09/02/2025
AFYM Swansea Festival – February 7th, 8th, and 9th
We had a fantastic time at the AFYM Swansea Festival, where our pupils performed brilliantly across various categories. It was wonderful to have Leonora and Paul join us for the event, making it a truly special experience.
Friday Highlights
Jason impressed everyone with his engaging introductions before playing his solo piece, Haunted House, and the duet Gypsy Band.
Jason took me to Brunch at his Chinese Restaurant in Bryn y Mor Road where we had dumplings! Photos below.
Sohrab gave a fantastic performance of Tuxedo Jazz and was awarded a Gold for his efforts and hard work.
Megan played beautifully in the competitive Grade 3 section, earning a Certificate (3rd place) for Grade 4 Cloudscapes.
Peyton also gave strong performances in both Cloudscapes and the Grade 3 category.
Saturday Performances
Saturday featured a variety of performances, including duets and solo pieces. I had the pleasure of performing the Tango duet with Leonora.
My solo performance was Caballos, while Leonora captivated the audience with Moonlight Sonata and Tugela Rail.
One of the most thought-provoking moments of the day came from the adjudicator’s comments on Moonlight Sonata.
He remarked, “Everything is in the score except the most important bit.” What did he mean by this? Essentially, while the notes, rhythms, and dynamics were played correctly, the true essence of the piece—the emotion, phrasing, and interpretation—needed to be felt beyond what was written on the page.
It was a valuable insight into the depth required to bring a piece to life.
Sunday Reflections
Sohrab participated in the non-competitive section and received an outstanding review.
The adjudicator even suggested that he might have a future as a jazz pianist!
The festival concluded on a high note as Sohrab and Megan won Gold for their duet performance of Tango.
Well done to everyone!
It was an incredible weekend filled with inspiring performances and valuable feedback. Congratulations to all our pupils for their hard work and achievements!
All pupils spoke Introductions clearly and confidently. 🎹🎶🎹🎶
Please send me photos, I’m not allowed to post the videos.