Spring Piano School 2009 - the sixth year!

The Glenfern Piano Institute represents the Team of Pianists' commitment to Music Education.

Spring Piano School for School Age for Primary and Secondary School students.

Spring Piano School for School Age for Primary and Secondary School students.

During the Term 3/Term 4 school holidays in 2009, the Team of Pianists held its 6th annual Spring Piano School. For three days in late September, 18 Secondary School students, 10 Primary School students plus observers and some parents worked intensively in the renovated historic National Trust property Glenfern in East St Kilda. The students consolidated their musical and pianistic skills, polished their repertoire and socialised with their musical peers. Many were preparing for examinations including VCE, others for competitions.

In 2009 the Junior Program (up to Year 7 at school) had students aged from 7 to 13 years. This program focused on the development of skills as well as on polishing repertoire.

Tutors and classes for this program were:

•Rebecca Stewart (Guest presenter): Sightreading Secrets – Challenges to Improve your Music Reading Skills

•Max Cooke (Team of Pianists) An introduction to the Harpsichord, Group lessons on Repertoire pieces plus Tone Touch and Technique

•Darryl Coote (TOP) Learning and Practice for Young Pianists plus Repertoire Group lessons

•Robert Chamberlain (TOP) The Scale & Arpeggio Olympics, Technique Tournament

The Junior participants also enjoyed recess and lunchtime in the gardens and grounds of Glenfern. Bike riding around the Glenfern driveway was particularly popular. In a recital on the final day, the Juniors performed to their peers and their parents on the Schimmel 213 Konzert Series Grand piano in the Drawing Room at Glenfern. Spring Piano School Director Robert Chamberlain was particularly pleased to devise a program for such a large group of bright and lively primary school children.

The Senior Program included many participants who were preparing for their VCE piano performance exams. Senior participants experienced group lessons and masterclasses from Max Cooke, Darryl Coote and Robert Chamberlain, using the Schimmel 213 Konzert series grand piano, a Bernstein Hailun 178 grand and a Bernstein upright piano. Senior Program students also benefited from individual coaching from Chi Zhang and Hsiao-Ni Axtens, both Monash University piano students of Darryl Coote and Robert Chamberlain, respectively. These mini lessons took place using Roland digital keyboards supplied by Bernie Music Land.

Students from many regional areas, as well as metropolitan Melbourne, attended the 2009 Spring Piano School. Students came from areas such as Dookie, Morwell, the Bairnsdale area, the Bendigo area, the Shepparton area, Gippsland, Dromana & Benalla. Particular thanks are also due to members of the FOTOPS committee, who supervised the morning and afternoon teas, and to “specialist bicycle consultant” Greg Brown, whose bikes, both large and small, were enjoyed by the primary school children!

Plans are already underway for the 2010 Spring Piano School (September 22 – 24, 2010) as well as the Team’s second International Teachers Seminar (September 26 – 30, 2010). With the valuable support of Bernies Music Land and the Friends of the Team of Pianists Inc., the Team of Pianists will continue to provide innovative educational experiences for students and teachers in the historic National Trust house Glenfern in East St Kilda.

Inaugural International Piano Teachers Seminar at Glenfern May 25 - 28, 2009

Style, Technique and Interpretation, an International Seminar for piano teachers, students and pianists was enjoyed by participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, together with some piano teachers from Melbourne. It was suitable for piano teachers at all levels, piano students and also amateur pianists and was directed, in Australia by Robert Chamberlain, and organised in South East Asia by Ms Lai Mei Kuen (The Talent Makers – Malaysia).

Presenters included:

-Professor Max Cooke OAM

-Darryl Coote

-Robert Chamberlain (all from the Team of Pianists)

-John McCartin, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, from the School of Education, Victoria University

-Mark Gibson, founder of Encore Music Education, Brisbane

-Bernie Capicchiano, Managing Director of Bernies Music Land & Musico.

The Seminar provided information and cultural background to important periods of piano music, and gave participants the confidence to teach technique and style to their students. There was a mixture of lecture demonstrations and lessons/workshops in small groups. Teachers were helped to build confidence in their own playing skills with sessions on the Tone Touch and Technique books and on Practice Strategies and Systematic Learning. Early childhood education specialist John McCartin addressed issues in training children of various ages and Encore Music Education founder Mark Gibson, from Brisbane, worked with participants using the Encore Smart System of music education.

Participants were encouraged to prepare some teaching or performance items from the various style periods and/or some items from Max Cooke’s Tone, Touch and Technique books.

Seminar Outline:

Day 1 - Monday May 25

Morning:

Max Cooke OAM “Style, Technique and Interpretation in Baroque Music, including an introduction to the Harpsichord” Lecture Demonstration, Group lessons.

Afternoon: Darryl Coote “Style, Technique and Interpretation in Classical Music”, Lecture Demonstration, Group lessons.

Recital by Kevin Kanisius, 14 year old student of Max Cooke. Program: Beethoven - Sonata Op. 2 no 3 in C first movement, Liszt - Liebestraum no. 3 in A flat, La Campanella, Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu.

Day 2 - Tuesday May 26

Morning:

Max Cooke “Using Tone, Touch and Technique to develop your students’ Technique” Darryl Coote “Practice Strategies and Systematic Learning”, Lecture Demonstrations/Workshops.

Afternoon:

John McCartin, Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, School of Education, Victoria University. "Child Development and Effective Teaching”

Recital by James Dong, violin, with Louisa Breen, piano. Program Wieniawski – Polonaise in D major, Bach – Grave from Sonata no. 2 in A minor, Shostakovitch – Violin Concert no. 1 in A minor, 3rd and 4th movements

Day 3 - Wednesday May 27

Morning:

Darryl Coote “Style, Technique and Interpretation in Impressionist Music including Debussy and use of the pedals”. Lecture Demonstration, Group lessons/workshops. Afternoon: (beginning at 1.30pm)

Bernie Capicchiano “Inside the Piano”

Robert Chamberlain “Style Technique and Interpretation in Modern and 20th Century Music” Lecture Demonstration/Workshop, Group lessons.

Recital by Hamlet Zhang, Monash University student of Darryl Coote.

Program: Joseph Haydn - Sonata in F major Hob. XVI/23, Felix Mendelssohn - Fantasy in F sharp minor, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), arranged Zhang Chi (b. 1985) - Allegro appassionato (from Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, Op. 120 no. 2)

Evening: Dinner at Silky Apply Chinese Restaurant, Armadale )

Day 4- Thursday May 28 Morning: Robert Chamberlain “Style Technique and Interpretation in Romantic Music”, Lecture Demonstration/Workshop, group lessons. Afternoon: Mark Gibson (Encore Music Education, Brisbane). “The Encore Smart System of Music Education”

Daily Schedule: 9.30am Lecture Demonstration/Workshop 11am Morning tea 11.30am Group lessons/Workshops 1pm Lunch 2pm Lecture Demonstration/Workshop 3.30pm Afternoon tea 4pm -5.15pm Group lessons/Workshops 5.15pm End of day

Team of Pianists gratefully acknowledge the instrument sponsorship of this Seminar by Bernies Music Land, who provided Schimmel, Bernstein and Roland instruments. (See wwwmusicland.com.au)

The next International Piano Teachers Seminar at Glenfern will take place from September 26 to September 30, 2010