Piano Recital

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jackichan

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Jun 23, 2011
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Thought of sharing my experience with all SD Classical Music lovers --

Early this year i decided to get on my piano playing skills and joined the la Academia Dominicana de Musica (approx 2blocks from the intersection of Av. W Churchill & the 27th). The classes have been great, the music teachers are very knowledgeable and resourceful. Yesterday we had a recital for one of the students playing the early works of Bach, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy & Falla. I'd highly recommend the institute to all parents and adults willing to get their music skills together.

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The pics appear a little blurred it was a pain getting a clear focus from my sitting position.

Happy Thursday!
 
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windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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I have great deal of respect for people that can play that kind of music. I am a keyboard player myself and my instructors tried to have me go the classical route. I could not do it. The ability to memorize such music is not a skill I possess. It was popular music and rock and roll for me.

Just before I left the US I was biding my time while selling everything I owned and I worked at a piano store. I noticed that Yamaha grand pianos as in your picture (and their pianos in general) where much more suited to popular music than to classical. The classical lovers tended to prefer Kawai pianos over Yamaha in that price range. The Yamaha pianos have a very bright sound not as suited for classical music, but they cut well in a popular music mix.
 
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jackichan

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Jun 23, 2011
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windeguy said:
I have great deal of respect for people that can play that kind of music. I am a keyboard player myself and my instructors tried to have me go the classical route. I could not do it. The ability to memorize such music is not a skill I possess. It was popular music and rock and roll for me.

Just before I left the US I was biding my time while selling everything I owned and I worked at a piano store. I noticed that Yamaha grand pianos as in your picture (and their pianos in general) where much more suited to popular music than to classical. The classical lovers tended to prefer Kawai pianos over Yamaha in that price range. The Yamaha pianos have a very bright sound not as suited for classical music, but they cut well in a popular music mix.
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Yes, the ability to memorise requires alot of skill and dedicated practice. I find reading at sight being more useful specially on those dull days when the brain is experiencing "memory leaks" lol.

Hey here's a piece im certain you can play. Look out for 4.33 by John Cage :)
 
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windeguy

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jackichan said:
That's the point. It's one of the most controversial art works of the 20th century.
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I know I was only joking with you on that point about the "silence". When I was in school I had a music professor name Joel Chadabe, he was very much into that kind of alternate performance. We had one of the original Moog Modular synthesizers for use during one of our classes. It was however, forbidden to bring a keyboard into the room with the Moog. Everything produced had to be done by "hand".

Now back to the DR. Are there any such performances closer to the North Coast?
 
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jackichan

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I remember the first time to watch the 4.33 performance it had me checking my youtube and computer sound systems hahaha. It takes some level of ingenuity to appreciate such works.

Sadly im not sure about tradional-classical type music in the north coast. I lived there for a little more than a year and never came across a music school, not even see an upright piano (despite the countless expats in the region). Santiago has a national theater, never been there so can't tell much about it.

I'll try to ask around though.
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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I'm a sucker for Classical music... Don't know how it happened but it did. I think it was from our music class (which was more the history and basics of music) at the Instituto Evangelico back in the days...

The closest to anything classical composition that sounded like music was a piece by Giovanni Palestrina (Gloria)(mass) which we got to listen to during one class. After that the teacher (a violinist) played some pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Chopin. That nailed the thing deep into my skin, so to speak.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons is like cocaine for the soul... What a trip to have the whole thing played live for you!
 
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jackichan

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Jun 23, 2011
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PICHARDO said:
I'm a sucker for Classical music... Don't know how it happened but it did. I think it was from our music class (which was more the history and basics of music) at the Instituto Evangelico back in the days...

The closest to anything classical composition that sounded like music was a piece by Giovanni Palestrina (Gloria)(mass) which we got to listen to during one class. After that the teacher (a violinist) played some pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Chopin. That nailed the thing deep into my skin, so to speak.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons is like cocaine for the soul... What a trip to have the whole thing played live for you!
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I loooove Vivaldi's Four Seasons i have an entire cd pack of it sitting on my book shelf. I believe such music introduced to kids at early ages adds on to their intelligence,, and puts them a step above their "average" counterparts. You should thank your music teacher
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
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Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
jackichan said:
I lived there for a little more than a year and never came across a music school, not even see an upright piano (despite the countless expats in the region). Santiago has a national theater, never been there so can't tell much about it.

