A remarkable Australian

I thought I had put all of this week's papers in the recycle bin, but discovered that a page had fallen out of Tuesday's edition of the Sydney Morning Herald and was sitting on the kitchen table.

I'm so pleased that I hadn't thrown it out, because it contained a great story about one of the world's most remarkable musicians.



Leslie Howard has a place in the Guinness Book of Records for completing the largest recording project by a solo artist. This project is his 99 cd set of the complete piano works of Franz Liszt. He has also recorded another 60 or so cds, giving him the largest discography of any solo instrumentalist. And he has the largest repertoire of any pianist who has ever lived.

Mr Howard has recorded and performed more than 300 premieres of Liszt's piano works. He prepared many of these himself, by working systematically through Liszt's unpublished manuscripts.

Leslie Howard was born in Australia and achieved fame as a young man on Showcase, a 1960s talent program. He has lived in England since 1972, but has regularly come back to Australia to give concerts and masterclasses.

In 2011, Liszt's bicentenary, he will perform three concerts in Sydney, including

Discovering Liszt, a lecture-recital at Sydney Conservatorium on Friday, 6th May

a recital of Liszt and Rachmaninov pieces at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith on Saturday, 21st May

and a two piano recital with Simon Tedeschi at Angel Place on Thursday, 26th May.

A bit of fun

Many years ago when I was in crowd control (which some people call high school music teaching) one of my students made a comment about the operatic aria I was playing his class.

Peter pointed out that while adults grizzle about not being able to understand the words sung in rock songs, he couldn't understand a word of the song, though it was being sung in English.

I'm pleased this amusing Facebook song has the text included. Peter had a point! (I've been told that German is the only language which you can understand when it is sung by an opera singer ... provided that you understand German.)

Congratulations to Brisbane's Gordon Hamilton and The Australian Voices for a beautifully produced video of their entertaining song.

Blitzing your way through your music-making

Have you seen this picture somewhere before? Do you know what it is?

Some people call it a thirty-second note and others call it a demisemiquaver. But where have you seen it?

If you recognise it, you have probably been using one of the terrific resources which Samantha Coates and her friends have been providing for the past ten years. Her Blitz Books have lots of these cute pictures combined with the general knowledge tips, music theory information and practical help with sight-reading that can help you to blitz your way through learning to play and doing music exams.

At the Blitz Books downloads page, you will find heaps of completely free worksheets and samples to supplement the books.

There is also a most interesting blog with lots of articles about aspects of music-making, which includes practical advice for teachers and students.

These resources have been a tremendous help to hundreds of teachers and students throughout Australia, and through the internet, also for people in other parts of the world.

Australian Music Legends

James Morrison has posted this historic footage of himself on his Youtube channel. Proof that he once had lots of hair.

He is playing with Australian Jazz legend, Don Burrows. Don is now 82 and is still occasionally performing and when he does, it's a treat as this video from Australia Day, 2010 shows.

When the video of James Morrison was recorded, he was a young promising star. I wonder what young promising stars are lurking at Mitchell Conservatorium this year?

The secret of James' success? Talent of course, but also taking every opportunity he could to perform and meeting and listening to the great jazz players.

Success? Easy!

To achieve great things, two things are needed:
a plan,
and not quite enough time.
Leonard Bernstein, great 20th century conductor, composer and music teacher

Barbara Bruce, OAM

We are delighted to announce that former Mitchell Conservatorium piano and music theory teacher, Barbara Bruce, has been awarded an Order of Australia medal, in recognition of her services to Music, as a pianist, teacher and mentor.

Mrs Bruce was a teacher and also for a time, director, of Lachlan campus of Mitchell Conservatorium. She can now put OAM after her name. Congratulations, Barbara!

The little man in the Paris underground?

Some people think a metro gnome is a short busker in Gay Paree. But a metronome is a whole nuther story, according to these two cats. Thanks to Michelle Griffin, Piano and Singing teacher at Mitchell Con, for sharing this video with us. (No, they're not her cats.)

3 year old Jonathan conducting Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

Director of Mitchell Conservatorium, Fiona Thompson pointed us to this terrific clip of a young man who, despite his young age, shows he really knows the work he is "conducting." Notice how he changes tempo and metre appropriately, just before the recording.

And doesn't he enjoy himself!