Villa FB ... tis the life

Sitting at the Villa FB in Saigon, i am just reminded of how i miss Vietnam and also how much it has progressed. There are parts of me which is just baffled at what is being built, next to pretty much slums...having said that, the Villa FB (Fashion, fusion, Bun) is possibly the classiest joint Vietnam has seen! Reminding me of parts of the Ivy but peeled back, relaxing, clothes by DMC and just lovin' the laid back tropical fruit smoothies.The hard work has been done, recording for 2 days and now talking with various musicians and people in the industry here.All I can say right now is ... i'm hungry...

on break...

...yeah right. Break from piano practice for the next fiver, not from anything else. FULL FORCE AHEAD! I still can't believe it is middle of September now!! Ridiculous. The year has honestly flown by, yet so many things have happened. All wonderful things.I'm off to Adelaide next week for the Love Heart Fashion Show, in aid of Heart Reach Australia. I can't wait because we're showcasing three amazing designers:Leonardo Salinas (www.leonardosalinas.com)George Wu (www.georgewu.com)andPaolo Sebastian (www.paolosebastian.com)Here are details for those we are Adelaidians or want to come to Adelaide...

september issue

hello hello!It's been over a month since the last post! I should really keep up with all of this. Well, the past month has been hectic as usual, writing tracks with Thanh Bui and DJ Matt Cahill (UK) for the heart reach australia fashion parade, september 17th at the gorgeous Observatory Hotel! Make sure you are there because Paolo Sebastian, George Wu and Leonardo Salinas are our fantastic designers. They have to die for pieces and brilliant spring summer ready to wear! With performances by myself, Thanh and a number of others, Step Rd wines sponsoring and canapes & yummy food all night, i...

August-itis

Where did the year go? We're almost 3/4 of the way through...Sydney has become that much colder...complain or don't complain, at least I get to go coat shopping and wear them all without having to think about 4 seasons in one day :)The last few weeks has been crazy hectic with the National Concerto & Aria Competition in QLD, followed by the 'Rising Stars' Concert Series - Chris and my debut at the City Recital Hall. All I can say is that place has such great acoustics, not to mention a piano which is so devine to play on - Steinway of course...it's one of those pianos which I say anything...

LBD time

Aloha! Time for a little black dress revamp....I always like to stay away from the black and i'm getting an amazing hot pink Leonardo Salinas dress on Monday but I can't resist the simple black dress...funk it up with colored heels or throw it on with ballet flats, these are some of my fav at the moment: 1. Karla Spectic, from maximillia.Love the back! Not to mention her heels! 2. Simple, casual or chic, and so sass & bide! Love the frills!!! :) Signing out for now :) I'm off to QLD next week for comps, then back for concerts in Sydney....

Tiger Airways never again!

So I book a tiger flight because it's the cheapest one out by far...I was already hesitant because it is a low-cost carrier but I thought, heck, try it once. it could be alright like Virgin. In the booking process, you had to purchase your SEAT. yes, $5 for a seat. I thought to myself - now, if i didn't buy a seat, what would happen? stand? obviously that was not an option. Standard seats were $5 and premium seats were $25. Then of course, there was baggage fees and then creditcard fees. What started out as $98 became $130 but that is beside the point. What came next was TOTALLY UNECESSARY! I...

Singing & Songwriting Workshop

I can't help but mix work with play sometimes so here is a spot of marketing for those who aren't aware already :)SINGING & SONGWRITING WORKSHOPSYDNEY EDITIONSATURDAY JULY 18th 2009Want to write your own songs and be the complete performer?Want to know what makes a good song structure?How important is stage presence?Want good foundations to good techniques?Led by Gold-record songwriter, and Australian Idol 2008 Finalist - Thanh Bui along with one of Australia’s top concert pianists Van-Anh Nguyen, this exclusive one-day singing and song-writing...

on the hunt for the patent bootieee

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! does one get excited when winter comes along and it's all boots and coats...and don't forget the hot chocolates with melted marshmallows :) Anyways, I'm on the hunt for the black patent so here are some of the boots i'm loving: 1. Sergio Rossi - GisellaIt's conservative but killer heel and beautiful leather!2. Christian LouboutinFine fine fine is all that comes to mind. Peep toe, layers and just absolute bliss!3. Givenchy ankle heels/bootsI love the stitching detail an criss-cross strap. Subtle but oh so fine!4. Gia Lorenzi11cm...

seize the day

As everyone around the world mourns about the death of Michael Jackson, I sit there thinking as I see all the images flicker on the TV screen. Waking up to the news was shocking enough ... it reminded me of waking up at a very similar time to when September 11th happened... 7-8am Sydney time to a piece of news which seemed almost too surreal to occur. Michael Jackson is a legend who seemed indestructable, yet for him to pass away only weeks before his epic 50 show schedule @ the 02 arena was a piece of shocking news which I'm sure no one wanted...

