Vocal / Voice Coach - Jo Shanahan

Very proud of pupil Matthew Curtis. Congrats to the Matilda cast for this fab review!

Matilda the Musical is a must-see for theatre-loving families and revolting maggots alike - keeping up with NZ Matilda The Musical is on at Bruce Mason Centre until 13 October including a New Zealand Sign Language Interpreted Performance - Thu 10 Oct, 7.30 pm.

Adeel Surendran dedicated many sessions with me to get his voice 'match fit' - fantastic results as he secured lead roles in Musical Theatre productions for the past 2 years. Well Done Adeel! (video created by Adeel during NZ previous COVID lockdown)

Jess!ca is a NZ songwriter/musician who I have coached since she was 13 years old! It's a privilege to observe and assist Jessica on her journey in the music industry.

Jess!ca Artist · 11 monthly listeners.

🎶❤️🎶

What an extraordinary & wonderful gesture...the healing power of music!

During World War II, Steinway & Sons air-dropped pianos with large parachutes and complete tuning instructions into the battle for the American troops. Called the Victory Vertical or G.I. Steinway, the pianos were to provide a bit of relaxation/morale booster. The pianos came in olive, blue, and gray drab.

By the end of the war, Steinway & Sons had provided about 5,000 pianos to the U.S. military around the world. They had 4 sons and a few cousins who served. (Source: Love Classical Music)

The power of music…

An interesting social experiment…

“ In Washington DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After about four minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At ten minutes, a three-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At forty-five minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After one hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?”

The Love Rabbi-Yisroel Bernath