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I've been looking for bookends like these for a while. So happy to have found them, and wanted to share them with all you musos out there too!

 Buy here

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I think this is so cute and very well designed. Click here to buy.

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Do you like alcohol? Do you like pianos? Do you like alcohol and pianos together? Here's a piano, that's been turned into a bar!

If you're desperate to get this, you can actually buy it here. Yes it's another product from Etsy....

Every musician's nightmare...

There are so many things that annoy us when we perform. People coughing, crying children, those who think it's ok opening sweet wrappers during the 2nd movement of a Beethoven sonata... but nothing, can be worse than a phone going off. We learn to keep going even with these many disturbances, but one man decided to do something about it. Stop. And rightfully so in this instance. Watch this video and see how it happens.

At a concert in Gothenburg Concert Hall, Oct 23, 2013, Christian Zacharias stops playing in the middle of Haydn's Piano Concerto.

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Treble clef ring

You can buy it here.

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This is a beautiful 'Acoustic Gramophone Speaker'. Just pop you phone inside, and it amplifies the sound. Using vintage vinyl, it is handmade in Spain. Get it here on Etsy now!

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I was incredibly excited when I saw this!!!

New Yorkers conduct Orchestra on the street

New Yorkers got the chance to conduct an orchestra on a street corner, see what happens.

I think it's a great way to get people interested in classical music. Maybe we should do this more often!

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Imaginative Street Art

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Clever logo design

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Hmmm..... ok....

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Piano-hunting in China

Hello all! I just got back from a two week trip in China. I go there (specifically Guangzhou, or Canton) maybe once or twice a year, and as many of you pianists out there will understand (or other instrumentalists who can't travel with their own instruments due to impracticalities), practising in a foreign country can be a frustrating prospect, but something you need to sort out. There are the following options:

1. You go to a decent music store and hire a practise room. 

2. If you're staying there for a substantial period of time you can rent an instrument. 

3. You buy your instrument.

Now 'option 1' has always been my go-to... but it was pretty frustrating. Not all cities are 'well-equipped' with decent music stores, and even if those music stores are decent enough, it does not mean their practise rooms reflect their good reputation. Countries, like China, that experience hot tropical climates have terrible luck with tuning - pianos can go out of tune very easily, so even good quality pianos in music shops were painful to play on... and listen to! 

After many years of hiring a practise room in a store, I had had enough. Travelling to the music store took up a lot of time, and it wasn't guaranteed that I could go everyday. The visits to Guangzhou were starting to affect my progress over the holiday periods when I usually get most of my work done, so, before my visit this summer, I decided to buy a decent piano.

The thought of trekking around Guangzhou city in the exhausting sticky heat, visiting piano store after piano store felt very daunting. It was, in my opinion, the pianist's equivalent to speed-dating, except the match you're looking for is a piano, not a human-being, so at least the piano you want won't reject you. 

Surprisingly, it didn't take too long for me to find a very good upright piano for my home in China. After only one day, I had found two suitable pianos out of the 30 or so I had tried out. One Yamaha and one Kawai. A few things you should know is, apart from finding a piano you love, you should also consider the customer service of the piano store. I visited around 6 stores, and when I asked them about the aftercare they provided, such as guarantee etc., many of them gave me different prices for tuning, and a lot of their '2-year guarantees' had too many disclaimers, so watch out! I was lucky enough to find the perfect upright for me, that in my opinion belonged to one of the most professional stores in the city. They provided great aftercare, the tuning prices and their tuners were very satisfactory, and their guarantee covered literally everything.

Me with the Yamaha YA131CS I chose

Delivery speeds in China are scarily fast. The piano got delivered to my house the next morning! Also, it was only then that I discovered the Chinese have a solution for the high humidity levels that cause tuning problems for pianos - they install a pipe like device, that emits heat to combat the humidity levels. All you do is place it on the bottom half cover, and you plug it in! Here's a picture below of them installing it.

