While roaming Youtube the night before last, I found this video from a show called “A Little Nightmare Music”, by the music comedy duo Igudesman and Joo. In this clip, they make fun of excessively flamboyant opera singers…

Violinist Aleskey Igudesman and pianist Richard Hyung-Ki Joo have been friends since the age of 12 when they met in the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School. They have combined their musical genius and sense of humour in hope to achieve their shared goal: to bring “classical” music to a wider audience.

To find out more and to see more clips from the show, visit www.igudesmanandjoo.com

It is widely believed that talented musicians only emerge from families with a strong musical history. And for a long time I have thought that this is a big misconception. There is no doubt that growing up in a musical family has its rewards. Indeed, such heroes of classical music as Mozart and J.S. Bach owe much of their success to their families; Mozart and his equally gifted sister were taught by their father, while the tradition of music in the Bach family traces right back to Johann Sebastian’s great, great grandfather.

So does this indicate that growing up surrounded by music is necessary in order to become a successful musician?

I believe not. From my own experience, musical ability does not belong solely to those born into families of musicians. Neither of my own parents are musicians, nor did I get piano lessons as a toddler. There are many talented and successful musicians in the world with very limited musical background. British concert pianist Richard Meyrick is a fine example. None of his immediate family were musicians, and he had no piano teacher until his teens; yet at 16 years of age he won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London, and now performs at concert halls around the world.

So how did Meyrick become the successful concert pianist he is today? How did he even discover his talent in the first place? The answer is simple. He was inspired!

Inspiration is the key to discovering and exploring one’s skills. It is also the reason why growing up with music in the family can be valuable to a musician’s development. Meyrick discovered his passion for music when his father took him to a performance by a famous concert pianist. The Norwegian composer Grieg, taught piano by his mother from the age of six, was inspired by the passionate amateur performances of his parents and their friends.

So, is it true that a person’s heritage determines whether or not they are musically intelligent? My answer is no: music is not inherited, it is inspired!

Today I decided to take some photos of the beautiful Cork School of Music for my first blog post. If you’re ever around the school do pop in for a look as it’s a beautiful building buzzing with life! I’ve only been there since September 2008 but it feels like a second home. Here’s a little background on the college & the new building.

The CIT Cork School of Music, opened in 2007, is located on Union Quay, overlooking the River Lee. The building boasts the most advanced architectural design, as its “box within box” construction offers excellent sound insulation in each of its tuition studios. Among its facilities are the 450 – seat Curtis Auditorium, a smaller “black-box” theatre, a highly advanced recording studio, an electronic music studio, the Fleischmann Library, an Audio lab and seperate Music IT lab, and over 50 Steinway grand pianos. The building also supplies a bistro, and student and teacher common rooms. The school offers full-time Bachelor and Master Courses in Music Performance and in Composition. Directed by Dr. Geoffrey Spratt, the Cork School of Music is a highly regarded centre of music education, both nationally and internationally.