Divided into three categories namely, Junior (ages 12 & below), Intermediate (ages 13-18) and Open (ages 19-28), the competition is split into two rounds, national and international. Up to 80 per cent of the net proceeds of the competition will be donated to various non-governmental organisations in the country.
To participate in the competition, interested readers are first required to register online at http://www.1stmckpiano.com before the closing date on Saturday, July 15. Each participant must then submit a video on a piece of their choice, ranging from baroque, romantic, modern to jazz, before Monday, July 31.
Based on the video submissions, ten participants from each category will be selected to proceed to the national round at the National Department for Arts and Culture (JKKN) Perak on Saturday, August 26. The top five participants from each category will then be selected to represent the nation and stand a chance to win a P. Ramlee Upright Piano at the international round held at Hotel Casuarina@Meru from October 2 to 4.
Director of MTC Event Sdn Bhd, Grace Antoni Tang, hoped to introduce music education to schools, as music has been scientifically proven to enhance academic learning.
Peter Chua, executive director of Distinctone Sdn Bhd, main sponsor of the competition, said that by introducing music to the education system, it complements the emphasis placed on academic learning.
“Many parents emphasise a lot on academics but none on music, as they’re not aware of the importance of music education in their children’s lives. We need to let them know that music classes are just as important as tuition classes,” Chua concluded.
Leanne Tan
