27 October, 2008
09 October, 2008
Moisture in my eyes? Must be the dust...
Dust indeed...
Seriously dusty...
I think its been sitting in my drawer for 4 years collecting dust. For some reason, I decided to organize my mess and I chanced upon a large white envelope with colourful words on it. Turns out that it's full (relatively) of warm fuzzies from a retreat 4 years ago. I think its the drama one where there were unexpected visitors. Ligna nearly had to physically restrain me! By the way Ligna, I know you're reading this... So make your presence known!!! Haha...
Anyway, all the notes were quite cute la. I could see not just my own growth but everyone's growth too. I mean, Nicole and Gerard were 13! How sophisticated can they be at that age? Nonetheless, it DID give me a warm fuzzy feeling and brought back plenty of memories.
Digging for more 'treasure' now...
Seriously dusty...
I think its been sitting in my drawer for 4 years collecting dust. For some reason, I decided to organize my mess and I chanced upon a large white envelope with colourful words on it. Turns out that it's full (relatively) of warm fuzzies from a retreat 4 years ago. I think its the drama one where there were unexpected visitors. Ligna nearly had to physically restrain me! By the way Ligna, I know you're reading this... So make your presence known!!! Haha...
Anyway, all the notes were quite cute la. I could see not just my own growth but everyone's growth too. I mean, Nicole and Gerard were 13! How sophisticated can they be at that age? Nonetheless, it DID give me a warm fuzzy feeling and brought back plenty of memories.
Digging for more 'treasure' now...
29 September, 2008
Great source actually... Saved my ass
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Pachelbel; his canon.
Johann Pachelbel - 1653-1706Canon in D"arguably the most widely used, recorded and recognizable instrumental work of all time." I shan't argue with that, but I am curious as to how it got that way. My CYCLOPEDIA (sic) of MUSIC and MUSICIANS, edited by Oscar Thompson , third edition, revised and enlarged, of 1944, gives ten lines on the composer but doesn't mention the Canon in D. or more properly, Canon and gigue, for 3 violins & continuo in D major, T. 337. A canon is of course a type of contrapuntal composition once popular, in which the theme is imitated by a second voice at an interval, and more voices after that if you like, though as with most things in the world it is a little more complicated than its one-line explanation. And a gigue is a jig. Here's a list of over 500 other works by the composer.So how did it get to be so famous after so long, about 250 years after the death of the bloke who wrote it? 8notes.com has tracked its rise to favour by counting the mentions of it in the NY Times, an ingenious idea I thought (see right). So something happened in the '60s, and it picked up a head of steam in the '80s.All music guide notes that Mr Pachelbel was
lost in the mists of musical time until Rudolf Baumgartner and the Lucerne Festival Strings decided to record a work they called Pachelbel's Canon for France's Erato label in the mid-'60s. The recording was not considered worthy of release domestically in the United States except by the Musical Heritage Society. Amazingly enough, the recording became a best seller and, even more amazingly, was heard by Robert Redford, who decided to use it in his film Ordinary People (1980). From there, for a brief time, Pachelbel's Canon became the most popular piece of classical music in the history of humanity.I have tried and failed to find any anecdotal information about Mr Pachelbel except for a couple of incidents at a slight remove from the man himself
"One interesting story comes from his time in Ohrdruf. For some unknown reason, Johann Christoph Bach (older brother and teacher of JS Bach) forbid J.S. from reading a manuscript of Pachelbel's original works. Every night for six months, Bach would sneak down to his brother's study and copy the manuscript by moonlight for his own use...He also tutored all of his children. His son William Hieronymus filled Pachelbel's position at Sebalduskirche, shortly after his death. His other two sons, Carl Theodor & Johann Michael immigrated to America around 1730.While in America Carl Theodor made a bit of history. Following in his father's footsteps he found employment as an organist at the Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island sometime around 1733. In 1736, he traveled to New York City and at 6:00 PM on January 21, 1736 gave a concert in a local tavern. This event is significant as it was the first concert in the colonies of which records exist.Now, before I post the celebrated Youtube video of a version of the work which I rather like, note the following:
Originally written in 1700 (elsewhere given as early as 1680) as a short, fast piece for three violins and basso continuo, the Baumgartner recording set the pace for outlandish arrangements of the work by slowing it down to about a third its original tempoAnd that's the respectful version we're talking about. There are hideous disco and techno beat renditions out there.What would Mr. Pachelbel think about it? I wonder if you stop caring when you're dead, or if there really is an afterlife and God lets you in on the Cosmic Joke and you just spend the rest of Eternity laughing. Who knows? I suspect Pachelbel would be too horrified by US to even get around to considering what we'd done with this canon out of all the canons he wrote. Nevertheless, this is Taiwanese Guitar virtuoso Jerry C. playing it (in one of the most popular videos on Youtube over the last couple of years). Of course it is no longer technically speaking a 'canon,' and whether the dramatic key shift at 3.53, creating the modern 'bridge' that facilitates its conversion into a rock anthem, originates here or in the work of a slick arranger in some other version, I do not pretend to know and haven't the time to find out. But this kid sure can play.(Youtube link from Callum Campbell)
Labels: music
posted by Eddie Campbell at 00:06
Pachelbel; his canon.
