Ann Perreau's In House Concert Term 1

Evan performed another of his compositions entitled "Soldiers Marching Up Mt. Everest" during the latest In House Concert at Ann Perreau's. It was a duet with his piano teacher: Ms Phylicia.

I made it in time for his performance which was scheduled as the finale for that day! I had an extremely busy day with 3 cake orders so I wasn't sure whether I could make it but I managed to after all - and am so glad that I did. So proud of his performance! I recorded it but can't seem to upload it on Youtube.... so too bad, can't share it here. 

Group photo of all the performers! See the boy 3rd from the left? Evan commented that he was dressed up for a wedding! Alamak!

Another group pic with 2 of his fellow friends in his music appreciation class.

On another note, Marissa has started music classes as well at Ann Perreau's and enjoys it very much! She will probably start her piano lessons next year once she's ready. 

Jingle Bells

Evan learned how to play Jingle Bells during his piano lessons. Here's a version of Jingle Bells  modified by Evan - sounds kinda spooky.





To all : Have a blessed Christmas! Jesus is the reason for the season!

Evan's 2nd In-House Concert at Anne Perreau's

Evan participated in his 2nd concert for the year on 13th October 2012 - playing a melody he composed himself entitled "Captain John Hopping up the Hill". FYI, Captain John is a rabbit! His teacher: Ms. Phylicia accompanied him on the other piano.

He played very well and confidently without any mistakes and without the music score..... as he is in the habit of doing. Am happy that he loves his music and piano classes the most (out of all the various classes he attends) and he practices his piano everyday - more often than not without me reminding him.

In-House Concert

It's the last day of Term 2 at Anne Perreau's Music School. As usual, parents were treated to a series of in-house concerts. To kick off the series, the first session of in-house concerts started early in the morning at 9:20am. Evan was scheduled to perform in the first session.

I was so excited and nervous that I forgot that I was holding the camera in my hand! Managed to snap a photo and record the last part of his performance! It was a piano duet with his teacher entitled "A Happy Song".

Evan attended his first piano lesson yesterday at V&A music school (formerly known as Ann Perreau's). His piano teacher is Ms. Phylicia Yeo who also teaches him music appreciation. The piano lessons are 1 hour each weekly on top of his music appreciation classes which are two-hourly group sessions.

Evan appears keen to learn and he is happy that he can play a tune on the piano - even after his first lesson! Marissa was also fascinated that her brother can play and she observed him. Well, Marissa will start her music lessons next year.

MPO Family Fun Day Peter and the Wolf & Babar the Elephant

We attended MPO's Family Fun Day concert on 15th April - the day hubby turned 37. After the concert, we went to Madam Kwan's for a scrumptious meal - too bad the chicken satay was sold out..... anyway, back to the subject at hand, the B reserve tickets were booked online. If buying at the box office, the RM2 surcharge per ticket is not applicable.

Took some pics at the Dewan Philharmonic Petronas, KLCC. Afternoon tea available at RM7nett per person. Program book on sale for RM3 per copy.

Program :

1) Peter and the Wolf (opus 67) by Sergei Prokofiev

2) The Story of Babar, The Little Elephant by Francis Poulenc

Harith Iskandar was the narrator as the MPO performed the delightful pieces under the baton of Alessandro Crudele.

After the show, Harith Iskandar very kindly autographed Evan's program book! 

Buying a used Upright Piano

Evan will be starting on piano lessons next month so we went around searching for an upright acoustic piano for him.

First stop was Yamaha HQ. The entry level piano model JU109PE costs RM7990. very compact continental style at 109cm in height....the touch is very light. Made in Indonesia. Made in Japan models are very expensive and command a 5-figure price tag! These models are the U1, U3 and the YUS series. 

Anyway, for purchase of new pianos, Yamaha gives a 6-year warranty, delivery, 2 piano tunings (the first one will be upon delivery) and a heater. If paying by Maybank Credit Card, there's a 0% installment plan which can stretch to 3 years. Yamaha does not recommend buying used pianos. They claim that many problems can occur with the piano e.g. cracked soundboard, defective parts etc. 

