1. Can you give me a general introduction of NUSPE?
Yes, after reading our history page in our blog, we will now show you a more insider look of our group. Under the structure of NUSPE, four sub-committees, concert management, publicity and publication, welfare and Concertino work together to carry out the daily functions and to organise activities. You will be asked to join one of them and form family groups with like-minded people. Family groups will take turns to conduct general sessions every week.
On top of it, if you pass the audition, you will be able to represent NUSPE to perform in public recitals and concerts. With the help of our Music Director, we provide weekly coaching to fine-tune your piano skills and ensembleship. If you unfortunately do not pass the audition, do not miss the chance to showcase your talent in our internal performances (Concertino) in which you may be “head-hunted” directly to join our performer pool! Please refer to Audition FAQ for more details regarding the audition.
NUSPE recruits both undergraduates and graduates who are studying in NUS. We strongly recommend you and your friends to join our Welcome Tea on the 16th August and try out our audition. We hope to meet you there in person.
2. What do members do in NUSPE?
NUSPE welcomes all music-enthusiasts with or without music background. Contrary to what most people think, a concert is not just about the pianists. Without the following supporting functions, our performers would have no stage to perform on and no audience to perform to. (:
Concert management:
Concert management crew work behind the scenes to ensure the concert runs smoothly. Some coordinate the entire pre- and post-production progresses, e.g. stage design, video editing, etc., while others handles sound and lighting for the stage. Front-of-house officers greet the audience at the door, accounts for ticketing and usher people to their seats. This is particularly important when house lights are down and the theatre is dark. Finally, let's not forget our wonderful emcees, who introduce the show as well as the performers and pieces. All crew members answer to our Production Manager, who is a member of our Exco.
No previous crew experience is required. We will provide training, and you'll have lots to learn! Crew signups will be held before concerts, with priority given to active members with good attendance.
To potential crew members: Signing up is a commitment. Anyone who does not show up for training/rehearsals/concerts will be dealt with severely and may be blacklisted during future events.
Publicity and Publication:
Our publicity and publication committees design our flyers, posters, program booklets and other promotional material, and takes care of our website and blog. They answer to our Publicity and Publications Secretaries, who are members of our Exco.
Design and writing experiences are preferred but not compulsory. Ultimately NUSPE is a place where you can acquire skills besides playing the piano. Many of our alumni found the software skills (e.g. photoshop, illustrator) and text writing experiences with NUSPE particularly useful when they launch their careers.
Welfare:
Members in this committee help in organising welfare activities for NUSPE, such as concert outings, sports sessions, and contributing ideas or facilitating music related games and quizzes. Additionally, together with the welfare director, who is a member of our Exco, welfare committee members help manage our studio booking system and library.
If you have the passion to make NUSPE a family-like place and hone your communication as well as event organising skills, do consider joining this committee and do your part in putting a smile on everyone’s face. :)
Concertino:
Facilitating the program of our internal concerts is the Concertino committee. Members in this commitee help to recruit performers for the in-house concerts, organise the sequence of repertoire and come up with powerpoint slides (among other things) to accompany the concerts.
If you like organising events and want to help others gain a platform to show off their musical skills, this committee would be just right for you.
3. What concerts / performances does NUSPE hold each year?
We hold 2 major concerts a year: ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) and Touch.
Additionally, NUSPE is regularly invited to perform at external concerts, such as Melodias, at the Library@Esplanade and the annual collaborative Tri-University Concert with the other 2 universities in Singapore. Community outreach performances are also conducted during “off-peak” periods
Besides large-scale public concerts, we also hold internal concerts, the Concertino series, to provide performing opportunities especially for non-performing members. We especially encourage those who wish to share their favourite piece of music or gain feedback on their examination pieces to sign up for Concertino.
You may find out more information at the Concert Page.
4. What music do you play?
Our core repertoire is classical, with a strong focus on duo piano. Duets and (rarely) solos are featured in the smaller concerts. We also perform other types of music such as jazz and contemporary, and also collaborate with other instruments/voice. Please visit our new Youtube channel to get a good impression of our repertoire.
5. When are your general sessions?
Weekly sessions are held every Friday, 6.30pm - 7.30pm, in CFA Practice Room 4/Studio 7. Please refer to the Session page in our blog for the upcoming activities.
