Last Wednesday evening, a number of young pianists were treated to individual attention from adjudicator Dr. Ronald Morgan of Vancouver after they had completed their piano recitals. The extremely learned adjudicator went through the piece they had performed and made suggestions on how they can improve.
Isaiah Bromley Singh is one of the lucky few pianist who managed to get some individual time with Ronald. During Isaiah’s 7:30pm piano recital, where he performed Chopin’s Waltz in C sharp minor’, Ronald had paid careful attention to him play. After the performance, Isaiah had the opportunity to sit down with Ronald to hear what he has to offer. “I like it to start a little softer… take your time at the end [of the piece],” Ronald suggested when he took a look at his notes and reviewed it.
He went on further to pinpoint parts that could be improved. After Isaiah played it again for Ronald, he was rather satisfied with it. “Yes, success. I find myself talking about this a lot – about looking at the big picture. Take a step back and listen to it to see where you are going [with the piece],” Ronald stated. In his adjudication, Ronald mentioned that Isaiah could make improvements to his playing technique such as “flying over” the keys with his wrists, while still “articulating” with his fingers. At the same time, he pointed out a spot in the music where he felt Isaiah did a relatively good job in. “I love this shaping and what you were doing here,” he said.
The best part of the whole individual session is that there are two pianos are on stage. This allows the adjudicator to play the piano next to the student and show how mistakes could be corrected or simply how the music could sound better after each time a tune is played. Adjudicators do play a vital role in the music festival not merely as judges, but also as mentors who often shape the future of young musicians such as Isaiah. Ronald is one individual who made it his life’s work to help others learn. Currently, he also teaches piano at his own studio in Burnaby, Canada. For the full story, you can read more here.
At Awesome Piano, we have a pool of teachers ready to assist students in learning to play the piano. Do take note that the teachers we recommend are all certified and have either a Grade 8 or higher. For more information, do refer to our website.