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For decades, researchers have been studying the relationships between music and wine. They have been putting through various tests, if only to formalise what lay people – and wine merchants - have been saying all these years – that good music does make wine taste better. Does magic happen when we put the all-important music and well-craved wine together?
After Herman performed "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty and The Beast, Yong Meng recounted that Belle and the Beast who were initially very different, come together against all odds, learn to change each other for the better, and share a life together. Yong Meng also believes that this kind of love can also be found in ThePiano.SG’s community. There is a wide diversity of people in the community - from young to old, with very different backgrounds. Even the genres of songs we play are also very different. However, we can still come together, against all odds, and walk on this learning journey together because of our common love and passion for the piano. Let us hope that Pianovers’ bond will be as timeless as love!
Michelle SgP is a multi-talented musician. She hails from Singapore but has the unique ability to create her own style that resonates with global listeners. She has just released her most ambitious project, Multiplicity. This album is the product of working in close coordination with up to 68 individuals, from their 20s to their 70s, in multi-genres spanning 10 nationalities. It records the essence of her travels over the years as she sourced for inspiration and the right people to put the album together.
In a departure from the usual Sunday meeting held at Piano Park @ URA Centre, Pianovers Meetup #64 was held not only on a Saturday but also at a special venue. Also, Pianovers Gee Yong and David shared about how Pianovers Meetups have built a very close-knit community of piano lovers over the past year and a half, and have fostered priceless friendships and allowed members to make friends with like-minded people. When one is with a group of very passionate piano lovers, one does feel a sense of belonging to this community! And it is by being part of this community that makes learning the piano a lot more fun!
One instrumental development in Beethoven’s reign was the development of piano music and hence, the development of his piano sonatas. It is in my opinion that it is in these 32 that we see a beautiful series, each sonata carrying a crucial role in the evolution of music. And if we ever compare the 1st and 32nd sonata he wrote, it would seem that 2 different people have composed them.
Pianovers were delighted to hear an original composition by Jaeyong, as a farewell gesture. He will be leaving on 19 Dec, two days after this Meetup. Jaeyong had come to Singapore because he had wanted to join Pianovers Meetup. Since he appeared at Meetups, he has made many piano friends, and has even participated in our new initiative Pianovers Connect. All of us here at ThePiano.SG will miss Jaeyong. Hope to see you back in Singapore and join Pianovers Meetup again very soon!
As Christmas approaches once again, it is time to reflect upon the meaning of the season. There is no better way to do this than to immerse oneself in Christmas carols. These carols, typically performed by church choirs, have captivated people’s attention for ages. Although listeners are mesmerised by these beautiful pieces, it is also interesting to learn about their origins. Here are some of the popular Christmas carols that have accompanied us since we started celebrating Christmas.
More than 120 aspiring musicians came together today to play the piano for charity and made Singapore musical history with a new entry into the Singapore Book of Records.
He had then said, "Thank you for being a great motivation for me to continue what I do and not just give up on everything. I just hope I'm able to do the same for you as well. Good luck for the journey ahead of you and see you soon!” This evening, the person whom Zafri had dedicated the song to, Victoria from Indonesia, was here with him. It was moving to see Zafri dedicating his piece tonight to someone who had influenced him so much!
Video game music transited through several phases. Chiptunes were predominant in the 80s, while the 90s brought digitally synthesized music, MIDI, and pre-recorded music that could be streamed during gameplay. Today, video game music has matured like fine wine; you can now have beautiful soundtracks presented with a full orchestra and even couple that with Dolby Stereo playback. This first part shall explore some of the music from the role-playing game genre.
In a departure from the usual flow where the background of each song is shared after its performance, today after Teik Lee's performance, he was invited to play it one more time as background music to Yong Meng's sharing. The use of music to help narrate the tale touched Pianovers, as could be seen by how one Pianover cried during the sharing session.
As a testament to the role that ThePiano.SG has played in connecting people in the piano community, we have been featured in Casio Music Circle Newsletter Issue #03. The Casio Music Circle Newsletter is a publication from Casio Singapore, targeted at users of its electronic pianos, and it is our honour to have been interviewed for a feature. This interview with Casio Singapore comes hot on the heels of our appearance in Challenge Magazine, the publication of the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office, and more recently, another appearance in Singapore’s national daily The Straits Times.