6. What happens during these sessions?
Session activities change from week to week; family groups will take turns hosting the sessions. Typical activities range from Music Appreciation, Music Sharing, Concertino (our internal concert), Music Quizzes, Concert run-throughs, Feedback Sessions, Masterclass (Masterclasses with professional pianists such as Mr Geoffrey Saba.
7. Is it compulsory to attend these sessions?
We dislike forcing our members to attend these sessions and instead, would prefer it if all members attend out of interest and passion for NUSPE. However members are required to fulfill 70% of the attendance in order to have access to our room-booking system i.e. one must attend at least 70% of the sessions to be granted access to book studios in CFA.
8. Will joining NUSPE help me secure housing on campus?
NUSPE has 2 to 3 guaranteed places for campus accommodation under the Residence Admission Scheme. Priority for these places will first go to the Exco, then concert crew, subcom members and finally members. Hence we’re looking for members who are interested in piano music and consider housing a side benefit, not the other way round.
9. Are there pianos in school to use?
The CFA houses practice rooms which have pianos for practice. They are open exclusively to CFA group members such as us NUSPEians. Priority will be given to performers with upcoming concert duties. This has been worked into our room-booking rules - max booking hours per week varies for performers and non-performers. To access our booking system, click the “Studio Booking” tab above.
If you are an exchange student looking for a place to practice for one semester, please contact nus.pianoensemble@gmail.com. Availability of rooms is subject to our members’ needs.
10. Is there a membership fee?
An annual membership of $5 is required for all incoming and existing members. Incoming members will be issued our NUSPE membership card for the current AY while current members will have their membership card renewed. The NUSPE membership card allows you to book our piano studios in CFA and also to order to cover our operational expenses for concert outings, welfare outings.
For graduate students and exchange students, we will collect a membership fee of $5, where you will also be issued the membership card and granted room booking access for this current work year.
A replacement fee of $5 will be charged if you should lose your card.
Your membership with NUSPE can be life-long. Many of our alumni are frequently invited back to perform with us and join our events. Also, do not forget the privilege of booking our music studios which are equipped with well-maintained iBach and Yamaha grand and upright pianos. So, invest early and smartly for your music journey in NUS.
11. I want to learn how to play the piano...
We DO NOT teach people how to play the piano. However, some of our current members alumni are piano tutors. Do let us know if you would like to get in touch with them. Importantly, you will meet music enthusiasts just like yourself, with whom you can explore the world of music.
If you have further questions which have not been addressed in this FAQ, please e-mail us at nus.pianoensemble@gmail.com, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can (:
On top of it, if you pass the audition, you will be able to represent NUSPE to perform in public recitals and concerts. With the help of our Music Director, we provide weekly coaching to fine-tune your piano skills and ensembleship. If you unfortunately do not pass the audition, do not miss the chance to showcase your talent in our internal performances (Concertino) in which you may be “head-hunted” directly to join our performer pool! Please refer to Audition FAQ for more details regarding the audition.
NUSPE recruits both undergraduates and graduates who are studying in NUS. We strongly recommend you and your friends to join our Welcome Tea on the 16th August and try out our audition. We hope to meet you there in person.
2. What do members do in NUSPE?
NUSPE welcomes all music-enthusiasts with or without music background. Contrary to what most people think, a concert is not just about the pianists. Without the following supporting functions, our performers would have no stage to perform on and no audience to perform to. (:
Concert management:
Concert management crew work behind the scenes to ensure the concert runs smoothly. Some coordinate the entire pre- and post-production progresses, e.g. stage design, video editing, etc., while others handles sound and lighting for the stage. Front-of-house officers greet the audience at the door, accounts for ticketing and usher people to their seats. This is particularly important when house lights are down and the theatre is dark. Finally, let's not forget our wonderful emcees, who introduce the show as well as the performers and pieces. All crew members answer to our Production Manager, who is a member of our Exco.
No previous crew experience is required. We will provide training, and you'll have lots to learn! Crew signups will be held before concerts, with priority given to active members with good attendance.
To potential crew members: Signing up is a commitment. Anyone who does not show up for training/rehearsals/concerts will be dealt with severely and may be blacklisted during future events.
Publicity and Publication:
Our publicity and publication committees design our flyers, posters, program booklets and other promotional material, and takes care of our website and blog. They answer to our Publicity and Publications Secretaries, who are members of our Exco.
Design and writing experiences are preferred but not compulsory. Ultimately NUSPE is a place where you can acquire skills besides playing the piano. Many of our alumni found the software skills (e.g. photoshop, illustrator) and text writing experiences with NUSPE particularly useful when they launch their careers.
