As dusk settled on another Sunday in the city, the Pianovers got ready to hit the keys and play some tunes. Gathering promptly at 5pm were newcomers John and Wei Feng. John and Yong Meng went over to Maxwell Food Centre for the customary scrumptious eats, joined moments later by Chris, May Ling and Audrey.
Back at The URA Centre, we were once again greeted with a handful of new faces. Certainly, it is always a joy to be introduced to people from a plethora of backgrounds who share the same love for music and passion for piano playing.
The collection of new faces included the students of piano teacher/NUS Piano Ensemble Alumni/frequent Pianover, Jia Hui; namely Shelby Teo and Aarush and their families. Also present was student Linnette Chua, who arrived alone.
The group was also warmly introduced to Cecilia (who is friends with Gerald), Cecilia’s daughter - Trinity, Wei Feng, John, Isao Nishida, and Nayana and her parents.
The little ones, Shelby and Aarush kick started the night with a couple of simple tunes that many of us recognise from our childhood such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Are You Sleeping, Minion Banana Song, a Medley of Star Wars, and a teacher-student duet between Jia Hui and Aarush, The Wild Colt.
Week after week, The Pianovers Meetups see piano teachers, students and performers alike join in on Sunday for a chance to showcase their talents in front of a small crowd and gain confidence. Going forward, Pianovers Meetups could potentially be a great platform for members of piano clubs, young and old alike, to practise their pieces ahead of a concert!
Linnette did an excellent job performing Sonatina in D minor by Handel, and River Flows In You - a seemingly popular choice of songs during Meetups. Veteran Pianover Chris also charmed us with a rendition of Somewhere in Time, a song from the romantic science-fiction movie about a love that happens across time and space.
Coincidentally, it was also the Halloween weekend! Making it only apt that a few of the Pianovers did covers, perhaps in conjunction with the holiday, like John Carpenter’s Halloween Theme by Wenqing and Jia Yong with Disney's "Beauty and the Beast”, delighting all with her unique arrangement (as discovered when she played "Moon River" in Meetup #11, and 岁月如歌 at Meetup #12) of the classic Disney piece.
Isao, who was from Japan, also impressed us all by playing a song by the late Freddy Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody. This was followed by Julia Goh with a tune from another late music icon John Lennon, Yesterday.
Julia had bought tickets to the Pianovers Sailaway, Singapore's inaugural piano-themed yacht outing on 4 Dec 2016, and had come down to make some friends ahead of the event.
Nayana closed the registered segment with Fandango and even shared an original song, The Jalapeños. What a talented young lady! She undoubtedly closed the night in such a spectacular fashion that everyone present could not wait for the open segment to begin.
Photographer Ken managed to squeeze in some time for a group photo, creatively arranging the group in a way that was certainly different than before. The open segment gave the opportunity for all Pianovers, new and experienced, to get to know one another, share piano tips, and maybe even a joke or two. Isao even brought along snacks for the group! Over the weeks, The Pianovers Meetup have turned into a close-knit community of pianists bonded by the same passion for music, who are eager and willing to play and support each other. We look forward to meeting more of you in future Meetups!