So that's my story. Of course, the tale of how I found my piano in London is an even better one... maybe I'll tell that another time. If any of you have stories about finding your piano, or have any questions, feel free to comment below!

Frank Ocean posts 4'33" on his Tumblr

Frank Ocean posted a video of 4'33" on his Tumblr page. I respect this man even more now. For someone famous in pop culture to refer to a more 'unfamiliar' genre like contemporary classical music, is a great thing. I hope his fans will ask questions, and be curious about this work, and the genre as a whole.

Awesome Ligeti Fanfares arrangement

Mmmmm I love Ligeti, but what I love more are interesting arrangements that completely change the way you hear the original work, or, make it better. Of course, I would never dare say this arrangement made it 'better', but it definitely changed my perspective of the work. This arrangement/performance is by someone who coincidentally went to the same school as me. I can't believe something as 'simple' as adding drums made such a difference... gently turning Ligeti from avant-garde to something resembling free jazz.

Anyway check this out. It'll blow your mind.

Piano: Erika Dohi
Drums: Austin Walker 

More about the 'Seaboard'

Following on from my post about the 'Seaboard' (--> see here), the company recently uploaded a video of someone playing Prokofiev (incidentally I know this someone...), to really show how it would sound.

Now, I'm still on the fence about this new piece of technology. I don't think we can really view it as a piano, or a more evolved version of a digital piano, because it's completely crossed the line of being just just that. In my opinion it's a completely new instrument. The sound is.... an acquired taste. I'm not a huge fan to be honest, but I think if you listen to it, not comparing it to the piano, it might be sound better.

As a composer, not just a pianist, I am open-minded about the sound, because I'm sure it will be very useful in the future for composers requiring the broad range and versatility of the piano, coupled with new technology.

Take a look:

Organs make songs sound better.

Ok, another post not related to the classical music genre at all, but in my opinion, music is music, good music is good music.

I had a major Frank Ocean session today. I mean his album Channel ORANGE was on repeat non-stop. I had heard a few songs of his before, but it was only today that his artistry and song-writing really touched me to the core. One song in particular was Bad Religion. I kept questioning why this song really spoke to me. The lyrics were deep, the melody was soulful. I pondered on it for a few hours, and in the dead of night, I remembered one other song that had touched me this way and almost made me cry: Coldplay's Fix You.

You know what they both have in common?

The Organ

Is this why? If you add everything up (great lyrics, good harmonies, a memorable melody), and stick the organ in, does it just add a completely new dimension to the song and give the listener that extra emotional nudge? I really REALLY think so!! Maybe it's because it's associated with the church... (Oh that's such a good musical pun. Using the organ in Bad Religion, man he's good) and to a lot of people, any place of worship has some emotional significance. It may also be the unique soothing, cantabile sound it can produce, it  has this calm quality to it, but within the calmness, the vibrato within can really get you going.

I'm sure my organist friends will be digging this post- I'm finally getting the beauty of the organ. Maybe not in a "I-just-heard-Messiaen-and-fell-in-love-with-the-organ" kind of a way but oh well.

LISTEN!

P.S- Added The Boxer Rebellion on there for fun, plus they're a great band.

'Obsessed'

- Obsession can start from something very small. This small thing can keep gnawing away at your mind; slowly... aggressively...The more you fight to get rid of this obsession, the worse it gets; it feeds on itself. Obsession can cloud your judgement, yet it can also elucidate your thoughts. Is it good to be obsessed? Does obsession get in the way?

                                        (original words by me, inspiring my current 'work in progress')

International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove

I really must apologise for being MIA for a long time. I do have a good excuse though.

I got accepted to participate in this year's International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, Cornwall. This music course that is held annually during the Spring, was founded by Sandor Végh (the great Hungarian violinist and conductor) in 1972. Currently the artistic director role is held by Steven Isserlis, and András Schiff has also had long-standing association with the course.

