Two's Company- CD Booklet Article (2016)
Growing up as a young musician, one of the highlights of my personal existence was to be found in learning to play piano duets with friends. For most young pianists, long, solitary hours at a piano are customary, tackling all those scales and solos. But those occasions where one could go piano lessons together, visit a friend’s house, and have fun talking about music and everything else in one’s world were cherished. The pedagogical and social importance of the piano duo medium has long been recognised by teachers. To see students enjoy the stage with other like-minded musicians, learning to listen more deeply and working together towards a shared interpretation, is a sincere joy.
It was largely with these ideas of bringing pianists together that the first Australian Piano Duo Festival was held in Brisbane, 2012. As a core part of the festival, involving an international and national cast of outstanding pianists, there were masterclasses and performance opportunities for young piano duo teams. Placing young musicians at the heart of the festival - performing and learning alongside the professionals - was an important part of Artistic Director Jenni Flemming’s vision.
Fifteen-year-old Jazmine May explains that through playing duos, “I have learned to listen more to not only the other people I'm playing with, but also to myself, and to really focus on the blend and overall sound that is created.” “You can't just go at your own pace,” echoes 10-year-old Josephine Hogarth. “You have to listen to each other.” Jacob Mui, 13, refers to the importance of “cooperation” and “teamwork” with one’s duo partner, and 11-year old Odette Chellew-Halford describes the comfort and responsibility that playing with another person brings. “It makes practice more enjoyable, and if a small mistake is made, it may go unnoticed, perhaps more so than playing alone. But also, the opposite can happen in that you have a duty to the other player to get it right.” Isaac Graham, 14, agrees. “To play a duet well, first you must be fluent in your individual part, so that later you can devote your concentration on working together. It is also important to know the other persons' part thoroughly.”
As I write this note, the third successful Australian Piano Duo Festival has just taken place. The keyboard students of the Young Conservatorium Queensland Conservatorium have shown a maturity and professionalism that defies their years. This year, the young performers involved were aged between 7 and 16. With their dedicated teachers, they worked towards presenting a diverse program of classical and popular pieces, from Bach to James Bond. The pieces “contrast in atmosphere, and are from a range of time periods”, explains 15-year-old Mya Whatson, “which makes them more fascinating and enjoyable to listen to and play.”
The students discuss their varied pieces with many shared references to “energy”, “excitement”, “character” and “contrast”. Ashleigh Whatson, 13, explains that “it’s fun when the parts fit together like a jigsaw puzzle”, and how important it is to ensure “the music makes sense to not just you and your partner, but also to convey those characters to the listeners so that they can also enjoy the performance.”
The recording process has been a new experience to every student. Nine-year-old Joshua and 7-year-old Amelie Liew expressed that they were “excited that we could actually be on a CD, and to experience how it was made.” Mya describes that it was “a different kind of adrenaline to performing for an audience. The sound equipment was extremely sensitive, so every note you play, and sound you make could be heard. As a result of this, there was the pressure to be precise and decisive about every move you made and every note you played. I loved playing with my partners in the hall without an audience; we were having fun, even without there being people watching us play in the same way.”
“The recording was really fun and such an amazing experience,” concurs Ruby May, 13; “… even more so that I got to enjoy it with my friends and sisters!”
We hope you enjoy this recording of these young pianists as much as they had in putting it together. Their musical growth and camaraderie has been a pleasure to witness.
Long may it continue!
Angela Turner
Specialist Lecturer in Piano, Young Conservatorium, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
Executive Producer