Mitchell Young Pirates?

Captain Stevenson, Angie LeChuck and Daft Petey

Another great musical devised by Mitchell Young Voices director, Michelle Griffin was enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience last weekend at All Saints Cathedral. As I entered the hall, I was greeted by three exotic characters, who also looked strangely familiar. There was something about Captain Stevenson, Angie Lechuck and Daft Petey that made me think I'd met them before.

As it turned out, I had never previously met the good captain, but when he's not a pirate who doesn't do anything he is Geoff Griffin, the father of musician, teacher, composer and conductor Michelle Griffin.

Angie is Mitchell Conservatorium's Cindy Fox and Daft Petey is talented actor, radio announcer and musician Ryan Fitch.

These three narrated the story, creating a suitable introduction and conclusion to the program.

Kathy Powell is not just the mother of talented Mitchell Conservatorium students Courtney, Timothy and Luke Powell, but is also a great singer and the perfect person to play the part of the evil Miss Elizabeth Black, who makes the orphaned children drink a nasty concoction of Brimstone and Treacle ... or tries to.

Mad Cap'n George

Michelle Griffin makes a grand entrance as the Mad Cap'n George singing Gilbert and Sullivan's Oh, Better Far To Live and Die and gave an excellent impression of a pirate who is one wave short of a shipwreck.
She cleverly kept in character through the whole proceedings: even when handing out prizes for the best-dressed pirate.

I enjoyed hearing the pirate orphans singing Paul Jarman's songs Find The Way Home and Far Away Our Home. You may remember Paul as the composer of the moving song, Pemulwuy

Does this map really lead to buried treasure?

Mitchell Young Voices provides a great way for young people to enjoy music through participating in singing, dancing and acting. If you'd like to be part of their next production, please ring Mitchell Conservatorium during office hours on 6331 6622 to find out about rehearsal times.

Love, Chemistry and Cryogenics

Another entertaining show devised by Mitchell Conservatorium's Michelle Griffin, showcasing her talents and those of Mitchell Young Voices is being thawed as we type this and will be ready for your consumption on Friday 23rd March, 2012 at 6 PM and Saturday, 24th March, 2012 at 7 PM at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

The program also features Cameron Moor as Michelle's lab assistant and a band which comprises of Aaron Hopper (guitar), Andrew Smith (percussion) and Cindy Fox (piano).

To find out more about Michelle and this new show, you might enjoy reading Maryanne Jaques' interview in the Western Advocate's online feature site.

What Is The Easiest Instrument To Learn?

Reggie McKay

The ukulele may be the one of the easiest instruments to play, as this picture may reveal. You don't have to manage six strings as guitarists do, on the standard ukulele, and its size suits small hands.

But, as Michelle Griffin, Mitchell Conservatorium teacher, will tell you, it takes skill and practice to play any musical instrument well.

Jay Laga'aia's My Ukulele reminds us of the instrument's Hawaiian roots.



And Jake Shimabukuro's amazing rendition of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, shows what the humble ukulele can sound like, in the hands of a virtuoso.

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.)

The greatest musical instrument?

Michelle Griffin, with Jonathan and Maureen Lewis

If you're going to learn a musical instrument, you might as well choose the best one! But which instrument is it?
Eusebius got taken to task on facebook recently when he quoted Kenneth Miller's comment that

No other acoustic instrument can match the piano's expressive range, and no electric instrument can match its mystery.

Violinists, recorder players and organists were out in full force, protesting vigorously.

I have to admit that there is an even greater instrument than the piano. And everyone's got one. It came free when you were born, included in the price. No batteries required.

Learning singing is a great way to begin studying Music, and is an essential element in becoming a musician, because it helps to you fulfill Schumann's great statement that

To be a musician you must have music not only in your fingers, but in your head and heart, too

Singing engages your body with your musical soul more directly than pushing keys, blowing through a tuba or hitting a cymbal. But once you have your own instrument (your voice) operating efficiently, it becomes easier to get the connection when you play a tin whistle or cello, or whatever you'd like to master.

And our three teachers above can help you to develop this great instrument: your own voice!

Come into the Con, in the Courthouse building [right-hand wing] in Russell St or ring 6331 6622 to get started!

Free sheet music

Would you like some sheet music that you don't have to pay for? Everyone loves a bargain, so it is not unusual that musicians and music students like to hunt on the internet for free copies!

And there is plenty of stuff available, though some comes with a sting in the tail. Let me explain.

Some internet sites have plenty of free sheet music, but it is not of high quality. You will find copies of your favourite pieces of music that are hard to read, poorly notated and that have musical errors in many free sheet music sites. And there are other sites that may send viruses to your computer, or leave something behind after your visit.

But here are two great, reliable sites:

1. The Petrucci Music Library. On 10th August, 2010 there were 68 thousand scores available on this site.

These scores are mainly pieces of classical music that are over 75 years old and consequently out of copyright. You can find music for almost any instrument you can think of at this site, as well as scores and parts for orchestral and chamber music.

Some of the scores are poorly scanned, or the original that was used was of poor quality. Some of the scores are of an older, inferior edition to the ones we use today.

But many of them are very good quality, and you can't beat the price.

Courtney Powell, with teacher Michelle Griffin, in Rising Stars concert

2. Richard Harris, composer and arranger has kindly placed dozens of great, mostly simple arrangements on his personal site which he allows you to download for free. Richard's arrangements are simple, but do not dumb down the original piece of music.

Richard asks you to register, because he would like to know who is visiting his site, but after registering, you can download as many pieces as you like.

Here are a few of my popular favourites from Richard's site:
The Great Escape theme.
The Ghostbusters Theme who ya gonna call?
Blueberry Hill [which comes from the 1940s: I always thought it was a song from the 50s]
I'm A Believer
We Are The Champions
Nutrocker [a fun, jazzed up version of The March from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, originally performed by Bumble Bee and The Stingers]

Richard's site also includes many lovely arrangements of well known pieces of classical music and [is it too early to mention it?] lots of Christmas music.

If you find you enjoy these arrangements, you would certainly like his books of popular songs and film music, published by Faber.