16 March 2019
A valuable donation of educational sheet music to aid PASI
The Dionysus Ensemble is the Ensemble in Residence for The Commonwealth Resounds, one of only two accredited music organisations within the Commonwealth and is actively working in the United Kingdom, to raise funds, as I have previously written about, to be able to travel to Honiara in the near future to conduct a practical teaching project for the talented, young members of the Piano Association of Solomon Islands (PASI)
The Piano Association of Solomon Islands (PASI), the music organisation in The Solomon Islands, enables children to learn various instruments, not simply the piano.
The children receive tuition only once or twice a year and have to manage alone apart from that.
The proposed project would provide expert instrumental teaching for the children currently studying as part of PASI, and culminate in a showcase concert at the end of the project where they would perform alongside internationally experienced professional players.
It undertaking the proposed project, the Ensemble would also work with local teachers and parents to share their teaching expertise so that they would have a wider range of techniques and resources available to encourage and enthuse the children going forward.
It would be hoped that by giving the adults a greater repertoire of practice techniques and study materials to draw on, there would be longevity for the children after the project as they would get more experienced help in between lessons.
Dionysus Ensemble believes their project could bring an exciting and invaluable range of experiences and opportunities to all involved in PASI which would really spur them on, as well as hopefully working to put in place the beginnings of more regular and structured music tuition.
Last week the Dionysus Ensemble was privileged to give a recital at the Commonwealth Day service on 11 March attended by H.M. the Queen and several members of the Royal Family.
Following the service, Dionysus Ensemble announced, via its Facebook page that it had received a very generous set of sheet music from a renowned UK publishing house to support their planned project on behalf of PASI.
The Ensemble continues to receive donations to its appeal on behalf of PASI and is looking forward to being able to visit the Solomon Islands in the very near future.
We would be much indebted to Dionysus Ensemble being a well-known virtuosic chamber ensemble with a string quartet at its core if the proposed project is achieved and I offer my sincere thanks to the UK musicians and their donor partners for going the extra mile to aid PASI and music education generally in the Solomon Islands.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
