Welcome to the April edition of Upbeat!

Volume 22 • April 2011
Welcome to the April edition of Upbeat!
Contents
Warmest wishes to all our readers across South East Asia in this new year of the Rabbit. We
hope it’s a lucky one for your music studies and exam results!
The month of January was a busy
one and just before the Chinese
New Year we hosted an array of
ABRSM High Scorers’ Concerts
across Malaysia and in Singapore.
From Petaling Jaya for Kuala
Lumpur to Selangor State,
performers of all ages and a wide
variety of instruments entertained
appreciative audiences. High
achievers were also recognised in
Melaka for performers from
Negeri Sembilan and Johor States,
in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu for
young talents from Sarawak and
Sabah, while high scorers from
Perak, Kedah, Perlis and Penang
No less than five cellists delighted the appreciative audience at the
State were recognised in Penang.
Equatorial Hotel, Penang, with their fine performances
I had the pleasure of attending
each of the events and conveying
ABRSM’s congratulations to all the performers, teachers and parents. A record of these splendid
events features in this edition of Upbeat.
During January, I also had the opportunity to conduct meetings with teachers in Bangkok,
Petaling Jaya, Melaka, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Singapore, Jakarta and Surabaya. We
spent this time discussing and demonstrating the changes to ABRSM’s aural syllabus as well as
discovering how the new aural publications can be used in lessons. Almost 600 teachers
attended these events, and I want to give a special thank you to all the teachers who helped by
acting as mock candidates during the demonstrations.
We are currently in the process of inviting all the
successful diploma holders from 2010 to the South and
East Asia Diploma Awards ceremony which takes place on
19 March in Singapore. Diploma holders from the
Philippines, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will meet ABRSM’s
Chief Executive, Guy Perricone, and Professional
Development Director, Richard Crozier, who will both be
attending to offer their congratulations. CT ABRSM holders
who completed their studies in Singapore in September
2010 will also be joining the celebrations for the first time.
I hope you enjoy browsing through this edition of
Upbeat, and you may even find yourself featured
somewhere inside!
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Bill Thomson
ABRSM South East Asia Regional Coordinator
1
Inside this edition
2
Around the region
5
Reflections on
South East Asia
6
Supporting
teachers
7
News from ABRSM
8
Diary dates
d Singapore
res in Malaysia an
nt
Changes to exam ce
exam centres in
proving facilities at
In 2011 we will be im
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offering a wider
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Ma
lar should note:
n teachers in particu
Singapore. Malaysia
11
Practical exams in 20
- Kuala Lumpur: all
Conley.
lan
Ja
,
tel
Ho
e
inc
Pr
will take place at the
the Equatorial
s will take place at
- Penang: April exam
Hotel, Bayan Baru.
the new
s will take place at
Selangor: Klang exam
Premiere Hotel.
at the
ams will take place
Sarawak: Kuching ex
RH Hotel.
the
at
u
tel and in Sib
Riverside Majestic Ho
ce
exams will take pla
Sabah: Kota Kinabalu
tel.
Ho
y
nc
ge
Re
hed Hyatt
at the newly refurbis
2
3
Around the region
Hilary Frances Samuels gave a poised and mature performance of
the Andantino from Saint-Saens’ oboe sonata at the Singapore event
During the early weeks of this year we held a mixture of teacher seminars and High Scorers’ Concerts in Malaysia
and Singapore. These events highlight the tremendous enthusiasm of music teachers, the poise in the playing of
the young performers and the great pride of their families and friends in the audiences.
Seminars also took place in Indonesia and Thailand and we wish them all success for the High Scorers’ Concerts
in Bangkok, Jakarta and Medan in March.
A group of CT ABRSM
teachers assist Bill with
aural matters in Singapore
Two cheerful teachers
from Penang helped out as
mock exam candidates
A feature at the Singapore, Malaka and Kuala Lumpur High
Scorers’ Concerts was the appearance of several very fine harpists.
Here, in Singapore, these musicians provided grace and elegance to
the concert.
