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by Jeehi Kwak, MA in music

Gitameit staged an impressive concert, "Good to Go," in Yangon on February 16, raising US $500 for two Hlaingthaya monastery schools that the music centre has adopted and entertaining a 100-plus crowd. More than just raising money for charity, the concert really demonstrated how far the Gitameit Music Centre has come in its three years. Gitameit’s staple choir, Gitapella, put on a rousing show, although its bass section at times let it down. People forget how important the bass is. It is really the root, or starting point. A tree cannot grow without a stable root, just as a choir can’t soar without a stable bass part. Gitapella’s bass singer at times had trouble reaching some of the low and high notes. The choir has a pleasing middle-range (mezzo-alto) section though, with a warm and innocent sound that is untrained but fresh. However, one of the sopranos needs to watch her scooping, which means letting the centre of a note slide in pitch. Scooping is fine for pop tunes, but it does not fit with the ensemble’s classical repertoire which includes works like Mass and Requiem. It is a challenging job to sing a capella and given that this choir has only bee around for three years - not long by classical choir standards - they are doing an excellent job.

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by Kyaw Kyaw Tun

When foreign musicians visit Southeast Asia, Gitameit, Yangon’s leading music school, wastes no time in snapping them up for a workshop. That is how Austrian musician and conductor, Goesta Muller, came to be holding a class in Yangon two weeks ago for 30 students from Gitameit, Thamine Church and one of the leading international schools. Mr. Muller said that while staying in Bangkok, he was contacted by Gitameit founder Kit Young. "Through her invitation, I got the chance to come here," he said.

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by Ma Thanegi

Gitameit is a combination of two words: ‘gita’, meaning music, and ‘meit’, meaning friendship. Artists came together in friendship at the centre last week from across the globe; from the United States, Thailand, Hong Kong, Germany, and Myanmar; for a week-long workshop culminating in two truly unique performances the likes of which had never been witnessed by Myanmar audiences before.

The repertoire of each evening was based on the theme of ‘night, moon, and dance, also the title of a poem by workshop participant and Myanmar poet, Nyein Way. In Myanmar, the words are simply formed with one letter of the alphabet each: Nya, La and Ka. Artist San Oo, usually known as MSO, performed the poem, which was the inspiration for the evening’s performance.

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by Kyaw Kyaw Tun and Khin Nyein Aye Than

Gitameit Music Centre, one of Yangon’s leading music schools, will host an arts and cultural exchange from December 3 to 9. Five foreign artists coming from as far afield as New York will work with local artists for a week. German theatre director Manual Lutgenhorst, Americans, singer Thomas Buckner and bass clarinetist Bohdan Hiulash, Thai dancer Pradit Prasartthong, and Hong Kong composer John Chen will be in Myanmar to share their respective artforms with local people.

Gitameit Music Centre has organized the event with sponsorship from the New York based Asian Cultural Council (ACC). According to Gitameit music teacher Kit Young, the ACC supports cultural exchange in the visual and performing arts between the United States and Asian countries. "Through this, the program aims to establish long-term relationships among artists in the world," she says. "This is also a cross-cultural exchange program. It aims to break down borders and sponsor understanding through art and creativity. It also aims to develop individual artist’s creative potential," she adds.

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by Khin Nyein Aye Than

The number of private music schools has grown in Myanmar in response to a greater demand for formal tuition. U Moe Naing, the director of Gitameit Music Center and also a teacher at the school, told the Myanmar Times the school started in 2003 with about 30 students. That number has now grown to a hundred. "Most young people feel they should know something about music, as a hobby or an accompaniment to their other studies. But about 10 percent of our students are really interested in music and have a very strong passion for it," U Moe Naing said.

"When I visited Myanmar to give some concerts and study Myanmar piano, I was approached many times by students very anxious to have me teach them piano technique, theory and repertoire. I was very impressed with their thirst to learn. The idea of developing a school with courses of study appealed to all of us - so Gitameit was born," Kit Young, artistic advisor at Gitameit, told the Myanmar Times.

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by Kyaw Kyaw Tun

The Gitameit Music School held a Mozart tribute night on June 11th and almost 100 visitors crammed themselves into an upstairs auditorium to watch the student pianists and violinists work their magic. The recital named "Mozart Festival and More" was presented by music teacher and Gitameit founder, Kit Young, and her students and included several great composers including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Diaiel Gottlob Turk.

Ms Young led the performance wearing a black t-shirt and a Myanmar longyi and told the audience, "Sometimes when we listen to music that isn’t familiar to us, it all sounds the same and we can’t hear the differences and details in each song. By organizing a concert that focuses on Mozart’s music and other pieces from the early classical period, we are focusing on each composer’s individual style so that our students can gain a greater understanding of each piece," she said.

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by Kyaw Kyaw Tun

Gitameit, a private music association, held a performance of vocal, violin, and piano skills in Thaming Karen Baptist Church in Mayangone Township on the evening of March 6. Gitameit music trainees, 23 boys and girls in all, dressed in light green and black suits and showcased their talents.

They started with a choir singing There is a Lady, Grace, and What a Wonderful World conducted by Gitameit’s full-time trainer, U Moe Naing, followed by the piano students. Tun Tun, a student, sang You’ll Never Walk Alone and Tonight accompanied on the piano by students Olive and Bosco.

The highlight was the performance of Drittes Trio Op. 1 No. 3 of Beethoven by Thuta on piano, Saw Lin Lwin on violin and James Saw on cello. And the finale was the combination of the three choirs on Choo Choo Boogie, Hakuna Matata, and Children of the New World.

The students were proficient, and their performance was much enjoyed by the audience.