Will Hay

Tag: newsletter

  • Grade 1 – Piano Exam

    (Updated Dec 2013)
    ABRSM Grade 1 Exam – The vital statistics: The current entry fee (2014) is £36.25. The next exam period is 3rd March- 5th April 2014 and the closing date for entry to these exams will be 24th January 2014. Alongside the playlist of demonstration videos for the current Grade 1 pieces, I have added some slow demo videos of some of the pieces which my students have specifically requested to help with their studies.

    The next in my vodcast series on piano exams. In this video, watch Amelia sit her Grade 1 piano exam. This time, not one of my videos,  ABRSM have staged an example of a Grade 1 piano exam which is a great way to give candidates an idea of what it is like to sit the exam. If only Stanley Palace, the venue used for the Chester exams was able to offer a wonderful grand piano as in this video! At least you can expect the same professional, supportive attitude from any of the ABRSM examiners, though the papers on their desk might not always be quite so beautifully aligned.

    ABRSM: Grade 1 Piano Exam Video

  • “Happily Ever After” Concert Series

    Happily Ever After Cover Photo

    The theme for the concerts this term is “Happily Ever After“.
    Dates, times, and venues are as follows:

    Sat 8th June 1100am – All Saints Church, Hoole
    Tues 11th June 0910am – St. Oswald’s School
    Mon 17th June 0910am – Upton Heath School
    Thu 20th June 0910am – Saighton School
    Thu 20th June 1020am – Eccleston School

    As well as themed solos on a variety of instruments, my students have been taking part in a number of collaborative compositions which should result in some intresting multimedia performances in the forthcoming concerts. Parents of those involved are welcome to attend the school concerts and anybody is invited to the first concert in the series at All Saints Church, Hoole.
    For this concert there is a ticket charge (suggested donation) of £3/adult, £1/child, proceeds of which go towards supporting a lesson bursary at  Kampala Music School, Uganda.

  • 2012 – Review of the year

    2012 is nearly over and it’s a chance to look back over the year and take stock of what has been achieved. I don’t think I’ve ever organised so many piano concerts in one year before.

    Over the past 12 months, there have been 16 concerts for my students to perform in around Chester. 36 of my students have taken exams including 19 prep tests and 2 theory exams.

    The themes this year have been Sea Idylls, Creatures Great and Small, and Going Places.

    Whilst the major project for the spring term featured a composition in a set format to run alongside a video I produced, the other terms featured collaborative video projects in which many of my students took part.

    The review video clip below features excerpts from some of the concerts which have taken place over the year.

     

    Some students have performed in as many as five concerts over the course of the year and their teachers in school have commented on how nice it is to see the progress they have made from concert to concert.

    The concerts at All Saint’s enabled another £300 bursary to be sent to Kampala Music School in June. The bursary is now providing piano lessons for Justus, a 22 year old university student.

     

    Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
    WILL

     

  • “Going Places” – Concert Series

    The theme for the piano concerts this term is “Going Places”. Concerts have been organised for the following dates:

    12th Nov – Upton Heath 910am
    13th Nov – Saighton 11am
    16th Nov – St. Werburgh’s 910am
    17th Nov – All Saint’s Church, Hoole 11am
    19th Nov – St. Oswalds 910am

    The concerts will feature mostly themed solos and duets and may also showcase some ensemble and composition work carried out during the term. They will conclude with the now customary sing-along video item which this term will involve children from every school taking part, thereby unifying the series.

    The concert at All Saint’s Church is open to anyone to attend and tickets are £3/£1, continuing to support the Kampala Bursary.

  • “Creatures Great and Small” Student Concert Series

    The banner above links to “The Geoffles Daily“, a daily photoblog of my kitten Geoffrey following his antics since he came to live with us on April 13th. The daily photos from the photoblog automatically syndicate to a facebook page and an evernote folder!

    Appropriately, the concert series this term will follow an animal theme with the title “Creatures Great and Small”. The school concerts will showcase the talents of my piano pupils within each school with a range of solos, duets and own compositions and each will culminate with this term’s multimedia collaboration project in which a number of students have taken part along with members of the Chester Music Society Youth Choir.

    Parents of the children involved are cordially invited to attend the concert in schools and everybody is invited to the final concert in the series taking place at All Saint’s which will again be supporting a Kampala Music School piano bursary with audience tickets priced at £3/adult and £1/child.

    St. Oswald’s, Mollington – Friday 15th June at 9:15am

    St. Werburgh’s Primary – Monday 18th June at 9:10am

    Saighton School – Friday 22nd June at 9:10am

    Upton Heath Primary – Monday 25th June at 9am

    All Saint’s Church – Saturday 30th June at 11am

    A concert preview video below features excerpts from the Spring Concert Series earlier this year.