‘Sister Act’ duo: Carissa Sheila Damien gave
an impressive performance of ‘My House’ from
Peter Pan, accompanied by sister Carmen
Maximilian Jackson gave a deeply expressive performance of
‘Send in the Clowns’ by Sondheim on his French horn in Singapore
Indonesian teachers travelled from across the country for the seminar in Jakarta.
In this group, teachers came from as far away as Bali.
During the break time in Surabaya, teachers were eager to
buy the new ABRSM aural publications
The talented performers at the recent concerts, both singers and
a wide range of instrumentalists, offered varied programmes
across all grades. We are very fortunate at ABRSM to have
practical local support for these events and would like to record
our gratitude to Maxwell Sim and David Liew in Melaka, Kathleen
and Kenny Chang in
Kuching and Mr and Mrs
Pang in Kota Kinabalu.
At the Kuala Lumpur/Selangor concert, young classical
guitarists Alvin See Kok Shen (left) and Akmal Hariri bin Abdul
Rahman’s (right) nimble-fingered playing was much enjoyed
Some performers appear frequently at these events and it is fascinating
for members of the audience to witness their musical development.
Johnny Chin has featured many times in Kuching concerts, both as a
violinist and as a classical guitarist. This year his playing of Monti’s
Czardas, a Grade 8 piece, was polished and exciting. Yap Yi, a young cellist
from Kota Kinabalu, is another regular performer and his Entr’acte from
Bizet’s opera Carmen was charming.
In Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Singapore an emerging instrument at the
concerts is the harp. This year three harpists played at the Kuala Lumpur
event with another three at the Singapore concert too. These were unique
performances ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 8.
You might imagine that adult high scorers could easily feel out of place in
a concert with predominantly children, but not Maximilian Jackson from
Singapore. His French horn performance of ‘Send in the Clowns’ was
superb and very much enjoyed by all!
Zachary Lim Hong Sern gave a fine
performance of Chopin’s Grand Valse
Brillante on the violin at the Kuala
Lumpur concert
Jazz piano playing in the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore concerts added a
different dimension, with players demonstrating tremendous powers of
improvisation and excellent communication with the audiences.
Johnny Chin has made many memorable
appearances at the Kuching High Scorers’ Concert –
both as a classical guitarist and violinist
4
5
Our popular teacher seminars presented ABRSM’s new Specimen Aural Tests focussing in particular on the
examiner rubrics which are now included in these publications. For some children in the region the use of
English language during the aural tests can create some anxiety. These seminars and new publications have
empowered teachers by ensuring a complete understanding of all the wording used in exams, allowing them to
improve their students’ own comprehension.
Reflections on South East Asia
For the past 12 years, I have lived in Kuala Lumpur to serve ABRSM as
the South East Asia Regional Coordinator. And now my time is up! My
wife and I are packing our bags to head to Hong Kong where I take up
the exciting new role of Hong Kong and Singapore Development
Executive.
Benjamin prepares for his
performance of a Scarlatti sonata
at the Penang concert. Benjamin
returned from the Menuhin school
in London in December where he
had been selected as one of the
Malaysian pianists to study with
Malaysian concert pianist
Bobby Chen.
It has been a delight to meet many hundreds of teachers across the
South East Asian territories – from Vietnam and Thailand’s most
northerly cities to the Indonesian and Philippine south and west
territories in Lombok and Cebu.
Harps again! Ge Wei
Cherry (left) also played a
Grade 8 Piano piece by
Piazolla at the Singapore
High Scorers’ Concert
I have seen teacher-support develop and transform, from the
CT ABRSM course in Singapore and Jakarta (now reshaped as the
CT ABRSM Plus), to the recently introduced Teaching Music Effectively
course. An initiative to bring together teachers from neighbouring
countries led to the successful Professional Development Conferences
at which teachers from as far away as Hong Kong, Macau, Java and
Australia travelled to the beautiful island of Penang. And currently, the
Professional Development Programme tours the region along with many
one-day teaching workshops which form an essential part of teachers’
calendars across Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Chua Ren Jie pictured in Melaka for his performance of
Lord Cutt’s March. Those with eagle eyes will spot the State
flags of Melaka, Negeri Sembilian and Penang.
