Classical music may not be everyone’s cup of tea! We live in a time where we have access to so many different types of music. The genres are ever-expanding. So finding an alternative to classical is a breeze! In fact, there’s an exciting modern music syllabus available to help stimulate your creative juices!
Welcome to the ANZCA Modern Pianoforte Syllabus! It is available throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia. This is a great alternative to conventional classical piano lessons! Not least because it covers a wide array of genres which include jazz, blues, pop and rock, ragtime and more.
Watch these videos of our ANZCA students! We’re so proud of their efforts!
ANZCA is well-known for it’s ever evolving, innovative and flexible system that focuses on versatility in music education. The syllabus lists are carefully compiled. And of course pays great attention to setting interesting and musical pieces. This is especially so at the junior levels. Kids nowadays naturally like the music that they hear around them, on Spotify, on the TV, and on-line. As it’s the music of their culture, what they enjoy with friends, it can be fun to learn to play these popular songs. This is just the beginning and they will eventually develop a taste for a variety of music! All in all, it is a well-rounded music education that encompasses the sounds of the present and the past too!
So what are you waiting for? Find out more about the ANZCA syllabus and visit our website or contact us today!
In this article, we share the story of Glenn Gould and his piano – his search for the perfect piano, the ups and downs, and the tragedy that shook his world.
Glenn Gould’s Steinway Model CD 318, in his apartment in Toronto
When pianists love their pianos to pieces (literally)!
The music scene mourns the loss of a rare, one-of-a-kind piano, owned by Canadian virtuoso Angela Hewitt. The F278 Fazioli grand piano is the only one in the world fitted with four pedals. And has been used for numerous recitals and recordings since 2003.
Then last week, piano movers dropped the piano. The cast-iron frame was broken, amongst other parts of the piano. Alas, it was not salvageable and consigned to “piano heaven”.
There are times when piano movers drop pianos. And there are times when pianos fall off the stage. When the piano in question has practically become an extension of the artist over the years, it is a tragedy and the loss is immeasurable.
The Tragedy That Befell Glenn Gould’s Piano – the Steinway CD 318
Another case in point: back in 1971, movers dropped Glenn Gould’s piano en route from Cleveland, Ohio to Toronto. As a result, the famous Steinway grand, known as CD 318, had its cast-iron plate cracked in four places, soundboard broken, hinges bent and more.
Gould, best known for his interpretations of Bach’s keyboard works, did not outwardly express his devastation. But despite his determined pursuit for the truth behind the damage, his findings were insufficient to pinpoint the blame on any party.
A Pianist’s Search for the Perfect Piano
Before CD 318, the piano genius spent years, trawling continents in search of the perfect piano. His search took him from the Steinway CD 174 (on which the 1955 Goldberg Variations were recorded) to the small Chickering grand piano which Gould based his ideal piano on. Incidentally, the Steinway CD 174 was also damaged beyond repair en route to New York, returning from a concert in Cleveland.
Glenn Gould, known for playing the piano at an unusually low height
The Beloved Steinway Model CD 318 Piano
Then in 1960, Gould was reunited with a certain Steinway concert grand. He first played it in 1946, when he was performing with the Toronto Symphony as a thirteen-year-old! He rediscovered the old piano, tired, rejected, and forgotten, in the backstage of Eaton’s Auditorium.
Gould loved the piano’s extreme responsiveness. In his own words, it had “the most translucent sound of any piano I ever played”. He continued to use it for almost all his recordings. And it traveled with him wherever he performed.
The Broken Piano
After the fateful accident in 1971, Gould spent the next decade fruitlessly attempting to restore it to its former glory. His trusty piano tuner, the gifted, almost-blind Verne Edquist helped him.
Sadly, the piano was never the same again. The cast-iron plate was replaced, and the piano’s action had also lost the feather-light touch that Gould loved it for. He never really gave up on the piano. But in 1981, he reluctantly re-recorded the Goldberg Variations on a Yamaha C9 grand piano.
Tragically, Gould died a year later, having suffered a stroke that caused massive damage to his brain. He was buried in Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery, with the first few bars of the Goldberg Variations carved into his tombstone. A fitting tribute to a true piano maestro!
