Interview

Raymond is telling me that he'll be going for his medical screening tomorrow. Thats fast, he'll be going into the army so soon. Hope he'll enjoy himself there!

And yes, to make it up, Christoven's Pianist did practice, but just not good enough. Well, thats what happened to mine to if u know which im talking about. Im so disappointed. But well, im happy enough.

I woke up late, and got Mom to fetch me down for school again. Aural class was tough, and i got to see my previous score, and i only scored 54! Back then it'll be around 80 to 90 plus, and now its merely 54! Well, the great drop shows that its either my ears that are failing me, or something else. I reckon that its something else...

I headed for lunch with QingLun. It was raining, and he got me this light blue umbrella. I hate that colour, but not to an extent that i'll kill myself for wearing it or carrying it. We had lunch, and i kept reminding him about the gig performance, because Michelle kept asking me. For the sake of my friend, XiaoHong, i cant be that irresponsible. Anyway, to talk about irresponsibility, im kinda pissed with Rit's gig. I was just told about that i have to wear a blazer for tomorrow's gig. I dun have a blazer and its impossible for me to find one. So, fuck it, i dun care. I feel that its the worst gig ever, because there is no communication at all. I called Rit to tell him, and he didnt care at all. He was the one who asked me to play for the gig, and i think i know now that he is just a player there. Anyway, i think i had enough nonsense already. I seriously cannot take it anymore. If anyone of u think its fun, then please go ahead and enjoy it further. As for me, enough is enough. No more getting pushed around. I was very angry just now, but to think of it, its my own fault for promising to perform. I could have just gotten another Pipa player to play, because its not my problem! Its their problem, i wasnt told at all. And they said about going further and stuff... i was thinking, when am i part of this thing? Everybody has a limit like a cell, i believe once im used, im gone. Thats simple. Its the basic, using here and using there, technique.

After lunch, i headed back to school to finish up on my composition. I opened the files, and got myself to worry about the sypnosis. I typed for an hour, and nothing came out. I had to force out stupid descriptions. Well, its just how the piece is, or suppose to be. SiHan and LianWei was telling me not to do the sypnosis because they didnt do. Well, i never thought of doing till i saw Mark's and others. Its the first time that im spoiling the market. Fairul was beside me, struggling with his orchestration, and i helped him with some random ideas. It worked! But he developed it himself, so i went back to my own work and completed it in time to go print with YouYi. Thats the problem without a thumbdrive.

Before i go on, i forgot... i had music technology lesson. I was the only one there, and EricWatson went through the exam details with me. So, there are a few parts to it. By the way, he went through my work and said that he likes my arrangement. Well, its just a simple alberti bass for the nursery rhyme. I went on with my work and copied down notes on the recording chain. Its about recording, and how music is recorded. After that, we went through how music is amplified. All these will be tested for the exam. People started coming in afterwards, saying that DrKan dragged their lecture. We headed down to the studio, where EricWatson showed us the mixing desk, as well as other devices used for doing a recording. Well, ive gone through that before, and last year, something stupid happened there. Its still stuck in my mind... I dun remember if i blogged it out, and im lazy to repeat myself. Evan and Jwen were there, i think they should remember. Its so stupid!

YouYi and i headed to Midlink, where we printed our scores from the wrong shop! The uncle was telling us that we have to wait for 10 minutes for him to do some file transfer. We coulnt wait, so we tried another shop. The printing was expensive, and the service sucked to the core! The computers were rotting and so fucking super slow! It took us at least 30 seconds and more to get the computer to start working while it was hibernating. Come on... My fonts were all wrong, and i was so super sad about it. The computer dun have the fonts i used. So, i wasted all my effort on the font! Whats worst? During YouYi's turn the drive cocked up, and so we switched computer, but the other computer couldnt print! The aunties were still telling us that its alright, and we pressed wrongly. I repeated the whole process at least 3 times before we headed back to the same old computer to try it from the back. We plugged the thumbdrive from the back and it worked! We were already so dead! We were sweating and crying out loud for the sake of mankind! The aunties were still eating and sitting there talking like the world just started yesterday.

After printing, and paying of course, i swore to all beast and human on earth that i'll never step into that shop ever again in my entire life, unless its for photocopying only. But most likely, i will never step into that shop again! Its the worst! Worst! Worst shop ever! If ur wondering which one? Its at Midlink, with 2 aunties. I'll get the name of the shop next time so i can vilify them. Its horrible!

We rushed back to school, only to find Fairul walking towards Midlink. He got his scores printed at the right place, where the scores look so fantastic! They look so authentic and real. I was regretting... but too bad, the aunties screwed us up. YouYi and i handed in late, but DrGoh's mood was really good. I supported him till computer lab, because he couldnt walk. His feet was swollen! Huge like soaked potatoes. Poor thing...

Anyway, just then... Fhairil called me. He sounded desperate, and he needed his work to be printed. He just woke up! I was like... i have to help him, because he needed help. He sent his work to my email, and i got it down and Fairul went with me to get his work printed. We are such nice people! Fairul and i got along very well today.

I headed to the computer lab to watch a movie with LianWei. Fairul and Yikki headed off to find a lecturer to get his form signed. They are seeking some assistantship or bursary. Well, nobody wanted to write for them. Poor thing... unlike some others, who arent grateful for MrYeo's help. Grateful? If thats the case, then change that attitude man. It sucks, totally.

After that, i had nothing on, so i had dinner with Fairul and LianWei. I ate alot, and after LianWei left on a cab with his boyfriend, i couldnt see, but looked like a kid, we headed back to school to get an umbrella. He accompanied me to soya stall, so nice of him. After drinking, we were still talking about some people, then got into the computer lab and started work.