Bill relaxing with a group of Melaka teachers during a
recent teacher seminar at the Makhota Hotel
International schools across South East Asia embrace ABRSM
syllabuses and exams and we have close ties with many schools
throughout the region. I was fortunate to spend a day in January with
the entire team of instrumental and singing teachers at Shrewsbury International School, hosted by their
Director of Music, Jonathan Ling. ABRSM exam matters, including syllabuses, were discussed in depth and
three very brave students even took part in mock exam demonstrations. In Jakarta, the entire team of
instrumental and vocal teachers at the British International School attended the teacher seminar on aural
training supported by their Director of Music, Mr Michael Disney.
International schools frequently embrace ABRSM for its universal standard. It has been my pleasure to be a frequent
visitor to such schools, and I thank them for the lovely welcome that I always receive.
More ABRSM teacher
support events are planned
for March and will include
visits to the British
International School in Ho
Chi Minh City and the United
Nations International School
in Hanoi.
Bill Thomson
So, I am looking forward to a new chapter and to supporting teachers in Hong Kong with their ABRSM endeavours.
Hong Kong is a city of unyielding energy and excitement and I will relish the professional satisfaction of working with
all of our ABRSM stakeholders there whilst continuing my work in Singapore.
Gong Xi Fa Cai / Kung Hei Fatt Choi
Bill Thomson is leaving the role as ABRSM’s Regional Coordinator for South East Asia to
take up the position of Hong Kong and Singapore Development Executive in April 2011
ABRSM welcomes Jamie Smith
Flautist Calvin Chew Inn Khooi from Kota
Kinabalu in a dreamy imaginative performance
of ‘Seashore’ by Christoper Norton
Young cellist Yap Yi from Kota Kinabalu pictured in a family
group with sister, mum and dad. Mum is his accompanist
(Grace Lee) and dad is his teacher (conductor Yap Ling).
Jamie Smith has been appointed as ABRSM’s Malaysia National Coordinator. Jamie is
delighted to be taking up this newly-created role in Malaysia and looks forward to
meeting teachers and students at forthcoming ABRSM events.
Currently a music lecturer at the Sultan Idris Education University in Perak, Malaysia,
Jamie studied at Magdalen College in Oxford and the National Tchaikovsky Academy
of Music in Russia, where he also worked as a teacher. He has taught piano
performance in Guangdong, China, and worked for the British Council in Poland.
Everyone in Kota Kinabalu
takes a final bow...
Congratulations to all the
teachers, performers and
accompanists who took part
in the various concerts!
‘I am thrilled to be joining ABRSM,’ said Jamie. ‘I am greatly looking forward to
collaborating with musicians throughout Malaysia and hope to develop even stronger
ties with music teachers and dealers all over the country.'
Jamie Smith starts his new role at ABRSM as Malaysia National Coordinator in April 2011
6
7
Supporting teachers
News from ABRSM
Coming soon!
Teaching Music Effectively
ABRSM is delighted to announce that we will be offering our popular Teaching Music Effectively course in
Malaysia for the first time from July 2011.
Designed to help you develop your teaching skills and build confidence, Teaching Music Effectively comprises a
distance learning module of six weeks followed by three intensive study days in early September. You’ll work
closely with a subject mentor and explore the issues specific to teaching your instrument. You’ll also discuss
current trends in music education and look at how these can by applied to your lessons.
Join us for a free taster session on 14 June to learn more about this course. Further course information and the
taster details are available from our website at www.abrsm.org/MYTME.
Professional Development Programme
Once again, our Professional Development Programme (PDP) will be returning to the region in August and
September. This year’s tour will focus on two major areas of exam preparation:
• Piano (Grades 6–8): An in-depth look at the ABRSM Piano syllabus giving insight into gaining the best marks at
the upper grades and focussing on advanced techniques and exam preparation skills.
