Piano with Ms Ruby

🎹Sharing 🎼

Yesterday, I invited five students — Sophie, Natalie, Isabelle, Angela & Alice — to attend a symphony concert together. They have all worked very hard in piano practice over the past few months and improved a lot, so I wanted to reward them with this special musical experience.

The concert program included:
Jimmy López — Aino
A modern orchestral work with many different colours and moods. The music created lots of imagination and atmosphere.

Gershwin — Piano Concerto in F
A very exciting concerto combining classical music and jazz style. The rhythm and energy were amazing, and the piano had wonderful interaction with the orchestra.

Ravel — Daphnis et Chloé
A beautiful and colourful orchestral work. The sound of the orchestra was rich, detailed, and very powerful in the concert hall.

I was very happy to see the students watching the concert so attentively. Although they may not fully understand everything yet, they were truly amazed by the live performance experience.
I believe music learning is not only about exams and practice, but also about listening, feeling, and enjoying music. ❤️

#音樂成長 #小小鋼琴家

May 17, 2026

我邀請3位學生 Grace、Zita and Cypress，一起去欣賞 Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 音樂會。
我自己由細因為家庭關係，出入音樂廳多過入戲院。
一直覺得學習 Piano，不只是每天練習，多「聽」其實對音樂成長非常重要。放下電話，專心坐在音樂廳裡，親身感受每位演奏者如何用心完成每個音樂細節，那份震撼與感動，是錄音和影片很難完全取代的。
原來其中兩位學生，今次是人生第一次進入音樂廳欣賞 orchestra concert。能夠陪她們一起感受現場音樂，我覺得非常值得。

🎼 音樂會 opening 是
Concerto for Orchestra
由美國女作曲家 Joan Tower 創作。
這首作品非常有現代感與節奏感，與傳統 concerto 不同，並不是只突出一件樂器，而是整個 orchestra 每個聲部都有發揮機會。
有些段落非常緊張、充滿能量，木管、銅管與弦樂之間不停交換音樂線條，好像大家互相對話及競技一樣。現場聽會感受到 orchestra 的合作性與層次感，非常精彩。
對學生來說，亦是一個很好機會去接觸 contemporary music，明白 classical music 不只是「舊時代音樂」，其實也可以很有衝擊力與現代感。

第二首是 Piano Concerto No. 1
由 Sergei Rachmaninoff 創作。
這首 concerto 充滿青春感與俄羅斯式浪漫。雖然是他年輕時期的作品，但已經聽到非常澎湃的情感、大幅度技巧及華麗鋼琴聲響。
有些段落非常激昂，好像與 orchestra 對話；有些位置又很 lyrical、深情。作為 pianist，會感受到不只是「彈很多音」，而是如何在技巧與情感之間找到平衡。

最後一首是 Pictures at an Exhibition
由 Modest Mussorgsky 創作。
這首作品非常有畫面感，原本是鋼琴作品，後來改編成 orchestra version 後更加震撼。
整首曲像帶觀眾走進一個展覽館，一邊行、一邊欣賞不同畫作。每段音樂都代表不同「圖片」與故事，有時幽默、有時神秘、有時壯觀。
其中最著名的結尾 “The Great Gate of Kyiv”，氣勢非常宏大，像鐘聲響起一樣，非常震撼人心。現場聽 orchestra 演奏，真係會感受到音樂廳空間與聲音層次帶來的力量。

最後，Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 的 Woodwind 及 Brass section 都非常出色！
無論聲音層次、合作性、音色變化，都令我與學生們非常欣賞。現場聽到每位演奏者如何互相配合，真係會更加明白 orchestra 的魅力。

期待下次再帶其他學生，一起走進音樂廳欣賞現場音樂 🎶
——
English Version:

Wonderful experience bringing my students Grace, Zita and Cypress to enjoy the concert by Vancouver Symphony Orchestra yesterday.

