Notes Studio began its first lessons in December 2009, but it wasn’t until March 2010 when we had the grand opening for the studio. The day of the ceremony was an eventful one and full of the sort of celebratory loud noises so prominent at occasions such as this.
The official opening began with a tour of the studio and an introduction to the courses available. This was followed by a performance by the lion dance troupe. The loud clanging noise of the cymbals and the steady beat of the drums brought to our doorstep plenty of interested passersby.
Kim and Arathi, two students from Notes Studio were the emcees for the day. After a brief introduction on the studio and the instructors who will be teaching there, Ms. Sherlyn, the principal gave a short speech to commemorate the event. A slideshow featuring student testimonials closed the introductory session of the day. The slide show itself was a demonstration of the talent that would soon be seen at the studio as the backing soundtrack was provided and performed by Mr. Chin, one of the piano instructors.
Student performances were next, and 10 year old Marissa Hemmi opened the show with a suitably titled vocal rendition of Lenka’s ‘The Show’. 13 year old Jacky Chai was next with a piano performance of the popular Carpenters hit, ‘Close to You’. A vocal duet was soon followed by 16 year old Arathi and Honoka. They both sang ‘Killing Me Softly’, a mature performance which was very well received by the crowd.
Next was a student-instructor duet by 13 year old Samantha and Ms. Wan Ying. From the both of them was a vocal medley of the songs, ‘Something There’ and ‘A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes’. Marrisa who was only 7 gave a delightful little drum performance to the song ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’. This was followed by 14 year old Jane’s violin solo titled ‘Go Tell Aunty Rhody’.
The group performances began with 14 year old Apurva’s collaboration with the instructors. The performance featuring the song ‘That Thing You Do’ was led by drum instructor Mr. Aie. An all girl vocal performance was next. The girls involved were Marissa, Avery, Marcella, Jane, and Tharra. The girls entertained the audience with a very fun and colourful Abba medley featuring the songs ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Dancing Queen’. The performance list came to an end with a closing performance by the instructors. They performed the song ‘Jazz Standard’ and were led by guitar instructor Rowen and drum instructor Mr. Aie.
The opening ceremony marked many things to come for the studio and we were delighted for the chance to have our students and instructors play for us on this very special day. The opening of the studio is a dream come true for many people and it is our hope that Notes Studio will become a hub where many people will come together and connect with music as a common ground.
As we look back fondly on the day of our official opening, we remind ourselves again of our studio’s philosophy which will continue to guide us in the days to come.
To play music, create art, and have fun.