VIVID SYDNEY FEST PERFORMANCE

Hello All!The VIVID Sydney FESTIVAL (http://www.vividsydney.com.au/) is winding down however I will be playing on the piano under the Doves That Cry Light installation tomorrow night @ 8pm in the Red Room @ Customs House (31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay)!Doves that CryA site-specific installation using the ephemeral qualities of light and sound, bringing into focus the ‘drawing room’ space of reflection. Blackness and literal reflection are the threshold between two places, between here and infinity. The gloss black piano is mounted on a gloss...

fab find :)

I found the perfect boxes for my shoes, so my wardrobe will be going through a makeover...well, the shoe department of my wardrobe will be anyways :) The boxes are from www.closetfetish.comThis was really funny from the site as well which I find myself smiling and ticking off 'yes' to all of the following: A TRUE DIVAShe knows…1. Less is well, just less!2. Minimalist is another word for too cheap to buy more stuff3. Coach is a handbag not a way to travel4. 250 pairs of shoes is a good start..5. Your thread count is always higher than your IQ6. Real shoe diva’s are allergic to stores ending in...

column A column B

Last weekend was a fabulous weekend of roundabouts, naked trees and galleries - yes, I was in Canberra. It baffles me as to how the temperature can be so different to Sydney, yet it is only a 2 1/2 hour drive (the boys continue to convince me it is so, instead of 3-4 hours).Performances went well, friends were made, we made sure that we were the life of the party and soaked it all up, learning the Canberrian ways.Lesson learnt from a Canberrian: if you see a kangaroo heading towards you on the road, hit it or else you might end of severely injured or worse, dead.FOODI have a mad craving for Bun...

fragile idealist

I come across many things which inspire me each day...some more than others. So far in the last week, i've been reminded of how lucky I am, how beautiful life is to share with everyone, someone, how many facets of life has influenced my own life. Sometimes you are down, but I remind myself how lucky i am, things could be much worse so quit whining and enjoy every bit of your life! FRIENDSKudos to my friend Dennis, who back in the day, I had taught and helped him with his A.Mus.A exam. Now, role reversal. We had an awesome jam session yesterday and Master Lee got the creative flo' happenin' y'all!...

Heart Reach Australia 2009

As I finish my concert for HRA 2009, we move on, full force ahead to plan for the next - hopefully a more youth orientated event.It was an amazing concert with such great support from past patrons as well as new audience members. Not only that, the band was in great shape and supporting artists, Alan Winter and Tanya McFayden were great too!Thanks goes to The Piano People for the loan of their piano and tuning services and of course, to Leo for the impeccably suitable dress for the occasion, being on the Sunshine Coast and all.Blessed with glorious weather, I felt right at home.Please check out...

OFFICIAL WEBSITE UP

Hello everyone!It's almost 1am and I fly out of Sydney in about 7ish hours...yet nothing is packed! Having said that, the Van-Anh Nguyen Official Website is up: www.vananh.com.au is official up and running which makes me super excited. Sign up to the mailing list and I will definitely keep you updated on the happenings in the world of V-A :)This is going to be a short entry because I really MUST pack...so paranoid about forgetting things...it's ok. Dress, music, shoes, that's all I really need. Anything else, i can get up there if i forget..haha.Let me know what you think. I must thank Leo, Manning...

myspacing...

It's been a while since i've trawled myspace music and wow, there is a plethora of talent out there! A friend showed me Mateo's myspace and I'm absolutely loving the construction of this song 'Complicated'. Quality piano, quality voice, quality mixing, layers. Just thought i'd share the lyrics from the song:[VERSE 1:]So look at me nowIt's a quarter pass 3, I won't sleepCause you walk through my dreams every night So why did I changeI never thought cupid could winChange the way that I been all my life [PRE-HOOK:]I just wanted to beNever wanted to fall... ya knowBut you just got meIt's not intentionalCan...

Fashion Palette 09

Last week was obviously the big Fashion week for Sydney, with Rosemount Australian Fashion WEek throughout the week followed by Fashion Palette 2009. With its inauguration with the Launch Party @ Cargo, it was off to a good start! The 2 day event @ the Sydney Convention Centre had fashionistas, buyers, students and curious fashion driven minds filtering the auditorium, eager to find out what was in stored for them. General Pants had already won several girls with their free 15 minute studs campaign, pressing studs into Levis & Converse shoes for you to keep.The highlight for the first day...

retail therapy worthiness

Wow, its been a whirlwind of a month. Exactly one month since my last entry. I swear I tried to do one after I got back from Adelaide but Easter came along of which I must admit, was eventful to say the least. My stylist and website designer, Nicky Kent (http://www.takealeap.com.au/) flew up along with photographer Jackie Tran to shoot for my up and coming website (http://www.vananh.com.au/) - Do check it out. Nicky, thank you for your amazing dedication, for believing in me, for your work around the clock. You are an absolute gem! Jackie, thank...