Albert is a valued contributing member of the Pianovers community and always tirelessly helps to keep the equipment after every Meetup. He even helps to clear the trash, including the packet drinks consumed by Pianovers and guests. Thank you, Albert, for your initiative!
Today’s session was special because the first segment, Mini-Recital, was co-hosted by our very own Pianover Teik Lee! This is indeed a step closer to being part of "Pianovers Connect", a new initiative to provide opportunities for our Pianovers to perform in events or gigs, and for them to conduct activites, workshops and courses for a wider audience. Thank you, Teik Lee, for co-hosting the Mini-Recital!
Music is a powerful and non-invasive medium, making it suitable to engage with patients on the mental, physical and emotional levels. In the healthcare industry, music has been recognised as a form of therapy for patients suffering from various health issues and major hospitals are taking the lead in introducing music therapy to its patients.
Also gracing our event tonight was Nicholas, our photographer who had tirelessly taken photographs for Pianover Meetups for the past year. Even he is no longer doing this for us, he visited us tonight to say hello to everyone. We are happy that the bond that we have built in the group is strong and people feel part of the community! Welcome back, Nicholas!
We had a total of 50 Pianovers in the group picture tonight! This was our largest figure to date, the previous record having been set during Meetup #30 with 44 Pianovers in the group picture. Thank you, everyone present, for your great support! Seeing a big group of people with different ages, nationalities and background come together through the common passion for piano was gratifying. We strongly believe that music transcends boundaries and is something that should be enjoyed by people from different backgrounds!
Winny brought along cupcakes with musical notes that she had prepared herself. Through Winny’s contribution, we can see the passion inherent in the Pianovers community! Thank you, Winny, for your cupcakes! Also, this evening’s Mini-Recital featured many classical pieces which was a good contrast to the previous Meetups.
It is amazing that four decades after the movie’s release, people are still finding new ways of interpreting Halloween’s theme song. The original theme was created with simple piano music, however, sometimes it is simple things that really capture people’s imagination and withstand the test of time. As John Carpenter said, “Horror movies will live forever.”
Stella played Jingle Bells, which was published in September 1857 under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" and performed in Boston that year. It was originally intended for the Thanksgiving season but over the years became associated with Christmas instead. Today, Jingle Bells is a popular Christmas song sung by families around the world.
The use of classical music in classic cartoons started in the 1930s and spawned a whole new learning process for children and adults alike. For example, an episode of Tom and Jerry, the popular cartoon depicting the cat and mouse in a perpetual chase, titled The Cat Concerto, features one of Liszt’s works - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.
After Erika’s performances, we had an intermission and took this opportunity to celebrate Isao’s birthday. It fell on Sunday, that very day of the Meetup! Isao Nishida joined us since Meetup #14. Unfortunately, he was scheduled to return soon. He was a frequent sharer during the weekly Meetups and many Pianovers gained valuable knowledge from his sharing. He also participated in many events and the bond he established with fellow Pianovers went far and deep. To celebrate Isao’s birthday, Elyn brought along a birthday cake, which totally surprised Isao! All of us sang Happy Birthday happily, and cut the cake. Happy Birthday, Isao!
ThePiano.SG’s vision is to be the leader in connecting people in the piano community. Far from being just an online portal, ThePiano.SG conducts face-to-face events that allow pianists, piano music lovers and just about anybody related to the piano to meet, bond and network. Two months ago, Pianovers Meetup was featured in the Challenge magazine, the publication of the Public Service Division under the Prime Minister’s Office. It is then, truly, a feather in the cap when Pianovers Meetup has now been featured in the national daily, The Straits Times!
From South Korea, Jaeyong is in Singapore for holidays until December. A true piano enthusiast, he has been indulging himself in playing the piano during his stay here. Although Jaeyong is only here for a short period, he has formed a bond with Pianovers through Pianovers Meetup. We hope to know him better and that all of us are able to learn from one another and expand our knowledge.