 Yamaha JU109PE

We dropped by Euphony Music in IPC Mall and saw a number of recond pianos by Kawai and Yamaha. They also sell new Helicon pianos - made in China. We also went to Bently Music just beside Ikea. They sell new Steinway pianos - super expensive!

We also visited Vienna Music at Subang Jaya owned by the Hoe family. They mainly sell new Challen, Hobart and Falcone Pianos.  All 3 brands are American but pianos are made in China under the Sejung group. They also have C.Steinbert pianos (German) but again, made in China now. At the time we visited, they were having 50% off promo on selected pianos. So, a brand new piano starts RM5000 onwards inclusive of 6 yrs warranty. The usual standard package include delivery, tuning and heater. They can reduce their pricing if paying by cash. Credit card purchases by installment are also available. Vienna Music opens Mon-Sat 10am-6pm.

Grace Sound Sdn Bhd deals mainly with Kawai pianos. They have the whole range of Kawai pianos at their showroom at Tmn Mayang. Person-in-charge there is Mr. David - a Chinese man who's quite helpfull. He also sells used Kawai and Yamaha pianos. They offer a buy back guarantee of 50% within 5 years for their new pianos. For trade-ins, they will offer to buy back the piano at 55% of the original purchase price. Their standard package does not include heater because they claim that silica gel packs are sufficient to control humidity levels within the piano. If customers insist, they can still provide the heater (which is worth about RM20) instead of 6 packs of silica gel. When we were there, Mr. David offered me a good price for their Kawai KX-21 showroom model but I had to decline because it was over my budget! Credit card installments accepted here. Again, prices are negotiable. Kawai pianos come with a 10-year warranty! For used pianos, it's only 5-years.

Next, we went to Piano Station at The Summit USJ. Nothing impressive there. The lady who attended to me was not helpful. No price tags on their pianos either - possibly for bargaining purposes? Anyway, I was not impressed with the service. Piano Station sells used Kawai and Yamaha pianos.

Another place we went to was Morais & Hew owned by Dato Richard Morais - a concert pianist. The showroom at Plaza Ampang City was very rundown and shabby with a handful of pianos on display. Dato Morais only imports selected popular models by Kawai and Yamaha. He personally prefers Yamaha pianos over Kawai. He brings in containers of used pianos from Japan - mainly those with Grade A interiors but Grade B exteriors. He pays less for these pianos compared to the ones which are Grade A inside out. He has his own piano factory where they adjust the center pin (compulsory for all used pianos), re-spray and polish  the piano.  So, no problem if the piano looks old on the outside, it will be reconditioned as new! For Morais & Hew, they do volume business so they have a high turnover, hence they can offer very low prices. Just give them your budget and they will recommend you a suitable piano. What I like about them is that they offer a buy back guarantee of 100% of the purchase price of the piano when trading-in for an upgrade, within 5 years. If selling back to them within 5 years but without purchasing any other piano, you will get back 70% of the purchase price. Again, all used pianos have a 5-year warranty. Dato Morais doesn't recommends switching on the heater 24/7 but just intermittent usage will do.

Some other piano showrooms which I didn't visit:

Wagner Piano SS2, PJ - selling new & used Petrof pianos. Petrofs are made in Europe (Czech Republic)

Cristofori Subang Jaya - selling used Kawai and Yamaha pianos

YC Music Kepong - selling Young Chang pianos made in Korea

LKS Music Setapak - selling used Kawai and Yamaha pianos

Since used or recond pianos are much cheaper than brand new ones, it's becoming a popular choice for consumers.  When buying a used piano, get someone who is knowledgeable to go along with you e.g. piano teacher or piano tuner. Pay them if necessary! Check the piano condition instead of just the age as some old pianos can be in very good condition! Don't forget to set a budget and try to negotiate prices with the dealer. Exam models i.e. 121cm in height are in greater demand for beginners and sell fast. Even brand new ones - have to pre-order in advance.

In Malaysia, Kawai and Yamaha pianos are in high demand. Malaysia imports used pianos from Japan and reconditions them locally. The Japanese usually like to buy brand new pianos as it's very affordable over there. Almost every household will have a piano and the Japanese are meticulous with piano maintainance hence the reason why there are some old pianos which are in such immaculate condition!

Used pianos usually have superior tone as the hammer felts are seasoned through usage compared to a brand new one. 

