I love Christmas music! As an organist, I found the selections lacking. So, over 2 decades ago, I started handwriting Christmas arrangements. Despite Christmas carols and songs intending to be sung, I’ve found that the majority of arrangements out there are way too high for most people to sing! So,…
Four final video performances were submitted to the 2025 Australian Guild of Music & Speech Virtual Festival late last night, and the reports have already come back! Congratulations to everyone who prepared a performance, even if it wasn’t 100% polished and perfected. Well done to Sarah, Darshan, Chloe and Manuli!…
Congratulations to Hannah and Maya for earning Gold awards in the 2025 AGMS Virtual Festival! Today is the final day for submitting entries – we’ll record a few more performances this evening, and then that will be it for another year. Well done to all those who worked hard on…
Two more certificates have arrived from the 2025 Australian Guild of Music & Speech’s Virtual Festival! Congratulations to Lizzy (Grade 4 Piano) and Jessie (Grade 1 Piano) for their Platinum Awards! Both recorded wonderful performances of a piece they are working on for examination later this year.
I published an arrangement of Mental As Anything’s “Live It Up” on Friday, which brings the total of contemporary pieces published to 5. I decided to reorganise how I post the contemporary arrangements on the Music With Simone Shop, as I’m aiming to continue to add several new pieces each…
Congratulations to Arita and Neerav for their hard work, with the certificates for their video performances sent in to the Australian Guild of Music & Speech’s 2025 Virtual Festival over the weekend having come in with some lovely comments.
Congratulations to Ilisha and Sethuli for both earning Platinum awards in the 2025 AGMS Virtual Festival. It’s wonderful that this festival provides students with a performance goal to work towards, and that beginners are able to access it as well as students at higher levels.
Congratulations to Melissa Almeida Mangiapia for earning a Platinum Award in the 2025 Australian Guild of Music & Speech Virtual Festival for her performance of “Ode to Joy” in the Step 2 Piano category.
Congratulations to Emma, who successfully completed her Rockschool Grade 5 Piano exam back in March with very pleasing results just 8 months after completing her Grade 4 exam. The certificate finally arrived today.
I’m thrilled to see yet another Platinum Award for a student entering the 2025 Australian Guild of Music and Speech’s 2025 Virtual Festival. Congratulations to Anay for such a wonderful result for his Step 2 entry.