Glenn Gould’s tombstone, with the Goldberg Variations inscription
Glenn Gould’s Legendary Piano Lives On
Today, the Steinway CD 318 is on permanent display in Ontario’s National Arts Center. Together with it is the famous pygmy chair that accompanied the piano legend, Glenn Gould, for most of his life.
Invention No. 5 in E-flat Major, BVW 776, as recorded on the CD 318 (1964)
Has this article inspired you? To become a pianist and grow as familiar with your beloved piano as these famous pianists? We can help you start your journey! Just check out our website for more details on piano lessons!
Our last post received good reviews so we’re posting an encore for our piano students! The key to playing any musical instrument is to enjoy the process. There is a great deal of joy that comes from what may seem like hitting random keys on the keyboard. But you’re actually making music that sounds good and having fun too!
These video clips feature students – Kashvi, Nathan and James. All are taking the Australian Encore! on Keys syllabus, Whatever your age group, music will always be at your fingertips! Look out for our next post for more videos of our students!
What’s Encore! On Keys? It is an award-winning programme from Australia with a progressive curriculum that incorporates multiple learning layers. Music theory is also taught. And what’s more, no musical background is required!
There are 3 different Beginner courses (depending on age) and 1 Advancing course. These are suitable for a variety of age groups and learning styles. The course involves playing with a backing track for every song to simulate ensemble playing.
The genre of songs comprises a broad range of modern music styles that include rock, baroque, classical, jazz, blues and reggae. Find out more from our website or sign up for our free* trial lesson!
We’re turning the spotlight on our piano students so let’s hear an encore for them! Applaud them as they play their practised pieces before the camera. Aside from the fun we had filming them, they also feel satisfied their hard work counts for something! Our video clips feature students – Kye Hsin and Yao Li. They are of different ages but are taking the Encore! on Keys syllabus. Whatever your age group, music will always be at your fingertips! Look out for our next post for more Encore videos of our students!
What’s Encore! On Keys? It is an award-winning programme from Australia with a progressive curriculum that incorporates multiple learning layers. Music theory is also taught. And what’s more, no musical background is required!
There are 3 different Beginner courses (depending on age) and 1 Advancing course. These are suitable for a variety of age groups and learning styles. The course involves playing with a backing track for every song to simulate ensemble playing.
The genre of songs comprises a broad range of modern music styles that include rock, baroque, classical, jazz, blues and reggae. Find out more from our website or sign up for our free* trial lesson!
Group photo of participants with ANZCA Piano Asia Representative Ms. Audrey Chin.
An ANZCA Piano syllabus refresher!
Following our introductory ANZCA session in 2017, Vinnie Classroom organized a refresher session for the local ANZCA community yesterday. The ANZCA Seminar 2019 for Piano Syllabus was a success! Hands were shaken and new connections were made, as both existing and new ANZCA teachers came together in our humble little music school in Upper Thomson.
Piano teachers sharing their ideas and experiences.
ANZCA Piano Asia Representative, Ms Audrey Chin
Ms. Audrey Chin, the Asia representative for ANZCA, gave an overview of the syllabus for Modern and Classical stream students. She also treated us with a sampler of ANZCA’s new Jazz Syllabus, targeted at students Grade 4 and above. Audrey also shared some new insights regarding the Performance Syllabus and answered many of our questions about various aspects of the syllabus requirements. It was such a content-packed session!
Jazz Piano Syllabus (ANZCA)
ANZCA community in Singapore
Although ANZCA examinations may not be familiar to some, but the community for ANZCA in Singapore is supportive and welcomes every dedicated teacher! Therefore, if you’re a teacher and would like to be kept updated on the latest ANZCA events in Singapore, simply email musicminders2012@gmail.com.
Looking for music lessons in Singapore? Read on and find out more in this 3rd and final installment in our series.
Should you choose a ‘music school near me’ ?
It is tempting to opt for convenience when it comes to taking music lessons. However, this may not be the wisest choice to make. A good music school must have an environment that is conducive to learning. Choose a music school with dedicated studios that are well-maintained and equipped with quality instruments. Some schools may also hold recitals which go a step further by allowing students to integrate performing and all its benefits as part of their learning experience.