I'll try to ask around though.
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We had one in the Evangelico for music class and for events, it was a Baldwin Grand. The music director played the piano while Neil Armstrong played on the horn with him and the other music teachers during his visit to the Evangelico. He gave us a nice speech and was very open to answer questions about his trips to space and the Moon. Can you believe he talked Spanish!

We got lucky as back in those days companies would be interested in engaging the school kids directly unlike today. We got plenty of visits from GTE technicians from Codetel, from NASA, Gulf and Western, AT&T, and a lot of local companies...

I don't think they even include music as a subject in the curriculum anymore in most schools in the DR. Sadly so...
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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My literature and arts teacher was a Dominican poet (also a teacher at UCMM then) and his common invitee to our class was none other than Pedro Mir...

We had Yoryi Morel and Candido Bido visit on occasion, with many visits by Vela Zanneti.

We were a lucky bunch then!
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
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Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
jackichan said:
Pretty impressive.
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Well, at the time we didn't have any idea of how good we had it with them coming to our school and pay us a visit from time to time to discuss arts and literature. Now we look back when we do our school reunions and just recall how lucky we were...

Our music and literature teacher was published in the 3 newspapers in the DR at the time, he was a well regarded poet and critic.

It helped a lot that in those early times the Instituto Evangelico had many high up connections in the Evangelical community in the USA and elsewhere, so we got to meet lots of relevant people of the time.

Too bad that today the quality of education is not to par to old times...
 
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jackichan

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Jun 23, 2011
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PICHARDO said:
Well, at the time we didn't have any idea of how good we had it with them coming to our school and pay us a visit from time to time to discuss arts and literature. Now we look back when we do our school reunions and just recall how lucky we were...

Our music and literature teacher was published in the 3 newspapers in the DR at the time, he was a well regarded poet and critic.

It helped a lot that in those early times the Instituto Evangelico had many high up connections in the Evangelical community in the USA and elsewhere, so we got to meet lots of relevant people of the time.

Too bad that today the quality of education is not to par to old times...
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Don't just sit back and reminisce, do something about it. I'd think the institute has a strong alumni and with some commitment and dedication, you all can bring some change. And ofcourse push for the 4% funding.
 
PICHARDO

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
jackichan said:
Don't just sit back and reminisce, do something about it. I'd think the institute has a strong alumni and with some commitment and dedication, you all can bring some change. And ofcourse push for the 4% funding.
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It's not the money, but the quality in a system that's over 50 years old. You can't fix that by adding however many billions you add to the education spending in the country. This is where more people are at a loss in regards to education in the DR.

The 4% in the budget will only create a bigger waste of money and a bigger problem to fix later.

We can do rather excellent with the present budget and the right educational system in place. Add some world qualified teaching staff and presto!

The problem in our educational system is not the money or the students, it's the system and the teacher's qualifications.

And just so you know, there's something being done about it with yours truly support along a lot of other Dominicans. You'll see the fruit of that once the number of staff is ready to start the evolution or our educational system in the DR!
 
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jackichan

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Jun 23, 2011
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PICHARDO said:
It's not the money, but the quality in a system that's over 50 years old. You can't fix that by adding however many billions you add to the education spending in the country. This is where more people are at a loss in regards to education in the DR.

The 4% in the budget will only create a bigger waste of money and a bigger problem to fix later.

We can do rather excellent with the present budget and the right educational system in place. Add some world qualified teaching staff and presto!

The problem in our educational system is not the money or the students, it's the system and the teacher's qualifications.

And just so you know, there's something being done about it with yours truly support along a lot of other Dominicans. You'll see the fruit of that once the number of staff is ready to start the evolution or our educational system in the DR!
Click to expand...

I can tell im going to be in the DR for a minute. I'll be a living witness to the transformed education (quality) system.
 
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