Back to writing again! Had another lesson with Fredi! He did seem flustered and not in the best state of mind to teach but it was a fruitful lesson nonetheless! At least now I have another idea of how to play the Ewazen concerto. German lessons are also starting to become more manageable! The phrase "What did you just say?" didn't go through my mind at all I think during lesson just now! Now I need to seriously revise!

Does seem like many things I wanna do during this holiday isn't working so well. But no, I must accomplish those things before term starts! It's like having to complete a history essay by the dateline! Now seems like a not-so-appropriate time because of all the events going on. Rite of Spring concerts on Friday and Saturday, Brass Explosion over the weekend and competition on Monday, then I'm back to teaching on Friday as well...woo many things! Alright, that means I need sleep now. Need to organise things a bit when I get up. Goodnight world!

Just got my results earlier in the day and I like it! Really satisfied with my results! Now all that's left is the scholarship application which I hope turns out fine! I'm grateful to my peers who inspire me. They've allowed me to easily set a higher bar for myself every time. Most of all, my teacher inspires me too! I've come to the point of listening to him play and in my head I'll think: "How shall I make that happen?" instead of "Damn! That's too good!"His playing still makes my jaw drop sometimes but from now on, the question will always be how to make it happen. And I love thinking about it myself. I feel it's so much more beneficial; there's more ownership in my education, stronger reasons for what I chose to do. I'm really looking forward to my final year at school. One more year of hearing the occasional inspiration that will make me go "Wow!" I simply love those moments because it shows how beautiful music can be, and how people so talented can create it that way! Alright, time to refresh my inspiration by reading some articles. Goodbye world!

Back from another OMM rehearsal. Really, the rehearsal schedule can be called crazy, but I really enjoy playing with this orchestra! It's one where rehearsals aren't usually draggy. Most people are actually bothered to fix their parts and actually work as a team! Really looking forward to all the concerts the orchestra is gonna put up soon as well as the UK tour to Cheltenham and Lichfield.

At the same time I'm really enjoying my bass trombone more and more! Right now I feel that I have made the right decision on equipment. Either that or it's that combined with the fact that I've developed so much with the instrument. Right now I'm shredding all my plans to make any modifications to it. I just like it as it is and I'm wanting to develop more! Right now, I want to make the instrument sound good and not the other way round. So, Kühnl & Hoyer, thanks for building me a great instrument! I do wish workmanship was better though! =P

Alright, I guess it's time to watch some Top Gear! Goodnight world!

Just came back from SSO's open rehearsal for Carmina Burana! Awesome music! Really really awesome! Only pity is that I can't get tickets for the concert tomorrow because it's sold out! All the best to all performers tomorrow! Really sounding good, especially the solo bass! Wonderful projection and really rich voice.

This concert being sold out just got me wondering, is the symphony orchestra audience here in Singapore bigger than in those cities whose orchestras are closing down due to bankruptcy? I mean, the Philadelphia Orchestra filed for bankruptcy protection, and this orchestra is like one of the most well-known in USA. A friend who attended a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra told me the hall was about 25% filled and most of the audience were the elderly. The rest were mostly music students. Here in Singapore, yes the 3rd circle of Esplanade is usually not sold for SSO concerts, but every concert I've been to has been filled at least 60% of the hall. When doing bigger works like Mahler, Strauss, etc., the hall is at least 90% filled. This just got me wondering, does this comparatively high selling rate of SSO concerts mean the orchestra is likely to stay here for some time more (i.e. till I die or so)? Something to think about.

I just realised I haven't posted about it but my exams are over! School break has officially started since Tuesday! Practical exam went quite well in my opinion save the few botches. Shall now concentrate on really ironing out my technique and start being a more active solo performer. Not that I want to become a soloist but more to gain experience and make the performance stage another comfort zone for me. Really needed when I take auditions in the future! So on my agenda now, Brass Explosion competition (I'll be playing the first 2 movements of the Ewazen Concerto), concerts with OMM and brass band, a compilation of my routines, learn German, learn driving, read up stuff on cello (to gain more insight into performing their works), write some material for my students since I'll be back to teaching soon and probably other things that are at the back of my mind!

Alright, that's a pretty long list of things to do up there. Should not waste anymore time and get started on some of them. Goodbye world!

Hello readers! Been a while, or so it feels. Theory exams are finally over! Really glad because now I can focus on my repertoire exam.

It just feels I've been out of touch with my technique for a while. Even though I feel I've gotten back to focused technique practice after the string of ensemble performances I played, it doesn't seem to show now. My slide technique actually deteriorated, but that probably was because I tried another slide grip. I'm back to my previous grip which I find has so much more ease and accuracy. My articulation still is not good, something I really have to work on. Loud dynamics ain't good too. Really, I haven't felt this sense of being overwhelmed by technical issues in a while. I'm glad it is pointed out to me 2 weeks before my exam. Have slightly less than that to work on technique as much as I can and after that it's run throughs for at least 3 days.

