On Friday, I got a couple of passes to Yamaha's Asia Pacific Junior Original Concert. The APJOC is a showcase of talents borne out of Yamaha Music's Education System, and boy, what a showcase.
Every year some 35,000 compositions are submitted from all over the world. The best from Asia Pacific perform at the annual APJOC all around the region. This year, however, the concert is hosted here in Malaysia. The last one was in 2001, and the one before, I attended in 1996.
We took Jesse there, since its probably the only concert he'll be allowed in at his age. Besides, we were curious to see how he'd take to such a show. He was so into it that he sat quietly for most of the 2-hour concert.
The music was amazing, ranging from charming little numbers on the piano to complex symphonies played out on the Electone. With the quality of the compositions on show, it's easy to forget that these kids are actually performing there very own original compositions.
Halfway through this 8-year old's riveting piece, Jesse starts bouncing on my lap excitedly. "Daddy, I wanna learn this," he says, pointing at the handsome Electone on stage. I smile weakly at my son, while, in my mind, I'm working out monthly repayments, interest rates, and stuff from home I can bring to the pawnshop.
So yeah, if anything, the APJOC is a great big propaganda to get you to enrol your kids at Yamaha. Next year, Jesse will be learning music with the school's Junior Music Course. And Daddy will be eating cheap instant noodles for lunch everyday.
NOTE: Go read Dustyhawk's review of the concert.
let him learn the drums or the violin. Chicks dig, men who can drum a beat and pull a string.
ReplyDeleteChicks dig musicians, depending on the popularity or trend as per media jazz....Electone is fine...but the question is, will he get disenchanted with the instrument before you get to finish paying up the loan? :p :p :p
ReplyDeleteHaving lad music lessons the conventional way (1:1) myself, I'd say the JMC learning experience is more fun for kids! hey you get to sit in the class too ;)
ReplyDeletePoor daddy..! never mind.. sacrifice now.. and you'll have a good old age home to go to.. when you are old. muahahhaha!!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I learnt music through Electone. Its really exciting, I kid you not. Had mine 1 on 1, from the age of 4 till 18... graduated with a diploma. Monthly, having a teacher came to the house to teach, cost my dad RM80, but as the years went by, it was around $150, 4 lessons a mth. That was 6 years ago, don't know abt now la.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in the long run, if Jesse's really talented, put him into something orchestra-able. I have a friend studying in London, plays the violin part time for musical theatres, earning abt 150pounds a show, thus parents didn't send any allowance.
Its good that Jesse sounds keen. In the long run, it might just pay to have him musically inclined since young.
Yes, Serge, which is why we got him a toy drum kit and a toy violin. :lol:
ReplyDeleteThen, Maggie, we'll have no choice but to sell him off as child labour. HAhah..
DG, I hope so.
Yeah MamaBok. With any luck, they'll teach music at the home. Hahahah!
Amyzing, I like the part about not sending allowance. HEheh.
I love my days at Yamaha JMC. It was a fun way of learning music! I'm sure Jesse Boy would like it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, took some pictures of Jesse from Saturday's swimming. Well, he wasn't really swimming but at least he was able to dip his legs into the pool.
Anyway, will email it to you once I got it uploaded on my comp. - Joanne Che Che.