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Educators Day Success P.2

Our Favourite Brands P.3

Travel Tips, NAMM P.4

Events Guide 2016

AUTUMN 2016

Travel Tips: Schedules Have you ever taken a long distance flight with an

appointment close to the arrival time? Tip: always

keep at least half a day clear on your arrival day.

This time I could not.

My first appointment at the NAMM show in Los

Angeles was 11am. No probs I thought, as QF 93

had me arriving at LAX at 6.35 in the morning;

that’s four and a half hours to spare and usually

two hours needed. Too easy. Except for FOG! For

the first time ever in my travels, fog resulting in

the A380 diverting to Sydney; a three hour delay!

Tip: just pack carry-on luggage. For International

flights, a 50cm wheely case and a computer bag

will generally squeeze in your basics for a week.

Tip: remember if you are going to a dry climate

like Los Angeles, hand-washed clothes will often

dry overnight.

Meanwhile, when time is tight nothing lines up!

Carry-on luggage meant I was able to have a quick

exit through customs. However the Shuttle Van

had just left and the Taxi rank was quite a walk.

“How much to Anaheim?” I asked the Taxi

supervisor.

“Depends on the meter!” he replied

“Approximately?”

“Well… maybe 80 to 100 dollars.”

This is US$ of course, so multiply by 1.5 to equal

Aussie dollars. I had no choice, taxi it was.

Tip: Taxi drivers make wrong choices too. We

went the long way and I could see my destination

ahead while we sat in a traffic jam.

“Pull over driver I will walk!”

With a speedy check in, shiver shower shave

shampoo and shoe shine meant that at 10.50am I

was ready to be at the meeting right on 11am.

Then an SMS arrived from my appointment…

“slight delay but I’m on the way”. Ha ha. Happy

travelling. Bernie C

381 Canterbury Road, Ringwood, Vic, 3134 P:03 9872 5122 www.musicland.com.au

Event Guide

NAMM SHOW

Los Angeles, January 21-24 It has been labelled “the Greatest Show on

Earth”. This year’s Winter NAMM Show at the

Anaheim Convention centre in California

certainly stood up to its reputation and was an

outstanding event. Official attendance figures

broke records with over 101,000 delegates and

1720 exhibitors. The figures are just a small

part, as the whole production demonstrated

the years of dedication required to make such

an extraordinary event.

The Convention Centre alone is a massive

venue. Imagine a broad boulevard with central

walkway and Hotels either side, leading to the

main building with three exhibition levels. The

walkway between the Hilton Hotel and the

Marriot runs for about one hundred meters

and has become an amazing welcome area

with Badge collection, major performance

stage plus food vans lining through to the main

entrances. The massive palm trees help you to

remember that you’re in the real world!

To give you an account of the full event would

require a book… however my trip highlight was

meetings with Musico’s major suppliers

including; Hammond, Suzuki, Hailun-Bernstein,

Schimmel, Orla and Genio. I checked out the

impressive stands by Roland and Casio, and it

was great to see their new models.

Overall the Show had a high-tech gadget feel

about it. Many stands showcased effects and

synthesis products. The use of headphones is a

God-send in such a show. To watch people

jigging around when you have no idea what

they are hearing is quite amusing. Enjoy the

photos below... Bernie C

Visit Bernies Today For

NEW “ORLA” ROCKSCHOOL NEW SPECIALS

A stylish new range of digital pianos

for home or on the road. “The

Sound of Italy” offers superb tone

and incredible prices from just $899

Full range of Piano books for

Rockschool examinations,

ranging from Debut level to

grade 8 are now in stock!

Check out our March specials

in-store and online for an

incredible range of deals on

pianos and organs!

MARCH

Tues 1st A Night With Hector Olivera

Feature Artist on Classic Organ

Wed 2nd Teacher Seminar: Reading

Between The Lines (Darryl Coote)

Wed 9th Hammond Jazz Quartet with Jon

Wade

APRIL

Wed 6th Discovery Workshop: Inside the

Piano

Thur 7th Players Afternoon

Wed 13th Teacher Seminar: Christopher

Norton in Workshop

Thu 14th Christopher Norton Live at Bernies

Feature Artist on Piano

Tue 19th Johannus “Live” Organ Launch

and Premier Night

MAY

Wed 4th Teacher Seminar: Do Tone and

Touch Matter (Prof. Max Cooke)

Thu 12th Steve Sedegreen Live at Bernies

Feature Artist Piano Jazz Trio

JUNE

Wed 15th Organ Magic with Tony Fenelon

Feature Artist on Modern Organ

Wed 29th Bernstein Masterclass (Series

Commence)

Thu 30th Discovery Workshop: Inside the

Piano

FULL DETAILS:

www.musicland.com.au/news-and-events

BOOK NOW:

www.musicland.com.au/news-and-events

Phone: 9872 5122

Left: catching up with

Jon Hammond and

Jenny, the international

Bernstein Hailun team

celebrate on April 19 with the showcase of

the new LIVE 111 release. This is a

sensational advancement in digital organs

from that amazing company – please

make sure to join us.

