Inside the New Music School

“Where words fail, music speaks” – Hans Christian Andersen

The New The Music School is an ambitious, beautiful space that Tanglin will raise aspirations and provide unprecedented opportunities for our students when Sound it opens in 2022. The Voice spoke to Director of Co-Curriculum Michael Holiday to find out more.

Opposite: an artist’s impression of the orchestral rehearsal space; a Fazioli piano. Above: plans for the recital room.

Even when digested as a list, the contents of the highly anticipated Music School make for impressive reading.

Situated on Levels 8 and 9 of the new Gate C building, the facility will feature a recital room, an orchestral rehearsal space, a chamber ensemble room, a recording studio, 22 practice and teaching rooms, three classrooms, and a music technology room. And of course, there will also be numerous new furnishings and instruments, such as 18 additional pianos – including three grand pianos from famed Italian company Fazioli.

“It’s a well-stocked space, and a significant enhancement on our current offering”, says Director of Co-Curriculum Michael Holiday. “Perhaps most importantly, it means even more children can access music lessons; it’s a commitment by Tanglin to music making and to ensuring all students can take advantage of the opportunities that presents.”

The largest areas – the recital room, and orchestral rehearsal space – are a focal point of the Music School and are expected to tangibly impact performance, both through their acoustics and what Michael calls their “specialness”.

The school’s current recital spaces, though functional, were originally meant for multipurpose use and as such, actively deaden sound. In contrast, the two new rooms have been specifically designed with performance in mind.

“They will have their own acoustic personalities,” tells Michael. “Everything inside has been given careful thought, from the ‘fabric’ of the spaces – the use of wood and other natural materials – to the colour palette and deployment of lighting. It’s a tactile approach that will hugely improve the sound we can achieve and, in terms of the aesthetic, create an aspirational environment that will invite our students to achieve more.”

In addition to the music-friendly surrounds, and with the support of the TTS Foundation, the spaces will also be furnished with three Fazioli pianos: two chamber grand pianos – one in the recital room another in the orchestral rehearsal space – and a third, smaller instrument in the chamber ensemble room.

The three instruments, to be purchased from within Singapore, will be beautiful yet functional. Each handmade, they will deliver a rich sound and responsive touch that is ideal for performance, while being robust enough to be practiced on.

“Fazioli pianos are functionally elite; bespoke, without being unnecessarily showy,” explains Michael. “They have a good action, give good responsiveness, and allow students to explore the full colour and tone range of the instrument.” inspiration and offer the greatest possible opportunity for all our children to achieve their own personal best.”

Other spaces in the Music School are more modest, but no less important. Michael gives the example of the new recording studio. “We already have a good facility in the Senior School, but we’re building on what works there by having the new studio connect to a greater number of rooms.”

“Currently, recording a concert or large ensemble piece means performing outside and moving all our equipment outside with us. The new studio will feed into the recital room and the orchestral rehearsal space, meaning all our recordings will be of a higher quality.”

There are also the knock-on effects of the new facility on existing spaces; the acquisition of new pianos, to name just one, will allow superior instruments from current stock to be distributed across the school site for even wider benefit.

In short, the opening of the Music School will impact young musicians of all ages and abilities, and allow music itself to be at the very core of school life.

Adds Michael, “It will ensure the fabric of the building matches our artistic intent and will be a solid foundation for developing music within the school.”