Just as people ask if driverless cars will replace the joy of driving and if sending email kills the warm personal touch of writing a traditional letter, people too, are asking if it is really possible for computers to make music. Music, after all, has been an essential part of human existence for as long as civilisations have existed. Now then, to what extent can humans accept music that is artificially-created as part of their lives?
It was another Sunday evening and once again, it was time for piano lovers to gather at the URA Centre. Known as Pianovers, this group of piano enthusiasts comes together every weekend to meet, to bond and to share their love for piano. Each week sees not just the return of regular Pianovers but also the joining of new members. Regular members have also been bringing their families and friends, and this is something that we are certainly very happy about!
The world of music has certainly had its fair share of oddities. A piano had mysteriously appeared on top of Ben Navis, the highest peak in the United Kingdom, in 2006, located only 200m from the summit. And across the Atlantic Ocean, in Santa Monica, California, another piano was also found on a mountain. Let's unravel the mysteries!
As ThePiano.SG builds a community of piano lovers, it is heartening to see people coming back week after week to soak in not just the melodious sound of music, but also the warmth of the close-knit community. In addition, people who came alone have returned with their families and friends. Seeing the community truly coming to pursue their passion, we couldn’t be happier!
It is amazing how music not only entertains people in the ways it is meant to entertain, but how its performers adapt it to suit their personalities and transform it in ways that one never imagined possible. Music and creativity go hand in hand, and when put together, they create magic that inspire people and leave them in awe. Olivier Cumming created his piano on wheels called Rimski’s Piano, while Gary Skaggs pedals his own piano bicycle along San Francisco's streets.
This evening we had many Chopin's works performed! Theng Beng played "Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2". Zhi Yuan, who recently joined us at the Meetups, introduced us to three Preludes from Op. 28: No. 4, No. 7, and No. 20. Ren Adachi mesmerised us with "Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. 66", "Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor (Revolutionary Étude)", and "Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23".
Dutch pianist and composer Jeroen van Veen built a life-sized Lego Piano over a period of more than two years. Consisting of almost 30,000 second-hand Lego bricks, the idea of building the Lego Piano came about over a debate at the coffee table between Jeroen and his two sons. He gave his first public performance on the Lego Piano in his concert in Almere, Netherlands on Friday, 12 November 2016.
Eager to start the evening, Corrine and Wenqing were seen playing an impromptu duet. Theng Beng made his debut performance at The URA Centre today with the 1970 romantic piece "Love Story (Where Do I Begin?)". What's more, newcomer Sean Kong, at a tender age, impressed everyone present with Toccata by Aram Khachaturian!
It was such a magical moment, being to attend Adam Gyorgy's concert with a group of such well-dressed and passionate Pianovers, and to take a group photograph before Adam’s large standee. Although the concert was over, Pianovers could not help but reminisce about the evening, as they made their way to Toast Box for a post-concert supper where they continued to bond and bind, and to share their views about music.
It was a very distressing moment, then, when in April 2007, an Austrian-made Bösendorfer grand piano found its way onto a set of granite steps. The GBP26,000 (SGD78,000 in then’s terms) instrument was being delivered to its new owners at Devon in southwest England, when accident struck.
Since ThePiano.SG introduced the weekly Pianovers Meetups nine months ago, it has become a much-anticipated gathering for piano lovers. The Meetups are all about bringing together people with a passion for piano and music, to bond with one another and to enjoy music together. This week, however, Pianovers had a surprise in store for them, when world-renowned pianist, and Steinway Artist, Adam Gyorgy graced our session, and even had a Live Interview with us!
After Joseph played Für Elise by Beethoven, a small snippet of trivia about "The Mysteries Behind Beethoven’s Für Elise" was shared - Beethoven probably never wanted the version which is popularly played today to exist, and would have preferred the 1822 version instead. Neither was there a person by the name "Elise".
Highly acclaimed Singaporean pianist and distinguished music educator, Benjamin Loh, has officially been conferred the title of Steinway Artist on 9 December 2016 by Steinway & Sons. Benjamin will now join the prestigious international roster with over 1,600 leading musicians and have access to the worldwide resources of Steinway & Sons and its exclusive network of dealers.
Bringing food and snacks for the group, it was a potluck-style Pianovers Meetup #31. There were pizzas, fruits, dim sum, wings, otah, nasi lemak, bee hoon, egg tarts, potato chips, tuna on biscuits, home-made Ching Tng, curry puffs, salads, roast chicken, chicken pie, and plenty more going round. The Meetup began with some casual chat at the barbecue pit, and the moment was captured by a lovely group photo.
When the old Broadwood & Sons piano was sent for tuning and repairs just before Christmas in 2016, workers found a hoard of full and half sovereigns dating back to as far as 1847. According to the Coroner’s Office, the coins, which were made between 1847 and 1915 were intentionally stashed inside the upright piano.
What a big turnout it was this week at the Pianovers Meetup! Not only was there a record number of 11 kids performing in the recital, the group also gathered together for the biggest group photo of 45 Pianovers ever taken since Pianovers Meetup began 8 months ago on 31 Jul 2016.
All of us listen to music. The healing effects on the music creator go far beyond that on the passive listener. For those who can pick up a musical instrument, do so today and you will reap the far-sounding benefits of the music you play. For others who are hesitant to pick up a musical instrument, the piano is a kind and gentle friend.
Most interesting was the number of teenagers that were present, most being 15 – 19 years of age, including Alex, Zafri and his small group of friends. Apart from the teens, it is always heartwarming to see the Pianovers Meetups attended by people from such differing backgrounds and ages. From the young to the wise, the Pianovers Meetup is certainly a space where one can come to enjoy the pleasures of musical entertainment.
It is a myth that only serious musicians needs to have their pianos voiced. In reality, all pianos need to be voiced periodically, even those used by novice pianists. When a pianist is just starting to learn to play, it is important that a properly-voiced instrument is used so that she is able to discern between notes based purely on her playing. This reduces the number of variables that she has to handle in her learning journey.
Vanessa and Mitch played the theme song from Bubble Bobble (the arcade game by Taito) and scored a first in the Meetups by performing on a Pianica, before switching back to the piano! They also shared the wonderful piece of news that they are planning to get married in May 2017. The sincerest congratulations to the lovely couple from everyone at ThePiano.SG!
Lego markets a set of game kits known as Lego Mindstorm that consists of their well-loved bricks, sensors and motors, as well as built-in computers. The idea is to allow creative players to build robots customised to their desires and limited only by their imagination. One player created a robotic metronome that moves like a real metronome and that has a wheel for a tempo adjuster!
Jerome, who is an avid contributor to the Pianovers Meetup and had met an accident a couple of weeks back, showed up in crutches. He is still due to be in a wheelchair for a couple more months, yet showed up to support the Meetup's vision for an inclusive piano community. His charisma and generosity was clear to see that evening when he bought five polo shirts as prizes for a guessing game he incorporated into his performance.
Someone once said "Music is the purest embodiment of love. Even when there are no lyrics, the melody alone expresses so much more than words can ever express." And music does wonders to babies. It has amazed many at various occasions, when music changes the entire mood in the room and babies fall asleep so sweetly with a gentle lullaby.
Love was in the air and all around during the recent Pianovers Meetup. With the theme of the night being Valentine’s Day, everyone was in the mood for love. But more importantly, they were in the mood for some romantic tunes. To spruce up The URA Centre, Vanessa Yu brought two heart-shaped balloons and Elyn brought two lovely heart-shaped cakes.