On March 20 the Team of Pianists start

their concert season with a superb Dinner

Concert at Morning Star Estate featuring

the superb Schimmel ‘Vase’ grand piano.

You may remember this grand piano from

previous newsletters where we have

shown pictures of the magnificent walnut

cabinet with harp inlay in the lid and side

panels. This instrument will be featured in

a delightful autumn / winter series of

dinner concerts, so you can be truly

indulged.

Special thank you to all those who have

contributed to this newsletter including

Craig, Jordan, and Lester. It is great to

have Michelle back part time to keep us in

line and thanks Michelle for editing and

collating this newsletter. Remember what

we say at Bernies... ”please bring some

more Music into your lives every day”.

Bernie C

An Historic Visit Although NAMM (National Association of

Music Merchants USA) was formed in 1909,

it moved into a new headquarters in

Carlsbad, California 17 years ago. After

visiting the Trade Show last month, it was

more than an honour to visit the new

headquarters and meet with the dedicated

team including Joe Lamond (CEO), Museum

Curator Carolyn and Historian Dan Del Fiorentino.

Dan has done an amazing job in the History trail

for their on-site Museum and Oral History

program. My gratitude goes to them all for the

information and great hospitality.

Our Historical collection at Bernies is growing

each year and we welcome contributions of

books, recordings, print music and keyboard

instruments. For years we have been collecting

odds and ends of keyboard history. The next step

is to document and collate them for a future

museum project. If you have something of special

you may want to donate or sell please let me

know... Bernie C

Hi MusiClubbers,

Wow, are you all ready for a big educational

autumn ‘16? Schools are back, teachers are

trained up and many wonderful instruments

are here to play and create music on.

The festive season and summer were busy

times and a big thank you to all of you who

selected new pianos or organs at Music

Land to help make it so exciting. At our

home, having four new grandchildren within

two and a half years (pictured right) made

our Christmas really sensational. Playing

and singing Christmas Carols to the little

faces is truly a special part of life.

New arrivals at the store have included the

Orla “sounds of Italy” digital pianos that are

winning the hearts of our wonderful

customers. We are well stocked to keep up

with the back to school rush, so please drop

in or phone us today for a special package.

The Piano Educators days in January were

really well supported. Thank you to the

amazing publishing companies and superb

presenters who made the seventh year the

most successful.

Autumn will be wonderful here at the store,

starting with the world famous organist,

Hector Olivera ‘Live at Bernies’ on March

1st. I hope you all know about it from our

events section on our website and emails to

those who are on our MusiClub VIP email

list (please let me know if you are not!)

Hector has to be seen to be believed and

will showcase the new Johannus three-

manual Classic organ.

On March 9 after quite a gap we welcome

back the talents of Jon Wade to our stage

with his Hammond jazz Quartet.

In April we have a visit from the International

Export Manager of Johannus Organs so will

1

,

“Sounds of Italy” Bernies Music Land welcomes one of

the hottest brands on the market to

our digital piano range. Designed and

sound production completed in Italy,

Orla digital pianos are built with style

and performance in mind, offering

sleek looks and a rich, vibrant sound.

With a refined touch and easy-to-use

features, the Orla models are already

a popular choice.

Starter

A fabulous slimline, portable digital

piano with basic features and a great

sound and feel. Priced at just $899,

this stage piano is unbeatable.

Studio

Upgrade to easy feature layout and

enhanced speakers plus matching

stand, seat and pedal. This stylish

instrument will fit in to any home or

studio.

Ensemble

Looking for an entertainment

machine? You got it! This model has

a full range of play-along features

and options, while still being compact

and stylish.

Digital Grand Pianos

Comprising of three models, the Orla

digital piano range offers fun and

musical creativity for pianists of all

ages. Stunningly luxurious cabinets

combine with simple features and

outstanding performance… wow! The

models vary in cabinet size and

power output, offering an option for

every room size and musician. An

incredible treat from just $3899.

Plenty of stock has just arrived, with

colour options including gloss white,

gloss red and traditional black, so

race in and check out these little

beauties at the store today!

Jordan B

Happenings It has been an interesting time in the organ business recently. Our last shipment of organs from Johannus was two weeks late arriving which caused a mild panic as Christmas was looming and there were two organs to be installed before the festive season was upon us. But cool heads prevailed and both organs were delivered and installed the week before Christmas.

The first organ went to Glenlock Christadelphian Ecclesia in Taylorville, South Australia, about two hours drive north from Adelaide in the lovely Barossa Valley. As it happens, South Australia was in the grip of a stifling heatwave and the temperature peaked on installation day. After some touch up work on the Ecclesia D470 at St Peters Cathedral in Adelaide, I was off to Sydney and the Central Coast of NSW.

The beautiful seaside town of Bateau Bay is located north of Gosford and this is where my travels took me next. There were some very excited people awaiting my arrival at Christopher’s Anglican Church in Bateau Bay where I installed the beautiful Johannus Ecclesia Choir. The Choir (pictured below) is unique in the organ world as it has the 4.1 speaker system in the back of the console, so the sound can speak out and fill the church. It is a great instrument for small to medium churches where banks of external speakers are not required.