I stared at this all day

After an overnight journey on a slow sleeper train from London Paddington I arrived at Penzance, only 20 mins drive away from the rather remote Prussia Cove. I had no signal (phone or internet): excuse no.2 for not updating this blog. I couldn't even write a post to say I'd be on hiatus for a while. It was frustrating. I'm a renowned sucker for technology- how would I survive for 10 days being here?!

The first 48 hours were pretty painful and intense. I felt like I was put in rehab for technology addiction (it's true, technology had truly taken over my life), and the only way I could distract myself from the withdrawal symptoms was to attend classes given by the Maestri there, listen to my peers, have my own lessons, and practise. It helped that there was also miles and miles of the Atlantic sea to look at, a great coast line to walk along, and of course, great company. So, there it was. I had unknowingly put myself in a really nice self-imposed prison.

Practising on a Fazioli, with the sea view.

After the 48 hours passed, I noticed a clear difference in the way I thought and felt about music. My practise sessions were short, but productive. The classes were of course, inspirational. I was working with Rita Wagner, wife of Ferenc Rados, and one of the most uplifting, enthusiastic professors I have ever met. She's one of those 'hidden gem' professors who have hardly any online presence (don't bother Googling) but anyone who has been in contact with her will tell you she is amazing. Life away from busy London, and technology was starting to feel... refreshing. It was simple, there were no worries, no stressing, and the absence of the internet and contact with the outside world freed up some space in my mind to reflect on my work as a pianist and a musician. Because, that was really all I had to think about while I was there. For ten days, the piano, and only the piano was my focus.

But the question is, now that I'm back in London, am I continuing to live like I did in Prussia Cove?

It's pretty unrealistic to think that I could. I spent the first 24 hours back in London glued to my laptop screen (you know, to make up for lost time!). But, I will say this: I've cherished the extremely unique experience at Prussia Cove, and I will take what I have learnt, apply it to my work, and try and compromise, so my lifestyle here in London can somehow mesh with how I was living in Prussia Cove. It's amazing how just 10 days can make a huge difference, and I hope I'll be back there soon.

MDOTW hiatus

Hi all, just to let you know there will be a hiatus for the Musical Design series.

Enjoy what we've discovered so far here!

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We've reached the big 3-0 people!! Let's celebrate with this AMAZING water fountain. I was speechless when I found this. What an amazing way to reuse an old piano and make it beautiful. If you don't know what to do with a piano that cannot be restored anymore, don't smash it up, turn it into this...

The Seaboard

'The Seaboard' is a new musical instrument based on the piano that allows you to bend the volume of pitch, volume and timbre as you play. Take a look at the video!

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My guitar friends will like this one.

Van Cliburn RIP

Very sorry to have heard great legendary pianist Van Cliburn has passed away. He has been an inspiration to all pianists, and will be sorely missed.

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I want to. I need to. I must find this wall.

The devil vs. the angel in me.

As a composer, I can be really really mean on instruments to acquire a certain sound I want. Well, it's not just me... this is practically applied to most composers I know. I hated Cage for pioneering the prepared piano a few years back. Why and how could he do such a thing to such an amazing instrument? Sticking screws and rubber bits in between the strings... my god. Sure the sounds are interesting but COME ON there's got to be an alternative way to produce these sounds. But the answer I realised a few years later was, no, there was no other way. Not a convenient way anyway. It was clever, it was inspired, and I forgave Cage.

I've currently just started figuring out the beginning of my new orchestral piece, the concept is all hashed out now too. But while writing, the conscious I have for caring for instruments is looming over me like a dark cloud while I plan to make my strings play col legno for at least 3 mins. They are going to hate me, more importantly, their bows will die. I could see the dents and scratches now... I'll be meeting my dear violinist friend very soon and will ask her what she thinks of the idea of hitting wood against metal 180 times. But no matter what she thinks, I'll always have to live this way, with the devil and the angel in me thrashing it out in my brain.