Should you sign into a music school for children only?
Your child actually benefits if he learns at a music school that is open to both adults/teenagers and children. They grow by getting to experience and interact with peers and older students who are at different levels. What’s more, there is the benefit of being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. With only 30 minutes to one hour of lesson time per week, a music school environment produces better results as the focus at that time is on learning music.
Look out for credible partnerships
Aside from certification, a school that works with multiple other organisations makes it more trustworthy as it has achieved a level of success at an organisational level. When a music academy partners with other schools, it shows that it has proven itself as an academy that is able to provide an all-rounded music education.
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Do the owners of the school know about music? Have they taught or performed professionally? Do they have the credentials required to appropriately address the needs of students? It is important that the school you choose has the right values to nurture and develop that passion for music.
Not all students fit the same mould. A fixed curriculum or program may restrict learning and exploration of a student’s potential. Check if the school has one-on-one sessions that can be tailored to the student’s musical background and interests. The school should also use recognised teaching materials and exam syllabi or have developed their own syllabus that is student-centered and adaptable to individual needs.
If you are looking for music lessons in Singapore, two names that pop up are Yamaha and Cristofori because they have centres dotted all around Singapore. They are well-known mostly for group music lessons that cater to younger children with the option for one-to-one lessons as they progress through the years.
We feel that personalised lessons tend to provide better attention to detail for each individual student. Therefore, it is important that the group is not so big that the teacher cannot focus on each student properly. In our humble opinion, music schools that offer one-to-one sessions are preferable. This is especially so for beginners who need to develop and train good techniques and habits.
The most crucial step you must take before signing up with a school is to audition the music teacher. This means you must know if the music teacher you or your child is taking lessons from is qualified. And we don’t mean just paper qualifications. When a music school has many branches, the quality of their music teachers could suffer. It’s important to check if music teachers are hired based not only on their certifications but also their years of experience and their attitude towards teaching.
Some music schools offer a Free Trial Lesson for all new sign-ups. Aside from being able to audition the teacher, you will also experience a lesson first-hand and have a clearer picture of how lessons are conducted.
Is it important to attend one of the Top 10 Music Schools in Singapore?
A top-listed music school may not necessarily improve your musical ability nor ensure you’ll learn any faster than a smaller, more dedicated music school. Every student is unique and has a different learning rate. In the same way, music schools are also varied and offer different advantages.
The list of top 10 schools you see is likely an inaccurate representation of the music school demographics in Singapore. There are many music schools in Singapore and it is unlikely that the selected top 10 schools on that internet list are compiled with a proper point scoring system or an objective assessment of each and every school. This creates a biased and skewed image of the music school scene. What’s more, the list you see might also be dated.
Just remember that big doesn’t necessarily mean best. Smaller music schools may be able to cater to your needs more personally and follow-up on your music education more efficiently.
What’s Music Education like in Singapore?
With the proliferation of music schools in Singapore, what should you look out for when signing up for music classes? Obviously, the teacher is very important. He or she needs to be qualified and experienced. It also helps if he/she can establish a good rapport with students. Aside from this, look for a school with a different approach from the others.
Some schools offer an approach that is performance-oriented. This means that while striving for good academic results is important, these schools place great value on gaining experience as performers. Students will learn more beyond the exam curriculum and understand the tough requirements needed to put up a good show. This ultimately trains and improves students who will grow as artists and overcome performance-related anxiety. You’ll see that attention to these small details plays a big part in ensuring a good music education.
2017 was an exciting year for us, as we formally adopted the ANZCA syllabus as our main offering for piano students. This brought us more in line with our teaching aim, which is to provide an all-inclusive music education that grooms students to be versatile musicians who are able to put their skills to practical use in various settings.
In July that year, ANZCA’s international representative, Ms Audrey Chin, visited our music school to give our teachers an introductory talk to enable us to maximize the contents and requirements of the ANZCA syllabus.
Audrey demonstrating the songs from the syllabus effortlessly
Teachers, students and parents has been praising the syllabus for its varied repertoire and flexible choices! Especially for those moving away from a more traditional approach to learning the piano.