• Aural training: Developing preparation techniques for ABRSM aural tests and exploring how your students can
gain valuable extra marks in their exams through improving aural skills.
Aural Training in Practice
We are delighted to announce that
the first two volumes of our eagerly
anticipated Aural Training in Practice
titles will be released on 7 April 2011.
These new titles provide additional
practice material for students and
teachers keen to develop aural skills.
Each volume contains a wide range
of tests at each grade, with answers
as appropriate. The CD recordings
contained in these fully revised
editions are useful for
non-pianist teachers or for student
study between lessons.
Syllabus update for strings
Changes to our Bowed Strings syllabus will be published in July 2011 for implementation in exams from January 2012. New
scale and sight-reading requirements have been introduced for Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass and will be used in all exams
from January 2012.
In addition to changes to the technical requirements, we will also
be introducing refreshed repertoire selections for Violin. To support
teachers and students preparing for exams, the new books of Violin
Exam Pieces 2012–2015 contain a selection of pieces from the new
syllabus, available for each grade from 1 to 7. The score and part
edition will be available with or without CD recordings at
Grades 1 to 7, and you will also be able to buy the violin part only
edition at Grades 1 to 5. CD recordings of the complete Grade 8
syllabus will also be available separately.
Full details will be available soon from www.abrsm.org/pdp.
CT ABRSM Plus
Teachers can look forward to this year’s CT ABRSM Plus course in Singapore commencing mid-March. Over the
next seven months, teachers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will be joining together to share teaching
ideas and support each other through the mixture of study sessions and coursework. Combining our renowned
Certificate of Teaching course with the Principles of Teaching diploma, the CT ABRSM Plus course now includes
dedicated preparation for the DipABRSM exam.
All publications are available to buy from retailers worldwide,
or from our website at www.abrsm.org/shop
Speedshifter
Speedshifter is a new practice tool from ABRSM
that allows you to vary the speed of audio from
a CD or MP3 without altering the pitch. Visit our
website to download this free application and try
it out while you practise.
www.abrsm.org/speedshifter
Join us on Facebook and Twitter!
Over 150 eager teachers travelled from various cities and islands to Jakarta
for the aural training and diploma preparation seminar in January
Keep up-to-date with the latest news from ABRSM by joining our social networking communities. Please visit
www.twitter.com/abrsm or www.facebook.com/abrsm for regular updates on ABRSM exams, publications,
events and courses.
8
Diary dates
Further information about all ABRSM events can be found on our website at www.abrsm.org.
Date:
What:
Saturday 19 March
South and East Asia Diploma
Awards Ceremony
Where: Concorde Hotel, Singapore
Contact: Li Yng at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Sunday 27 March
High Scorers’ Concert
Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Denis Umar at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Sunday 3 April
10th High Scorers’ Concert
InterContinental MidPlaza Hotel,
Jakarta, Indonesia
Contact: Denis Umar at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Sunday 10 April
High Scorers’ Concert
Bumi Surabaya Hotel, Indonesia
Denis Umar at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Wednesday 24 August
Professional Development Programme
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Thursday 25 August
Professional Development Programme
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Friday 26 August
Professional Development Programme
Penang, Malaysia
Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Sunday 28 August
Professional Development Programme
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Monday 29 August
Professional Development Programme
Kuching, Malaysia
Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Wednesday 31 August
Professional Development Programme
Singapore
Agnes Lau at [email protected]
Date:
What:
Where:
Contact:
Thursday 1 September
Professional Development Programme
Singapore
Agnes Lau at [email protected]
Date:
Thursday 1 September –
Saturday 3 September
What:
Teaching Music Effectively
Where: Petaling Jaya
Contact: Jo Wong at [email protected]
Date:
Monday 5 September –
Thursday 8 September
What:
CT ABRSM Plus study days
Where: Singapore
Contact: Agnes Lau at [email protected]