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Happy Valentine's Day

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I've done piano stairs a couple of times, and piano designs in general, but interactive ones can't be missed out in this series. So... here are two videos for you to have a look at!

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Piano Table by Georg Bohle

At first, all you see is a smooth oak table, beautiful in its own right, but it has a hidden gem: lift the lid on the side, and you'll expose a full 88-key electric piano. Doesn't this remind you of those clavichords?

Costs $6000 and is made-to-order... if you have the money...?

ThinkMusic iPad App

This is what I've been waiting for, for ages. It's finally here.

The ThinkMusic iPad App lets you write with a stylus, record using MIDI controller, or use the on-screen piano to input notes. So, you can write notes in, but then it will transform it into a great looking score. The software also seems capable of letting you input symbols (such as crescendos/diminuendos etc.). Just how far or complicated a score it will let you produce remains to be seen. I still don't know whether this notation app is only suitable for songwriters, or also suitable for contemporary composers who write full orchestral scores and use more complicated extended techniques. Either way this is one step in the right direction for music notation software, and it's about time!

The creators are currently still pledging so if you are feeling generous and would like to back the project, or find out more, please click here.

Disclaimer: (Of course, I am sure there are many other developers out there working on a similar sort of app. This post is not sponsored.)

Silent Opera

Silent Opera. Such a cool concept. The point of it all is to allow the audience two ways to listen to an opera: with headphones which will play a pre-recorded version with full orchestra, or without headphones, which will mean they will hear live singing backed by only a few instruments. Either way, the singers act and sing live on stage. It's a mixture of being in the moment, and enjoying what technology can give us today.

Silent Opera is currently showing a new English translation of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in London. 

To book click here.

Argerich: Bloody Daughter (Trailer)

Bloody Daughter, is a documentary by Stéphanie Argerich, daughter of the great pianist (and my idol) Martha Argerich. It is a documentary about the relationship between mother and daughter, with no restrictions, and invites the audience into the intimacy of their home, and their lives.

I. AM. SO. EXCITED.

The Creative Process

I'm working towards a deadline this weekend, and this is EXACTLY what I feel like. I imagine other artists feel the same way.

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Loving this poster- it's almost garish with the long pianistic fingers...

Play It Again

Popped into a local Kensington bookstore and found Alan Rusbridger's 'Play It Again'. Interesting light read in the form of a journal- and I think it will inspire a generation of middle-aged adults to pick up the piano again.

S*** music: literally.

A piece of music that was composed by waiting for bits of bird droppings to drop on giant sheets of manuscript paper is to be premiered later.

The idea came from artist Kerry Morrison, who laid the sheets of manuscript paper in parks in Liverpool, and composer John Hering has transformed these 'notes' into a full score. The 20-minute long piece is said to represent the role birds play in the environment, and is to be performed at the Tate Liverpool Art Gallery.

John Hering was asked to remain faithful to the original artwork, using the notes in the order it appeared. Sound artist Hemut Lemke also had some input in the work, incorporating bird song and other sounds of park life.

For more info: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/music-and-live-performance/our-liverpool-landscape-bird-sheet-music-movement

If you're around Liverpool maybe check it out!

MUSICAL DESIGN SERIES IS BACK NEXT WEEK SATURDAY 26/01/13!

'The Rest Is Noise' Festival 2013

Tomorrow's a big day. A huge day. Southbank Centre's The Rest Is Noise Festival starts tomorrow!

I don't know about you but I'm terribly excited. As soon as I read Jude Kelly's (Artistic Director and curator of The Rest Is Noise festival) words, "...how do you get people to fall in love with classical music, and how do you get people who love classical music to fall in love with contemporary classical music?" I was instantly captivated, because from the very beginning when I became enthralled in the world of contemporary classical music, I have always asked this question.

