GPOY! Photo by Tina Fiveash

Is this picture missing something? Possibly some singing children, methinks.  I’ve been asked to be a special guest artist for Gondwana Choirs annual Christmas extravaganza “Voices of Angels” which is fantastic.  The only thing is that there’s not enough room to get the piano on and off stage quickly, so it has to stay in the orchestra pit.  Maybe for one number that might be ok (the pit in the City Recital Hall is actually at floor level!) but not for a whole bracket.

One solution would be for me to write a new piece for toy instruments, played by me and by children, with children singing too. Then we’d all fit on stage at once. Could be cute ‘n’ quirky, don’t you think?

GPOY. Even just a year ago, I’m sure I wouldn’t have imagined myself playing this instrument professionally… yet here I am. Lol.

Each New Year, I like to get to know a composer I’d not had time to acquaint myself with all year… And this year, I thought I’d share my little ritual with you all. Meet Phyllis Chen, toy pianist and pianist and composer; she rocks!

Happy New Year!!

The Smule Ocarina.

I’ve been thinking about which instruments to play when I record the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for my album.  Had already settled on Toy Piano and Melodica, but I needed a flute-like instrument for the whistling bit…. and then I remembered my favourite iPHone toy.  This will be perfect!

Thank goodness for ‘flight mode’ on the ol’ iPhone.  It would be terrible to have to stop in the middle of a recording session to take a call from your instrument!

Bach for a toy instrument.  Should I consider recording this? I’d need an airfare to NYC (from Sydney, Australia!), a whole day at FAO Schwarz and an offer of free accommodation.  All offers gratefully received!

Some music arrived in the post today - Elena Kats Chernin’s Russian Rag (and other rags).  And I just discovered that she loves the toy piano too.  Researching this album continues to bring me little serendipitous discoveries. Hooray!

Yann Tiersen plays the toy piano.

Toy piano - is there any way to sit at one with good posture? I’ve not seen much pictorial evidence to the contrary, I must admit. Hm.

It occurred to me today that something from Couperin’s Pieces de Clavecin might be an interesting addition to my album.

On the toy piano of course! *giggle*

Priere No. 3 by Yann Tiersen

Whilst this isn’t the greatest performance in the world (frustratingly out of time!) I just love the editing on the video.  Simplicity is best!

Padam Padam by Henri Contet and Norbert Glanzberg.  Performed by Edith Piaf.

I thought this might be fun to record on toy piano.  And melodica? Or something…? Should I or shouldn’t I? Is this all getting a little too frivolous? I dunno…

Margaret Leng Tan, toy piano soloist.  She is an inspiration to me (and omg, she worked with John Cage!)

The jury’s still out on what repertoire I might record on the toy piano for my next album

This is a top-of-the-range Schoenhut toy piano.  Given that I’ll be recording my next album on a top-of-the-range Stuart and Sons piano, it makes sense that whatever toy piano I record on is also the best that money can buy :p

Margaret Leng Tan has a peculiar penchant for toy pianos.  Here she performs her own arrangement of Philip Glass’s “Modern Love Waltz” for two toy pianos.

This is solid gold. I want to meet her!