JAZZ clinic with guest musician Greg Lyons
Come along and join in the fun Tuesday and Wednesday SY
lunch time in the music room. Performances, tips and techniques
will lead to a concert on Thursday at SY lunchtime in the Auditorium - all welcome to attend.
Greg Lyons is a composer, arranger, saxophonist and educator. Originally from the north of England, Greg has traveled extensively in the pursuit of musical clarity and has absorbed a multitude of influences beginning with an education in jazz writing in the USA, progressing through an immersion into the music of Cuba and Brazil, an investigation of the folk styles of Europe and more recently Asia, then emerging with a heady concoction representing them all.
His melodic and groove-driven compositions mix these influences in an immediately appealing but nevertheless challenging way. His musical associations include such international artists as: Toninho Horta, Billy Cobham, Phil Perry, Alfredo Rodriguez, Patato Valdez, Eric Marienthal, Nana Vasconcelos, Loose Tubes, Grand Union, Face First, Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers, Radio Futura, Roberto Pla, Phil Manzanera, Siti Nurhaliza, Lee Hom, Eugene Pao, John Etheridge, Huw Warren, Greg Chako, Asiabeat, Sheila Majid, Damon Brown and many others. He has taught in many institutions including: The International College of Music, Kuala Lumpur; La Salle College and NUS, Singapore; Mahidol University, Bangkok.
He currently leads his own ground-breaking jazz workshop Groove Works in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. His own performance projects involve groups from duo up to full big band, and he has recorded albums with different sized units, all featuring his own compositions and arrangements. The most widely available of these include Island To Island (1998) and Smoke Signals (2009).
UKELELE workshop with guest musician
Guoliang Lee
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GuoLiang is a veteran music educator in Singapore.
After being accepted in Lasalle College of the Arts at the
age of 17, he has started teaching for the past 12 years
since he was 19 and is still going on strong. Guoliang also
has a Bachelor of Arts from James Cook University. GuoLiang has been active in the music scene performing at places; Fort Canning for Christmas shows, Blood Donation Program at Cineleisure as well as Esplanade waterfront with local pop band H20Six, performed at the Mosaic Jazz Festival as well as New Horizon concerts with Guest-of-Honour Minister Mr Teo Chee Hien.
In addition, Guoliang has also performed at various bars and pubs
such as Novus, Mandarin Hotel, Acid Bar, Stage Music as well as
Club Jojo, Ritz Carlton and several other wedding events. He has successfully nurtured several students into musicians and
teachers themselves, which he considers to be one of his
greatest rewards as a music teacher! Guoliang is the winner
of the Sungha Jung Guitar Competition 2016 and he plays a
Maestro Vera MR.
Various Musical performances on Wednesday:
8:50 Student performances, 9:30 G4.2 playing Jazz Suite,
10:00 Baptiste & Edwin, Bach Double, 10:15, Mr. Brandt, solo bass,
1:30, Mrs. Rodnite & Mrs. Tan, duo
Movement and Music for Younger
Students with Paola
An energetic workshop for little ones to move around to music in different ways and have some fun.
Angklungs - Indonesian music
experience with Kurniawati Darni
My name is Kurniawati Darnis—better known as-Upi. I am a mother with 2 lovely boys, Hakeem and Helmi, ages 18.5 and 16. I have a Masters in Business Administration background, but my passion is in photography. I love arts and crafts and I also love to try some new things.
As an Indonesian, I am very proud of the culture and traditional arts such as Batik, the famous fabrics originated from Indonesia. This year I wanted to share with you the wonderful Indonesian instrument known as an Angklung. Come along to learn how to play it yourself or simply listening to it being played by others.
Miss Tracy Tan
Music Teacher, Cellist
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Music has the power to transform lives as it did mine.
Not only did I get the chance to attend the esteemed music
specialist boarding school, Wells Cathedral School in England on full scholarship, I am the first cellist of my country to gain admission to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. My time in the Master of Music program in Juilliard influenced me profoundly in the form of community service through music. This extremely rewarding experience has spurred me to be an active promoter of community outreach through music in my professional life. I continuously draw on my experience studying on these two continents as sources of inspirations for my lessons.
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I have competed in countries such as Poland and France, performed in venues from Lucerne to Los Angeles during my decade as a performing cellist and taught students of multiple nationalities over many years. It is my experience that music is a universal language that binds together different cultures.
As a teacher, I have helped many students achieve their dreams whether it is to compete in international competitions, audition for scholarships to attend esteemed institutions or master the instrument of their choice. When I see students making music and having fun, I am reminded of why I am music teacher and how I hope to continue challenging myself in the field of music education.
Mr Chris Brandt
Music Teacher, Cellist
Christopher Brandt is a Music Teacher at GEMS World Academy (Singapore) (GWA Singapore), where he teaches cello in the primary years and general music in the secondary. Under GWA Singapore’s Music programme, all students Grades 1 – 5 are provided with either a violin or cello, with each student learning a string instrument.
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Christopher holds a Bachelor's Degree in music from Oberlin College & Conservatory in the United States and a Masters from New England Conservatory. Prior to his appointment at GWA Singapore, Christopher taught at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Hong Kong Baptist College. In addition to teaching, he has held full-time orchestral positions for the last twenty years and has worked with youth orchestras in Malaysia.
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Christopher was born in the United States but grew up in Japan and Spain. Since 1991, he has been living abroad in Hong Kong, Denmark and Malaysia.
Christopher’s interests lie in all types of music. Although his specialty is in classical orchestral music, he feels that one of the greatest things about teaching at GWA Singapore is that he and students are able to study and play music in a wide variety of traditions and styles from around the world.
Ms Daniela Rodnite
Music Teacher, Violinist
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Daniela Rodnite is a Music Teacher at GEMS World Academy
(Singapore) (GWA Singapore), where she teaches violin and
music to budding musicians at the school.
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Daniela was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in the San Francisco area. A graduate of a world-leading music conservatory, The Juilliard School, she is a prize winner of numerous fellowships and competitions and has travelled throughout the US, Europe, Asia and Australia as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player.
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After years of performing she felt the need to share her passion and experiences with young musicians. Drawing on her background of Orff, Kodály, and Suzuki, Daniela previously taught instrumental and classroom music to students of all ages in the US, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
She believes that music education is essential to the development of a global citizen. Music positively impacts interpersonal relationships and helps a child understand the importance of discipline in critical areas such as concentration, time management, work ethics, and self-improvement. Musical achievements and public performances also contribute substantially to healthy levels of self-esteem. She believes in music as an artistic expression and basic creative impulses should be nurtured from the earliest pre-school years.
In the classroom mutual respect is instilled and she strives to create an environment where students fall in love with the beauty of music.
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At GWA Singapore, Daniela is part of a team of specialists that delivers GWA Singapore’s international school music programme. The programme provides all students with the opportunity to create and respond within their music-making.