Holidays will be a busy time for me. I hope to be able to start studying German. Just calculated, it'll take me 110 weeks to get to level B2 which is the requirement to study in UdK in Berlin. That's pretty much a tad over 2 years. Really long time so yup, need to start now! Driving lessons should start too but I'll read up more on that later. Other than that, 2 OMM concerts, brass band, Brass Explosion competition, Venus Transit performance @ NUS, OMM tour will be my playing projects. I also intend to compile exercises which I find most useful and make a exercise book out of it using Sibelius which I just bought! So yes, lots to work on during the holidays. In no time, I'll be in my third year at NAFA. Should be quite a journey.

Alright, eyes are closing, time to sleep. Goodnight world!

Just watched a good recording of Beethoven's 9th on okto by the Vienna Philharmonic! Fantastic stuff! Can't wait to play that next year with NAFA if it's confirmed!

Academic work over! Academic lessons over! Now time to focus on practice! Long awaited time to get back in shape for my exams. Practice was productive today so yup, on for more tomorrow!

Alright that's all for now. Goodnight world!

Long time has passed since the last post. Orchestra concert went ok. Some good stuff here and there. Gonna ask Hans for the video. Attended quite a lot of concerts in the past week actually; my students from Greenridge and Dunearn, EDQ and NAFA Horns. Really happy to see my students so eagerly put up concerts. For me, I'm really happy and feel warm when I see them enjoying themselves and also having such big support from their schoolmates and teachers. Also, these concerts are for their respective school's pocket money funds, so it's great that they are performing for a charitable cause! EDQ and NAFA Horns concert had lots of good stuff but being me I naturally expect more. I really hope the scene continues to improve and years down the road it'll be more common to hear good music in the local concert halls.

With all honesty, I haven't been really satisfied with any of the ensembles I've been performing with recently, except OMM. I can't say for sure if my expectations are high. All I simply ask for is for people to care for their parts. Care for its rhythm, pulse, articulation, dynamics and pitch. Care for your sound in relation to the ensemble, intonation, togetherness. These are the basics we all have to grasp as much as possible. Other really important things are to adapt to new tempi, intonation, articulation, style, nuances and to admit when you're wrong. I find myself not performing at my best when I play with people who simply don't care. I know it's an excuse but it just puts me off to that point. I'm not perfect, but I do show care, do my best to be open, offer as much help as possible but if one doesn't help himself by caring, how can others help? If this passes off as arrogance, fine, I can always just shut my mouth, probably walk away or something. I've resigned from the various ensembles because of this reason. This gives me extra time to become a better player for the ensembles that demand that high level of playing, and saves me the frustration of hearing stuff from people who don't give a damn and worse still, think they play not just right, but good. Really irritating.

Ok, rant over. Now to move on to cool myself down. I'm really enjoying the times we spend now. I understand more now and that really saves me a lot of headache. I just hope it gets better and we can really enjoy ourselves!

Alright, that's all for now. Will be performing tomorrow with the trombone quartet. It'll be part of a chamber music exam and repertoire hasn't been confirmed as it'll only be picked by the jury on the day itself. Honestly, I'm not recommending this concert but if you're interested, feel free to drop by. Ok that's really all. Goodnight world!

Alright just two more concerts for the semester! Been an educational run for the orchestra so far under Lim Yau; seen and heard it progress. Still a long long long way to go but at least we're moving forward and hopefully it'll continue to be that way. Some really interesting upcoming projects next academic year and hopefully I'll get to play in all of them! Muahahahaha! But really, it's my final year and I'd really really really like to play for that one more year in the orchestra, even if it's not those pieces that are rumoured to be planned. Although this orchestra has tested my patience (in all honesty), it still is somewhere that I hear really beautiful music from my peers and lecturers and I'm still inspired by them at every rehearsal. So just one more year. Alright, time to get some uninterrupted sleep. Goodnight world!

Had quite a good day's rest today! By rest meaning doing nothing at all related to studying! No practice, didn't do my history which I did intend to do (oops), just watched orchestra videos and Top Gear and cleaned my horn. Tomorrow work starts again. History will really be started, some practicing needs to be done for Hungarian March and Brahms 1 excerpts and some score searching to be done as well. Alright, time to get myself cleaned and probably bedtime or more orchestra videos! =P Goodbye world!

Long day just passed. In fact, past 2 days have been long. Totally felt like orchestra camp! Haha! Oh well, today was 2 NAFA Orchestra rehearsals and OMM read of La Mer. Really cool stuff! Managed to find some time after OMM to practise excerpts, like finally! Haven't been practicing for at least 2 days! The good thing is that my weekend is pretty much free! Gonna spend it practicing and also starting on my history essay...again. Yup another history essay to do! Right, that's all for now. Goodbye world!