You are receiving this email because you were involved in our past music events, or you filled in your information at our String Showcase event on 13 April 2019 at Deciso, Bandar Sri Damansara.

We hope this email finds you well amid the national and global turbulence we are facing due to the outbreak.

This first edition of our newsletter will provide updates on our music activities from 2019 to the present.

August 2019 saw the launch of the Family Medicine Specialists Association (FMSA) official anthem, composed by Ahmad Aliff.

A soft-rock ballad titled ‘Bersama’, the song was launched with a live vocal performance in the presence of attendees at the FMS Scientific Conference in Kuching, Sarawak.

A string quartet was assembled to play Vivaldi's Four Seasons at an exclusive launching for Rosewood Hotel, Phnom Penh, in September 2019. Only 40 guests were invited to the event dubbed ‘Symphony of the Seasons’.

Possibly the first time a group of Malaysian classical string players performed in Cambodia, it was a unique encounter for all four musicians involved and a learning experience for the young staff of Rosewood Phnom Penh.

In January 2020, Ahmad Aliff became the first Malaysian person to publish music on IMSLP, the virtual music library.

The complete suite and one arrangement of his original composition for string quartet, ‘Four Malay Dances’ is available to download:

• Joget for violin and viola (published January 2020)
• Complete score and parts for string quartet (published April 2020)

A performance of the earlier string quartet version of all four dances can be viewed on YouTube.

Also in January 2020, Ahmad Aliff launched a new blog on the minimalist publishing platform Telescope, with a couple of posts related to his life in music.

An event that was almost cancelled, this recital in March 2020 had a larger turnout than expected with the estimated total of guests at 100. The event featured a variety of performances from solos and duets to a full string orchestra, with an all-classical programme that has been commended as our best selection yet.

Eleven musicians played in our showcase of chamber music, with it being the first orchestra experience for one of them, and the youngest being 15 years old. This type of outreach collaboration is what we would like to foster in our music community, with less experienced music players being able to observe and learn from their seniors and professionals.

‘Cerita Muzik’ is the working name for our music activities. We are Ahmad Aliff and Rini Fadil, a husband and wife team who are committed to quality and doing things to a high standard.

Ahmad Aliff has spent more than 10 years immersed in performing both classical and pop music in the Malaysian music scene, and 24 years dedicated to learning music and applying it in his life. He is happiest when he can share his skills and knowledge with those who seek it, also when collaborating with like-minded parties. When he composes, conducts, performs or teaches music, his motivation is to inspire others to become better versions of themselves, to enrich their lives.

Hearing a parent say that her son practised hard on his violin in the days leading up to the concert gives value to our efforts. Our music events and other works are our way of giving back to the community, and to the universal music society at large.