Knowing & Not Knowing.

A dear friend said to me today, 'V-A, you're addicted to drama'. Yes, the fact is true. I love drama. I'm addicted to drama. I AM drama! My life is often referred to as a soapie. So many eventful things happen and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Regardless of whether it's happy, sad, angry, blonde, silly or deep - it totally makes up the wonderful world of ME.I love the fact of knowing, but at the same time, I love not knowing. Confusing huh? I love knowing the minute details of someone. I love doing the research to get context, get scope and pull out those random facts during interviews...

Boys With Girlfriends!

You meet people for a reason. How many friends have come and gone? How many have actually stayed and remained true friends? probably a handful...if not even less.I think I'm at a stage in life, at the ripe old age of 21, where I am enjoying life to its ultimate. So many interesting characters to bring insight to your life and for you to bring insight into theirs. You never know where life will take you.....it will change its course along with the wind. Sometimes, that course is nasty...at other times, it will be the best wave you've ever riden. Regardless, it will shape who you are and you will...

Andre Rieu dissertation

Once again, a whirlwind of events have successively occured causing a delay in blogging. I've had a predicament which I think i've come to terms with. For anyone who knows me at all, the two words 'Andre Rieu' sends a priceless expression across my face. Some call it a love-hate relationship. Some say I wish I was Andre. Trust me, if you're doing a concert to 20,000 people, you'd be happy too.When people found out I had personally bought the Andre Rieu Autobiography, they could not understand. Honestly, I admire the guy. I wanted to know how he did it. Can't say the book told me too much but hey......

exhaustion

Not much to say except that i'm physically and mentally exhausted. Soundless sleep is something i crave a lot of the times, and i finally got it last night...due to the stresses of deadlines.I had 2 articles due for April Issue of Fine Music Magazine and honestly, I forget how stressful the deadlines are!I had them done but it's the whole fine-tuning and re-working and MORE re-working of the piece which drove me into the wall. They say you yourself are the hardest critique which i completely agree...that's why I drove myself crazy reading the pieces over and over.The first was about the YouTube...

Child prodigy meets Australian Idol

Sunday 1st March, 2009Castle Towers Level 3, Grand Piano11am-1pmDynamic duo Van-Anh Nguyen (concert pianist) and Thanh Bui (Australian Idol Top 8 2008) collaborate to give you a mind-blowing sneak preview to the up and coming Victorian Bushfire Relief Concert (The Hills Centre, March 27th 2009). The performances consist of classical piano pieces, pop tunes, jazz standards and a fun improvisatory trip through favourites.Come along and support us!!! Would love to see you all there...

V-day weekend

I sort of started to write in the wee-hours of Valentine's Day morning but i thought, why bother? It's just one of those days...just another day really. This year for some reason, I don't know if it's just me, capitalism, commercialism of everything possible for those 'big' days or a combination of all of the above but Valentine's Day was plastered everywhere. Everywhere I turn, red this, love you that, teddy bear this, heart-shaped balloons that. I walked into the Chocolate Box store down in Melbourne on the weekend and what's the first thing I see? a candy-bra.I did my kind deeds to the community...

going the hard yards..

Sorry it's been a while since my last entry. The days leading up to the weekend was hectic as ever, getting last minute things ready for the Sydney Bridal Fashion Week. Then, the aftermath came with the calls to follow up and bookings for gigs this weekend which was perfectly fine because it just showed that the hard work paid off.Hard work or not, I was very satisfied with how my feet held up. In 4 1/2 inch heels from 9am-3am with barely a moment to sit down on the Saturday, then back into the heels for more promo work for Vivo Entertainment Agency on Sunday from about 9am to 1:30am (including...

revamp time

I've finally taken the time to do a quick browse and revamp my blogspot layouts. Nothing too fancy, nothing too overtly trivial - just pianos, cupcakes and diamonds :) 3 of the most important things.... ;)Unfortunately in the last 24 hours, I have had to visit the hospital once again after vowing not to go back there (after last year's stint...or 4 stints to the hospital). There was nothing much I could do, except get them to operate. It seems to be my constant reminder to wind down, have a bit of ME time but that doesn't seem to be possible. Hospitals are like enforced rest time for me. Sitting...

not having what you want

I've neglected this blog completely, almost forgetting that it existed until today. Blogs are funny things. When interesting things happen to you, you never have time to jot them down. Then when you have time, it's more of a reflection than anything.So, am I in a reflective mood? Pretty much. The past week has been ridiculously tumultuous. Vivo Music School is excelling as the days go by which just shows that if you put the effort in, anything is possible. We hit our target before the start of term, and Vivo Entertainment Agency is picking up gigs for weddings. Speaking of weddings, we will be...