Vinnie Classroom is no stranger to ANZCA Piano Syllabus
ANZCA Piano Examiner Maureen Grieve when she was here to conduct the piano examination in 2018.
ANZCA Examiner Misa Yamamoto was here in Vinnie Classroom to conduct the piano examination 2019.
Vinnie Classroom had the honor to conduct 2 rounds of ANZCA Piano Examination back in 2018 and 2019. We had received positive feedback about our location and facilities. Because we understand how it can be stressful to perform at a new venue, therefore we provide our candidates with a warm-up room. As a result, private piano examiners were very delighted! They now have a couple more minutes to prepare their students before entering the examination room. Certainly a bonus for everyone participating.
ANZCA Piano in Singapore
This year, we are very happy to receive Audrey once more. Vinnie Classroom will be hosting a Q&A session as a step-up, for fellow teachers of the ANZCA community in Singapore. The event will take place on 17 October 2019, from 9.30am to 12.00pm, and it is free.
In Chinese culture, music is an expression of the perfect harmony between the Earth, human beings, and the heavens above. Many ancient Chinese scholars composed music and poetry to praise the moon’s celestial power and its beauty. The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is now almost as important as Chinese New Year as one of the top traditional Chinese festivals.
The Mid-autumn Festival is associated with the moon and “moon appreciation” (shangyue) parties. This is partly because the moon is at its brightest during this time. This Festival is also known as the Reunion Festival. Not surprisingly, mooncakes, shaped round like the full moon, signify reunion. Origin stories of the festival can be found here.
Called Mid-autumn because it falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the Festival is on 13 September this year. As you celebrate it, remember the connection between music and the moon – whose eternal nature inspired Chinese artistic tradition.
People always recall this song “The Moon Represents My Heart” during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Given the significance of the moon in Chinese culture, it expresses a love that is unchanging, like the moon. You too can learn how to play this piece on an acoustic guitar or the piano!
Do you think learning to play piano as an adult is mission impossible? Have you ever watched someone playing the piano and wished you had the same ability? There’s no reason why an adult can’t start to learn to play the piano. Sure, you may have responsibilities and a full schedule, or maybe you feel you don’t have the right skills needed, like having a good ear, or a good sense of rhythm. Fortunately, these can be overcome because playing the piano requires no special talents.
Many of the skills you feel you may be lacking in can be acquired. Even learning how to read sheet music can be quickly achieved with the help of a good teacher. If learning the piano is on your bucket list, keep the following in mind.
Patience is a Virtue
Learning the piano can be a rather slow, sometimes frustrating process. Just remember that day in and day out persistence is how people can learn and master an instrument. Be patient with yourself and understand the process of learning to play.
Prioritise and Practice
Consistent practice and a commitment to learning and sticking with it will help you improve. Try to set aside a regular practice session every day. Remember that “you get out of it what you put into it” ! Set an alarm on your phone so that piano practice doesn’t get overlooked or ignored.
Learn from a Good Teacher
The best way to learn and progress on the piano is to work with a teacher. Not every piano teacher is experienced with adult students, so do your research and find a teacher that is a good match for you. A teacher will be able to keep you on track as you learn new skills, answer questions, and provide feedback on your playing.
Focus on Yourself
Everyone has different abilities and skills when it comes to learning the piano. So it’s best not to add stress to yourself by comparing with others. Stay focused on how you are improving and the fulfillment you are receiving. The truth is that everyone works hard to learn the piano, even accomplished pianists need to devote long hours to practicing and improving.
Relish the Non-Musical Benefits
You’ll find that many other aspects of your life will improve when you start learning the piano. Some non-musical benefits of playing the piano:
- Keeps your mind sharp
- Relaxes you
- Allows you to express yourself and be creative
- Creates discipline and structure in your life
- Gives you a social connection to other pianists and musicians
- Is fun and can lift your mood
Enjoy It!
Learning the piano as an adult is a very worthwhile and attainable goal. Don’t let it become a source of stress or frustration, instead just enjoy the process and have fun making music and learning a new skill!
Welcome to the ANZCA Modern Pianoforte Syllabus! It is available throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia. This is a great alternative to conventional classical piano lessons! Not least because it covers a wide array of genres which include jazz, blues, pop and rock, ragtime and more.