He watched his opera, while i did my review which was due last year. Ive decided to do a review on an opera instead, because its easier actually. So, i wrote a masterclass review for my concert attendance portfolio and finished up on WeiLing's interview.

LianWei told me that he wanna be like me, get 20 for exam and still pass harmony. I laughed.

By the way, here are the questions for her interview...

When and where did u get in touch with the Pipa? What was ur reason or purpose for learning? Whom did u learn from? How is his or her teaching method like? Are u used to his or her method? Any difficulties u encountered? When was ur first official solo? Any awards? What inspired u to go further into Pipa? Where do u further ur studies? What are the courses u have to go through in school? After joining the teaching field, what was ur first experience like? Under what circumstances or opportunities do u get to teach ur very first student? Are the Pipa students nowadays very different from ur time? Do u apply what u learn from ur teacher and teach ur students or do u have ur own teaching method? What do u think of the Pipa development in Singapore? What is needed to be done to improve the situation?

There are so many questions, so here are my answers...

I started out on the Pipa when iwas 13, back then in ACS. i started out with the Ruan actually, and after listening to my seniors play the Pipa in the orchestra, i was kind of attracted to its unique timbre. i loved the sound, the way it is played and its role in the orchestra as compared to the Ruan. Not implicating anything against the Ruan, but i found the Pipa more attractive in a way or another. After all, the Pipa is famous and challenging and my mother encouraged me to pick it up instead of the Ruan. Therefore, under the guidance of LiuYan, my plucked string teacher, i switched over to the Pipa section. Though ihave learnt Pipa from under a few teachers, by chance or through orchestras, but i have never attended a private lesson till i was 17. I am currently studying Pipa under YanYu, from China who resides in Singapore for several years already. I found her teaching method the easiest to accept. When i started the first few lessons, i found it hard to adapt to her teaching style. However, after practicing the way she taught me to, i found it better for me, as i realised that she understands my character and teaches me according to my needs. Language is not much of a barrier, unless she uses sophisticated Chinese terms. U see, i am from an English school, and though i can speak well with in Mandarin, it does not mean i can understand it well, or even write it properly. Therefore, i believe, for now, language does not cause much of a problem. My first official solo… that is something hard for me to determine. I have performed many solos and duets. However, i do not consider any one of them official. If it is in any case defined as being portrayed in a full programmed concert, then maybe not yet for me. Yes, i won a second prize in the open category for Pipa last year, 2006. As my mother always says, 1 part brave and 9 parts fool. That is for my case. I think it should be 10 part passion instead. I am currently doing part-time as a Pipa instructor. I have my own problems, but have managed to overcome some, though still struggling with others. My aim is to help students who are growing out of stages which i have been through before. I have gone through several stages in playing Pipa, and got to know how it feels as a student, moreover i still am. So, when i teach, my approach is slightly different as compared to the other teachers who have taught me before. That is the aim, which inspires me most to study further. I am pursuing my diploma for music in NAFA. Unlike other places, Singapore emphasizes heavily on academic modules more. The parity between practical and academic workload is not balanced, though practical issues are more important and weighs a higher percentage. Theory is a must have in school, so with the basics we head on with modules like harmony and western music history. Sightsinging and aural classes are compulsory and they help aid in our ear training. Other than such core modules, there are several electives which are optional for students from year 2 to 3, though some like Piano repertoire for Pianists. As for Chinese instrumentalists like us, we can choose modules such as ethnomusicology or traditional Chinese music. Other modules such as band directing, choral directing or string directing are essential for students that will have to lead or direct a band, choir or string ensemble in future. And lastly, some short termed modules which are compulsory would only cover a year, or half a semester. Such modules are Singapore’s art scene, method of analysis, composition and conducting. Of course there are other modules which I did not mention here… because I cannot remember them. I found it hard to teach at first, because i lack of teaching experiences. Moreover, i have not seen the different learning types of students before entering into the teaching field. By the way, it is only for part-time because i am still a learning student. Teaching is a different issue besides playing, therefore it is something that requires practice too! I think i am doing quite well, and not facing any problems yet. With the help of my Pipa senior, YouGuo, i got to help teach as relief teacher on occasions when he is busy or not well. After teaching as relief teacher, under recommendations of his friends and my friends, i got to teach a school myself. And currently, under the recommendation of my friends, who are active in the teaching field, i got to teach my own private students too. Musically, i think they are rather smart and talented. But, i think it is the generation gap that i have to face. I do not understand their different lifestyle now, and moreover different students have different characters and they are slightly harder to work with. If i were to compare them to me when i was their age, i would think that i am so much easier to teach! Both, i teach with my teacher’s and my own ideas. i think that it is best that i teach them how i interpret things and my own understanding, though it might be wrong at times, but i would double check around with research and asking around too. Moreover, i think they would not understand some of my teacher’s terms, as it took me long enough to figure them out! So, teaching with my own method would be idealistic. I think the development of Pipa in Singapore is poor. I have to admit for myself that my standard is poor enough, and to see things below myself, i feel negatively for the future development. What is to be done? Good question. I think it will be the job for the new coming graduates such as you, WeiLing, to figure! I am quite helpless about such issues… sorry!

Well, thats the interview. Its for her graduating thesis paper. I hope she'll do well...

Imagine an endless horizon of green pastures, lying there lazily, enjoying the cooling zephyr, and humming away to a folk tune during a lazy summer afternoon. While wallowing oneself in the stillness, the summer rain drizzles upon your face. As the mood of the atmosphere settles into a misty evening, the music dwindles away, fading into silence...

That is the short sypnosis of my piece, summarised already. Its titled, 'Meadow Evening'. Well, sounds familiar? Well, i had a piece with the similar title, and my feelings for this piece matches that exactly. And so, i named it after my previous piece as well. Anyway, no harm.