Eric Bai chosen for Artology composition mentorship

Following his successful entry in the Artology Fanfare competition, Eric Bai has been selected as one of eight students from Australia who will work with mentor composers Nicholas Vines and Lyle Chan to develop their ideas, and have their fanfare performed by the Australian Youth Orchestra. To enter, Eric wrote a 30-second composition and submitted a score and recording. The competition was open to young people aged 12-21 years.

‘When my mum told me I had won, I was quite excited and overjoyed. I feel honoured to be able to work with two famous composers to help me improve my piece.’

Eric’s composing process was challenging as he refined his piece to fit the fanfare style. He enlisted the help of his music teachers: ‘My composition and piano teacher gave me a lesson using an electone which was set to the sounds of orchestral instruments. I experimented with many different instruments and notes on my keyboard to come up with ideas for extension. Eventually, the whole fanfare was written using a software called Sibelius.’

Eric is a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, trumpet and trombone and has a keen interest in jazz music. He has been involved in jazz improvisational workshops and jazz composition.

Emily Brice, Eric’s music teacher, says, ‘This year Eric successfully gained a position in the school’s Glen Waverley senior jazz big band, which is quite an accomplishment as it is unusual for a Year 8 student to receive a place in a senior ensemble. He has made a fantastic contribution to the band, in both his technical ability and improvisational skills. He was also part of the band that placed first in Division 2 at the Generations in Jazz competition in Mt Gambier.’