The answer to this problem in 2007? Alex Ross's The Rest Is Noise (which inspired this festival, obviously). This book changed my life, and when I started college it was the textbook for our historical studies class. Coincidentally, the class was supposed to catapult freshers into this 'bizarre' world of the post-war avant-garde, and the less bizarre and tolerable (e.g. minimalism). Some students couldn't handle it and have been put off ever since, but most students left these series of lectures a lot more open-minded and willing to accept contemporary music for what it is/was. At the end of the day, The Rest Is Noise was like a translation for people to understand music in a different way by revealing its history, especially this era in music which was fundamentally affected by the war - the turbulence, the emotional and physical pain, and the warring political philosophies.

The festival features nearly 100 events, spanning a whole year, and includes talks, films, performances, participation events and concerts, all exploring 20th century classical music in the context of historical, political and cultural upheavals. The Festival not only explores pre-war/ post-war music, but also celebrates Benjamin Britten's centenary (presented by Jurowski/LPO). There will also be a screening of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: Space Odyssey (famous in the music world for using Ligeti's music) with live accompaniment presented by the resident orchestra of the Royal Festival Hall, the Philharmonic Orchestra!

Trailer to the Festival- set to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (very fitting I think)

Gillian Moore's (Head of Contemporary Culture at the Southbank) playlist for the opening part of the festival, 'Here Comes the 20th Century'

Suffering for art: necessary?

"Singers and Musicians are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the Earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Every day, they face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear that they'll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility that the vision they have dedicated their lives to, is a pipe dream. With every note, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism and judgment. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life- the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because musicians and singers are willing to give their entire lives to a moment - to that melody that lyric, that chord, or that interpretation that will stir the audience's soul. Singers and Musicians are beings who have tasted life's nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another's heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes."

I frequently see people post on Facebook and Twitter, quotes like the one above. They are beautiful, inspiring words, no doubt about it, and it's nice to know that others understand and validate how hard it is to be a musician: the endless hours of practise for that moment of perfection on stage; the judgmental looks when you tell people you study music/ work as a musician. These words also reassure us as freelance musicians, that it's ok to live every day wondering when our next pay check is because as long as we have art and music in our lives, we are fulfilled. Very comforting indeed. However, does it glamorise this notion that we can, and should, suffer for our art?

Of course we can, and I know that if I had to, I could survive it, but what if I don't want to suffer for my art? Should I feel guilty that I'm not willing to give up on the 'predictable milestones of normal life' for the sake of music? And, if/when I do achieve these milestones does that make me a bad musician, or a successful one?

I love what I do, and I don't think there's anything out there in the world that I would rather do (or can do better), but the whole 'suffering for your art' thing is in my opinion, unhealthy and pretentious, not to mention exhausting. I don't believe for a moment that any deserving musician who works hard, has to suffer economically doing what they love. Am I being too naïve about this? Is this what the road ahead is going to look like? These are fears that every music student probably has. We may not ever earn six figure salaries, but I believe we can earn a comfortable amount, and goodness I really hope we do!

Making the classical guitar just THAT much more awesome.

Declan Zapala, a recent graduate from the Royal College of Music posted this video about two days ago and it's absolutely genius. It's also for charity, and all the proceeds he gets from views between January-March will go to the Crisis homeless charity.

Broken Rhapsody is an original by Declan Zapala, and will also be available on digital music sites including iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

More about Declan: http://www.declanzapala.com/

Will We Ever Run Out of New Music?

So I took a moment to watch this video, and this guy is a genius. I've always loved watching his videos, and you should check out his channel. The video below addresses what many composers, singer-songwriters, and music lovers in general fear: 

Will we ever run out of new music?

*cue panic-attack*

In my opinion, I think it's safe to say that we won't, especially if you venture out into 'contemporary classical' territory, or even blur the line between that and sound art where pitch and rhythm (which is used to calculate whether we'll run out of new music) is of slightly less concern. The video mainly talks about popular music, and even references 'The Axis of Awesome: 4 Chords' video, which finally addressed my pet peeve with so many songs using the same four chords 'I-V-vi-IV', leading to so many melodies/ songs sounding similar.

and the 4 chords video: