 Annual Recital - Preparation

Today I listed down all the things that I need to prepare for 2009 Annual Recital:

The first thing on the list was to print out the invitations. 16 envelopes are ready to be distributed to my students. Then I order 'the surprise gifts' for my students. I hope they will like it! :)

I also made some arrangements for the room that we are going to use. It is going to be very different than the last 2 Annual Recital that we had previously.

During my teaching sessions today, we are focussing into the pieces that they are going to perform for the recital. Each students play 2 pieces of different styles & tempo. We made some funky & different arrangements to some of the pieces, aiming for more performance elements :)

The Last Home Concert for AMEB Exam 2009

Today we have our last Home Concert Series for AMEB Exam. 6 students come but only 4 of them (ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 6 Piano for Leisure) will be doing their exam on next Saturday 31st October 2009. They have been working really hard for this exam & I hope they will do well.

I will be going with them to AMEB office at Auburn Road in Hawthorn, to give them support & encouragement. It has been a long time since I attended their exams because I teach piano from 9am - 3pm on Saturday, but next Saturday is a public holiday, Melbourne Cup day.

Keep practicing hard kids! The journey hasn't ended yet until next Saturday! :)

2009 Annual Recital

We are 4 weeks away from our 2009 Annual Recital. We decided to held this year's recital on Sunday 22nd November, so I can spend more time with my students before I left Melbourne for Indonesia to visit my family for Christmas & new year's holiday.

16 students will be performing this year and they have chosen their favourite pieces range from Classical, pop to jazz pieces. I will be performing one of Beethoven's piano sonata & a short jazz prelude by Gershwin.

I have taken some pictures of the performers & will post it soon once I have everyone's. It's going to be excited & fun! If the weather is cool, bright & sunny that day, we will enjoy the refreshments right outside the courtyard.

So stay tune & keep an eye out for further information including pictures, videos & the name of the recital! :)

*NEW* Video by Peter "Georgia on My Mind"

Here is a new video performance by Peter.

He just turned 50-years-old this year but he is young at heart :)

He still wants to keep learning piano & perform his favourite piano pieces in public. 

Keep up the good work Peter!

Theory Grade 2 Result 2009

Congratulations for your great achievement! 

Home Concert for Session 5 AMEB

We had a repertoire class on Saturday, as a preparation for Session 5 AMEB exam. They will be doing exams from Grade 1 piano for leisure up to Grade 6 piano for leisure on 31st October 2009.

Stay tune for the next home concert series!

Boys' Home Concert

There were 5 boys participated in the home concert. We had music games before they started playing their pieces.

I am happy that Elhaq, my new student, participated as well. He will be doing his 1st grade classical exam next year. No doubt he has musical talent and he is improving on his technique.

David Helfgott in Recital @ Arts Centre, Melbourne

"David Helfgott's solo recital was without a doubt an eye opener for any musicians and non-musicians alike. His agile and precise finger acrobatics combined with his refined interpretation of the great masterpieces of the past truly defy one's expectation. His incredible ability to focus and execute a song in such a gusto right from the moment his finger touches the key of the grand piano still haunts me to this very day.

I particularly find his performance of the prelude in G minor op. 23 no. 5 by S. Rachmaninov as well as his execution of Khachaturian's Sabre Dance especially entertaining and definitely worth of a standing ovation.

I left the recital feeling very inspired and almost spiritually lifted. As some may remember during the end of performance, I declared that one can tell a great pianists among the ordinaries when he makes a hard piece sound so effortlessly easy that you think you would be able to execute it in no time as well!

In short, that is exactly what a great musician like David Helfgott does to me."

by Adi Janitra