Most music students here at Malaysia (and perhaps the greater part of Asia) are mostly concern with only two aims:

1. Paying the fees and attending lessons

2. Getting music certificates

Learning music should not be about those. It takes almost the same amount of effort to accomplish the above, and to be achieving more. By doing just enough is rather severely short-changing oneself. By merely doing the minimum, a student does not learn enough to continue to make and play music, and thus does not develop a love for music appreciation.

To me, as a student advances, one must grasps an understanding of various music elements such as:

• Pulse, beats and rhythm

• Pitch, melody and accompaniment

• Harmony

• Dynamics, articulations and expressions

• Texture

• Timbre

• Style and characteristics

All these music elements are like premium ingredients to create a special sumptuous dish. A chef would carefully combine them, with equating and balancing each with other condiments, and with adding his own culinary creativity to present a unique dish to satisfy sophisticated palates.

The same approach applies to advancing music students. The next level to be nurtured, above attending lessons and getting certificates, is to attain a sense of musicianship. The dictionary meaning of musicianship is: a superior skill that one learns and put into practice, creating a musical conversation with performing flairs.

Here at Jsic Music, we create performing platforms for students to nurture and establish their musicianship. Recently on Sunday, 7^th January 2018, we hosted an music educational concert. The performers were advanced music students (who are at the diploma or tertiary levels). There were three ambitious goals for the budding artists:

1. To challenge oneself to learn a new piece with the aim of performing it at concert speed within a week’s preparation. Each performer needs to focus attentively to the technical and stylistic details (this is solo preparation and practicing)

2. To rehearse together, and in each rehearsal, to discuss musical aspects and guiding one another towards performing as a unit, and not as individuals within four days. 

3. To develop a commanding stage presence to provide an engaging concert experience with our audience

The photo below shows a trio ensemble. I applaud their performance, and am proud of them for being able to perform as an ensemble within the given short preparation period. Please click the video  to view their performance.

https://youtu.be/cOdC16v8Ap4

From left: Chuah Phaik Tzhi ( Violin); Lau Yet Chuen (Piano) & Jaerone Lee Jie Loong (Violin).

Nurturing students to become adept performers and sharing their love for music with an audience

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