I always believe learning piano is not only about practicing, but also about listening and experiencing live music. Two of my students visited a concert hall for the very first time, which made the experience even more meaningful.

The program included:
🎼 Concerto for Orchestra by Joan Tower
🎹 Piano Concerto No. 1 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
🖼️ Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky

The Woodwind and Brass sections of the orchestra were especially outstanding!
Listening to live orchestral music reminds students that music is not only about exams and techniques, but also about emotions, imagination and connection.

Looking forward to bringing more students to concerts in the future 🎶

✨✨It’s our show time🎹✨✨

June 14 Sunday
2:00-4:00pm
Studio 102, Shadbolt for Performing Arts, Vancouver

Our Performer:
Alecia, Alice, Anca, Angela, Audrey, Avery, Bella, Charis, Curtis, Cypress, Elton, Hayden, Isabelle, Karina, Kaitlyn, Kase, Katrina, Luke, Mavis, Natalie, Odin, Owen, Quintin, Riley, Scarlett, Shanice, Sophie, Sunny, Timmy, Tommy, Zita

Piano Solo
Four Hands
Six Hands
Mini Drama

🥳🥳🥳🎼
Congratulations to Luke Chang on achieving ABRSM Grade 5 Theory with Distinction — 66/75! 👏🎼

Every child learns at a different pace. Of course, teachers and parents always hope they can do even better, but before results, building the right mindset is even more important.

Through homework and daily practice, you can really see a child’s attitude towards learning —
Do they rush through carelessly?
Do they stop when they don’t understand?
Or are they willing to observe carefully, think repeatedly, improve their memory, and try again?

Learning music is never just about getting marks. It is about training patience, concentration, responsibility, and the habit of thinking deeply.
When children truly want to do well themselves, you no longer need to push them. They will naturally move towards their goals step by step. 🌱✨

👍Proud of your hard work, Luke! Keep going! 🎹📚

🎉 Congratulations to Kase Chan! 🎹
I’m so happy to share that Kase has achieved ABRSM Grade 8 with Merit (126/150) 👏

This result is not just about the mark—it represents a long and meaningful journey.
From the very beginning of learning each piece note by note, to building technical control and fluency, and then going further into shaping tone, phrasing, and understanding style—every stage requires patience, discipline, and thoughtful practice.
True progress in music is never instant. It comes from repeatedly refining details: listening more deeply, adjusting touch, controlling tone, and learning how to communicate through the instrument. This process of “磨合” between the player and the music is challenging, but it is exactly what builds real musicianship.

So, is Grade 8 the end?
Not at all. In fact, it marks the starting point of genuine piano performance. Beyond this level, it’s no longer just about playing the right notes, but about interpretation, character, and artistic expression—bringing the music to life with your own voice.

Well done, Kase. This is a milestone, and also the beginning of a much more exciting musical journey ahead ✨

#音樂成長

🎼🎹Parent Workshop

今日好開心可以同三位家長分享教學心得 😊

我特別安排了一個簡短體驗，讓家長親身試下「學琴」的感覺，包括如何認音、基本彈奏，以及了解音符與樂器之間的關係。當識得彈出正確音符之後，我哋再進一步探討——點樣加入音樂感與表達。
我亦同大家分享了一些實用的練習方法，例如：
用拍子機練習節奏、將樂曲分句子或每兩小節練習、分段及分手練習等等。
另外，我亦建議家長可以為小朋友設定練習後的小獎勵，例如貼紙、小休時間或者簡單的獎勵制度，讓小朋友更有動力持續練習，慢慢建立自信同成就感。

其實每位小朋友都有自己嘅性格同學習方式，作為老師同家長，都需要用唔同方法去引導同幫助佢哋。

希望家長們都可以試下陪小朋友一齊練習佢哋嘅樂曲，從中了解佢哋學習上的困難與挑戰，咁樣會更加容易支持同鼓勵佢哋 💛

#音樂成長 #小小鋼琴家 #鋼琴老師日常