Welfare:
Members in this committee help in organising welfare activities for NUSPE, such as concert outings, sports sessions, and contributing ideas or facilitating music related games and quizzes. Additionally, together with the welfare director, who is a member of our Exco, welfare committee members help manage our studio booking system and library.
If you have the passion to make NUSPE a family-like place and hone your communication as well as event organising skills, do consider joining this committee and do your part in putting a smile on everyone’s face. :)
Concertino:
Facilitating the program of our internal concerts is the Concertino committee. Members in this commitee help to recruit performers for the in-house concerts, organise the sequence of repertoire and come up with powerpoint slides (among other things) to accompany the concerts.
If you like organising events and want to help others gain a platform to show off their musical skills, this committee would be just right for you.
3. What concerts / performances does NUSPE hold each year?
We hold 2 major concerts a year: ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) and Touch.
Additionally, NUSPE is regularly invited to perform at external concerts, such as Melodias, at the Library@Esplanade and the annual collaborative Tri-University Concert with the other 2 universities in Singapore. Community outreach performances are also conducted during “off-peak” periods
Besides large-scale public concerts, we also hold internal concerts, the Concertino series, to provide performing opportunities especially for non-performing members. We especially encourage those who wish to share their favourite piece of music or gain feedback on their examination pieces to sign up for Concertino.
You may find out more information at the Concert Page.
4. What music do you play?
Our core repertoire is classical, with a strong focus on duo piano. Duets and (rarely) solos are featured in the smaller concerts. We also perform other types of music such as jazz and contemporary, and also collaborate with other instruments/voice. Please visit our new Youtube channel to get a good impression of our repertoire.
5. When are your general sessions?
Weekly sessions are held every Friday, 6.30pm - 7.30pm, in CFA Practice Room 4/Studio 7. Please refer to the Session page in our blog for the upcoming activities.
6. What happens during these sessions?
Session activities change from week to week; family groups will take turns hosting the sessions. Typical activities range from Music Appreciation, Music Sharing, Concertino (our internal concert), Music Quizzes, Concert run-throughs, Feedback Sessions, Masterclass (Masterclasses with professional pianists such as Mr Geoffrey Saba.
7. Is it compulsory to attend these sessions?
We dislike forcing our members to attend these sessions and instead, would prefer it if all members attend out of interest and passion for NUSPE. However members are required to fulfill 70% of the attendance in order to have access to our room-booking system i.e. one must attend at least 70% of the sessions to be granted access to book studios in CFA.
8. Will joining NUSPE help me secure housing on campus?
NUSPE has 2 to 3 guaranteed places for campus accommodation under the Residence Admission Scheme. Priority for these places will first go to the Exco, then concert crew, subcom members and finally members. Hence we’re looking for members who are interested in piano music and consider housing a side benefit, not the other way round.
9. Are there pianos in school to use?
The CFA houses practice rooms which have pianos for practice. They are open exclusively to CFA group members such as us NUSPEians. Priority will be given to performers with upcoming concert duties. This has been worked into our room-booking rules - max booking hours per week varies for performers and non-performers. To access our booking system, click the “Studio Booking” tab above.
If you are an exchange student looking for a place to practice for one semester, please contact nus.pianoensemble@gmail.com. Availability of rooms is subject to our members’ needs.
10. Is there a membership fee?
An annual membership of $5 is required for all incoming and existing members. Incoming members will be issued our NUSPE membership card for the current AY while current members will have their membership card renewed. The NUSPE membership card allows you to book our piano studios in CFA and also to order to cover our operational expenses for concert outings, welfare outings.
For graduate students and exchange students, we will collect a membership fee of $5, where you will also be issued the membership card and granted room booking access for this current work year.
A replacement fee of $5 will be charged if you should lose your card.
Your membership with NUSPE can be life-long. Many of our alumni are frequently invited back to perform with us and join our events. Also, do not forget the privilege of booking our music studios which are equipped with well-maintained iBach and Yamaha grand and upright pianos. So, invest early and smartly for your music journey in NUS.
11. I want to learn how to play the piano...
We DO NOT teach people how to play the piano. However, some of our current members alumni are piano tutors. Do let us know if you would like to get in touch with them. Importantly, you will meet music enthusiasts just like yourself, with whom you can explore the world of music.
If you have further questions which have not been addressed in this FAQ, please e-mail us at nus.pianoensemble@gmail.com, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can (:
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