THE MAGAZINE
“People’s attitudes have changed a lot:” Busking on the London Underground
“People’s attitudes have changed a lot:” How a Lanyard and a Sticker Changed the Perception of Busking on the London Underground.
Practicing without your instrument? The benefits of mental practice
Practicing away from your instrument might seem like a contradiction. If you think the only practice that counts towards your 5 hours a day are the hours spent beavering away in a stuffy practice room, it’s time to explore the power of mental practice.
Interview: Rae Yue Pung, pianist
Rae Yue Pung is a 21-year-old pianist from Singapore who recently released her debut album “Piano Sonatas” on all digital platforms. TWoA talked to Rae about classical music education in Singapore, her musical journey, and the challenges and rewards of embarking on the transition from highly-gifted child musician to mature artist.
Alis Huws, Former Royal Harpist: “It's the 21st century. We shouldn't be the ones expecting people to come and find us in a concert hall. I think you have to go to them.”
Find out from former Royal Harpist Alis Huws about the special connection between the harp and Wales, about her time as Official Royal Harpist, and about the healing power of music. Right in time for the festive season, be enchanted by Alis’s tales of blind medieval bards and the coronation of a king, of compassion and the gift of music.
How do we teach about female composers?
There is no question that women can be incredible musicians – brilliant composers, performers, conductors, theorists, and writers. In the last forty or so years, there has been an enormous surge of interest in shedding light on the lost music of female composers. But as we begin to fill in these gaps, what exactly is the best way to go about it?
Nahre Sol, Pianist and Composer: Composing Variations on the iPhone Ringtone “Opening”
Do you enjoy watching classical music content on YouTube or Instagram? If the answer is yes, you are probably a fan of Nahre Sol, the Juilliard-trained pianist, composer and content creator. TWoA talked to Nahre about composing variations on an iPhone ringtone and much more.
Birthday Celebration: A PlayLiszt for Beginners
A very special day is coming: Franz Liszt’s birthday! And what better way to celebrate his 213th than by sight-reading through some of his best tunes.
Pianist Glenn Gould’s Radical Neurodivergent Legacy
Glenn Gould is one of the most famous classical musicians of the 20th century, and also one of the most misunderstood. We need to radically reconsider this amazing pianist and realise that his life is not the tragedy of a defective mind but the triumph of a neurodivergent one.
What is Your Star Sign? “Tierkreis” by Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007) once said, “I want to live in the future.” His composition Tierkreis (Zodiac) is a vivid example of avant-garde music pushing the boundaries of what we traditionally consider music, much like abstract art, which challenges our perception of visual reality.
Why John Cage’s provocative ‘silent piece’ is still powerful today
A musical composition consisting of 4'33'' minutes of silence? Are you kidding me? Find out more about John Cage's provocative, iconic piece from someone who performed it.
Bayreuth, 13th August 1876
It is a sweltering hot August day in 1876, and a mass of keen Wagner fans are crammed into the small Bavarian town of Bayreuth, spilling over the sides of the streets. Traffic jams of horse and ox carriages block the roads. Find out what happened next!
The Secret to Playing like Horowitz: A Look Into Classical Improvisation
Legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz once said: “I play the way I feel at that moment. The head – the intellect – is only the controlling factor of music making. It is not a guide. The guide is your feelings.” Hector Wolff makes the case for including classical improvisation in your music making.
Spencer Rubin’s Guide to New York
Spencer Rubin is an oboe student at The Juilliard School in New York. He has earned numerous grand prize and first place awards in national and international competitions and has performed as a soloist with orchestras. He grew up on Long Island, just outside Manhattan. TWoA talked to Spencer about his favourite things to do in the Big Apple.
Did Composers Wing It? Four Piano Pieces that Imitate Birdsong
Bird calls have been firmly nested in classical piano music even as far back as the Baroque era. Here are four more recent pieces giving the well-deserved spotlight onto our feathered friends.
Spencer Rubin, Oboe Student, The Juilliard School: On Oboe Reeds, Juilliard and Favourite Oboe Concertos
Spencer Rubin is an oboe student at The Juilliard School. He has earned numerous grand prize and first place awards in national and international competitions and has performed as a soloist with orchestras. Spencer is also a trailblazer on social media, making classical music and the oboe accessible through his channels on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. TWoA talked to Spencer about his musical journey, the oboe and much else.
Considering Practice, Remembering Fun
Bravery requires fear: “I wish I could tell you whether the rest of the recital went well or not, but honestly I wasn’t even listening to myself, I was just thinking: Don’t fuck up. Don’t fuck up, or you’ll have wasted all of their time. Don’t fuck up, or they’ll all wonder why you were asked to play in the first place. Don’t fuck up, or they’ll find out that you’re the worst organist in Cambridge. “
Press A to Play: The Power of Video Game Music
The next time you are unwinding with a video game, see if you can notice how the music changes as you progress – and consider the challenging process the composer went through to make this possible!
Noa Kageyama, Performance Psychologist (The Juilliard School): Making Performers Bulletproof, Part II
This is part II of our interview with performance psychologist Noa Kageyama. Noa is on the faculty of The Juilliard School, teaching performing artists how to use principles of sport psychology to perform to their full abilities under pressure. TWoA talked to Noa about beating performance anxiety, building confidence, effective practice and building mental resilience.
Noa Kageyama, Performance Psychologist (The Juilliard School): Making Performers Bulletproof, Part I
Performance psychologist Noa Kageyama is on the faculty of The Juilliard School, teaching performing artists how to use principles of sport psychology to perform to their full abilities under pressure. TWoA talked to Noa about beating performance anxiety, building confidence, effective practice and building mental resilience.
Guest Composer: Daniel Liu, Clare College, University of Cambridge
Composing can be similar to creating a puzzle. Find out from composer Daniel Liu (final-year student at Clare College, University of Cambridge) how to construct a short ‘musical machine.’