Then I was off to another client in Sydney in preparation for the delivery of his custom French Symphonic Cavaille-Coll voiced organ. The end result is amazing and now just requires a few tonal touch ups now the organ has been delivered.

In other news, on January 15 2016 it was announced to the public that the Van de Weerd family of Holland had purchased Rodgers Instruments from Roland Corporation. The Van de Weerd family have a great love of the organ and this is clearly demonstrated in their commitment to the organ business and Rodgers joins Johannus, Makin and Copeman-Hart as part of the Van de Weerd organ family.

Please join me for the launch of the new Johannus LiVE III on Tuesday April 19 at 7.30pm. Come and hear talented local organist, Rhys Arvidson, display the tonal versatility of this amazing instrument. We will also be welcoming Ms Penny Pan from Johannus, on her first visit to Australia.

On a personal note, I would sincerely like to extend my grateful thanks to Bernie and Doris for their support and assistance in making my home organ dream come true. My new Opus 350 arrived in December as well and whilst I have not had a lot of time to sit down and play, the time I have spent playing has been very exciting and pleasurable. Craig D

Piano Educators Day Success

For the seventh year running, January

has been a buzz of activity here at

Bernies while we prepared for Piano

Educators Day. I am delighted to

coordinate such an incredible activity that

“gives something back” to the piano

teaching world. We welcomed 80

teachers from around the state on

January 18 & 19, who were treated to a

day of jam-packed information and

inspiration. Not to mention laughs, gifts

and treats along the way!

The incredible line-up of speakers began

with our good friend, Darryl Coote, who

shared his extensive experience to offer

five examination tips. We were delighted

to welcome next keynote speaker,

Thembi Shears, to Bernies for the first

time and her innovative ideas were very

well received. Attendees loved the “New

Books and Teaching Materials”

presentations.

Dear Friends of Schimmel,

I am glad to inform you today about a fundamentally

new strategic development in our company.

Schimmel is entering into a strategic alliance with

Pearl River, the largest piano manufacturer in the

world.

Pearl River and Schimmel are a perfect match

product wise as well as in their regional presences.

Pearl River is well-known in China and has an

efficient and well-organized sales network in China.

Schimmel, the number one piano manufacturer in

Germany and Europe, is one of the renowned

traditional brands in Germany, with a long brand

history. Our main markets are Germany, Europe

and North America.

With this alliance, the Schimmel Company

strengthens its production facilities in Braunschweig

and Kalisz. Furthermore, we are well positioned for

growth in an increasingly globalized world. This

step is a new chapter in our 130 years of history.

Financial reinforcement of the company: This

alliance with Pearl River as the majority shareholder

reinforces our financial abilities. Investments into

the production plants in Braunschweig and Kalisz

as well as in the marketing of our brands and

products will help to expand Schimmel’s position in

their markets. The strategic alignment of our

product lines Schimmel Konzert, Schimmel Classic,

Schimmel International and Wilhelm Schimmel will

be continued.

Improving market access in China: China is by far

the largest piano market in the world with a growing

segment for high end and mid-range pianos. Pearl

River holds the strongest and largest dealer

network in China. Schimmel now will gain access to

this dealer network where by Pearl River’s and

Schimmel’s products perfectly complement each

other.

The Schimmel Family remains as shareholder with

an increased presence in the company: In addition

to CEO Hannes Schimmel-Vogel, Viola Schimmel

will re-enter into management and increase the

presence of the family within the company. This is a

visible sign to keep and to strengthen the corporate

culture as a family business and to sustain the art

and craft of piano building in Braunschweig.

The Pearl River Piano Group was founded 60 years

ago and produces more than 130,000 pianos a

year. Currently the company is building a new and

the most modern

production facility in

Guangzhou for acoustic

and digital pianos.

We are very excited about

this alliance. The resulting

new possibilities and

strategic options will help

to increase market shares

and production

performance.

With best regards,

Hannes Schimmel-Vogel

It was wonderful to have Mark Gibson to

give his energetic hands-on presentation

about the “Teaching Sequence”, followed

by iconic jazz pianist, Steve Sedergreen,

introducing his unique concept for

learning jazz piano. All eyes were on the

stage with an in-depth look at why pianos

go out of tune and how they differ, with

our sensational team members, Lester

and Vincent.

Peter Hurley stepped in at short notice

and received great feedback on his

presentation of “Teaching the Modern

Student” and the day concluded with tips

and information from examination boards;

ANZCA and AMEB.

Special thanks to the supporters who

help to make Educators Day happen;

Nathan from Hal Leonard, Jeff from

Music Sales, Rachel from Encore, Mark

Gibson and Morna from Accent, Hans

from Music Knowledge, Tony and

Maureen from ANZCA and Bernard from

the AMEB. Michelle C

Huge thanks to

all involved!