My SIL saw some piano brochures in our house and she commented that her uncle (also my dear hubby's uncle) is a piano tuner! He also sells used pianos! So, hubby called him up and we arranged an appointment with him at his showroom in Kajang. He recommended us a Petrof but I wasn't very keen cos the piano looks dusty and dirty. Then he brought us to a huge piano warehouse in Balakong. There we found a Kawai upright grand (52") in polished ebony, model US-50 made in Japan.  The 52" is the highest upright piano, top of the range quality. Upright pianos which are higher produce better sound compared to the smaller ones and sometimes their tone can be better than a baby grand piano. Upon checking the serial number - it's manufactured circa 1983. Grade A inside out. Nice tone but it will slowly improve as the years go by. Package price comes with 5 years warranty but no buy back guarantee available but it's ok cos I am sure if I need to sell the piano in the future, I will have no problems fetching a good price for it. Package price of RM7500 also includes the following: delivery by lorry, low wattage heater adjustable piano bench, white piano cover and first tuning (done on the day of delivery). I called up other places and double checked the prices : Morais & Hew quoted me RM8500, Cristofori RM8800, LKS Music RM9900 and Piano Station RM11000. We have reserved the piano and it will be delivered in 2 weeks just in time for Evan's lessons.

We initially wanted a white piano but there are none unless new. If there are any white ones, it's usually because it's re-sprayed and not the original color. Well, at least we have the white piano cover! I hope Evan will enjoy playing the piano - can't wait to see him perform at his music school's inhouse concerts held from time to time.

Kawai US-50

A Series of Firsts

Over the weekend, Marissa started her baby ballet classes at Sole to Soul Dance Studio. Bought her a leotard (RM55) and paid up the fees : RM20 for one-time registration and RM50 fully-refundable deposit (cos got cases of students who attend one or two classes and just disappear!). Class fees are RM60 monthly and if you start like in the middle of the month - the fees are pro-rated. 

She wore a pink tutu which came together with a ballet book I purchased some time ago.... and pre-loved ballet shoes (although shoes are not required). She could follow the instructions and it was evident that she had a good time dancing during the entire 45-minute class. 

Then on Sunday morn, Marissa attended children's church together with her brother. Previously, she didn't want to go or she would only just stay for the singing. This time she stayed on from the start to the finish! 

Evan started on the Specialist Music program at Anne Perreau's (now known as V & A Music Center). It's a weekly 2-hour class on music appreciation where the children (max 5-6 per class) will learn about composers, instruments and theory of music but in a fun way. There's a 15-minute snack time for the children to socialize too. His teacher is a very young, nice and patient lady : Ms. Phylicia. I sat in during the class - only 3 students present.... the other 2 being girls! They were so talkative - just like Evan! He was quite comfortable making friends with the girls though..... ahem!

He will attend this program first until he is ready to progress to the piano. Fees are based on terms i.e. 3 terms in a year and each term is 15 weeks. RM500 - refundable deposit required but no registration fees.

Sorry for the lack of photos - for the first time.... I forgot to bring my camera and didn't take any pics! 

Anyone knows where I can get a used WHITE upright piano? May need one in future!

MPO Family Fun Day Fairytales in Music

It's been ages since hubby and I attended any concert by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. When we were dating, we attended a handful of concerts inclusive of Family Fun Day ones even though we didn't have any kids at that time.

We decided to bring the kids for their first ever orchestra performance this year! Kids of all ages are allowed in for the Family Fun Day concerts. The concert was titled : Fairytales in Music... and the conductor was a clown - Melvin Tix!

I purchased the tickets online at the MPO's website. Then collected the tickets on the day of the show at the box office. The performance was hilarious and very educational too! Melvin Tix started off by introducing the various instruments of the orchestra and the different type of sounds they produce. He then went on to tell a story about a King with 3 daughters and a prince..... and the instruments of the orchestra provided special effects. Melvin Tix went on to conduct 6 pieces of music including Sleigh Ride, a waltz from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky and another ballet piece by Shostakovich.

After the show, the kids had the golden opportunity to take a pic with the clownductor and also have him autograph the concert program book. We will definitely be going to the orchestra again soon!