Johann Pachelbel - 1653-1706Canon in D"arguably the most widely used, recorded and recognizable instrumental work of all time." I shan't argue with that, but I am curious as to how it got that way. My CYCLOPEDIA (sic) of MUSIC and MUSICIANS, edited by Oscar Thompson , third edition, revised and enlarged, of 1944, gives ten lines on the composer but doesn't mention the Canon in D. or more properly, Canon and gigue, for 3 violins & continuo in D major, T. 337. A canon is of course a type of contrapuntal composition once popular, in which the theme is imitated by a second voice at an interval, and more voices after that if you like, though as with most things in the world it is a little more complicated than its one-line explanation. And a gigue is a jig. Here's a list of over 500 other works by the composer.So how did it get to be so famous after so long, about 250 years after the death of the bloke who wrote it? 8notes.com has tracked its rise to favour by counting the mentions of it in the NY Times, an ingenious idea I thought (see right). So something happened in the '60s, and it picked up a head of steam in the '80s.All music guide notes that Mr Pachelbel was
lost in the mists of musical time until Rudolf Baumgartner and the Lucerne Festival Strings decided to record a work they called Pachelbel's Canon for France's Erato label in the mid-'60s. The recording was not considered worthy of release domestically in the United States except by the Musical Heritage Society. Amazingly enough, the recording became a best seller and, even more amazingly, was heard by Robert Redford, who decided to use it in his film Ordinary People (1980). From there, for a brief time, Pachelbel's Canon became the most popular piece of classical music in the history of humanity.I have tried and failed to find any anecdotal information about Mr Pachelbel except for a couple of incidents at a slight remove from the man himself
"One interesting story comes from his time in Ohrdruf. For some unknown reason, Johann Christoph Bach (older brother and teacher of JS Bach) forbid J.S. from reading a manuscript of Pachelbel's original works. Every night for six months, Bach would sneak down to his brother's study and copy the manuscript by moonlight for his own use...He also tutored all of his children. His son William Hieronymus filled Pachelbel's position at Sebalduskirche, shortly after his death. His other two sons, Carl Theodor & Johann Michael immigrated to America around 1730.While in America Carl Theodor made a bit of history. Following in his father's footsteps he found employment as an organist at the Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island sometime around 1733. In 1736, he traveled to New York City and at 6:00 PM on January 21, 1736 gave a concert in a local tavern. This event is significant as it was the first concert in the colonies of which records exist.Now, before I post the celebrated Youtube video of a version of the work which I rather like, note the following:
Originally written in 1700 (elsewhere given as early as 1680) as a short, fast piece for three violins and basso continuo, the Baumgartner recording set the pace for outlandish arrangements of the work by slowing it down to about a third its original tempoAnd that's the respectful version we're talking about. There are hideous disco and techno beat renditions out there.What would Mr. Pachelbel think about it? I wonder if you stop caring when you're dead, or if there really is an afterlife and God lets you in on the Cosmic Joke and you just spend the rest of Eternity laughing. Who knows? I suspect Pachelbel would be too horrified by US to even get around to considering what we'd done with this canon out of all the canons he wrote. Nevertheless, this is Taiwanese Guitar virtuoso Jerry C. playing it (in one of the most popular videos on Youtube over the last couple of years). Of course it is no longer technically speaking a 'canon,' and whether the dramatic key shift at 3.53, creating the modern 'bridge' that facilitates its conversion into a rock anthem, originates here or in the work of a slick arranger in some other version, I do not pretend to know and haven't the time to find out. But this kid sure can play.(Youtube link from Callum Campbell)
Labels: music
posted by Eddie Campbell at 00:06
Guess the rhythm!
crotchet quaver quaver quaver crotchet crotchet crotchet quaver crotchet crotchet...
Go figure....
Tuesdays are going to be so fun!
Go figure....
Tuesdays are going to be so fun!
28 September, 2008
Dying...
Aaaaaarrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because of the bloody F1, Esplanade library is closed for the weekend!!!!
My 30% presentation is tomorrow and I've no idea where to get my score.
I hate Dr Kan!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Because of the bloody F1, Esplanade library is closed for the weekend!!!!
My 30% presentation is tomorrow and I've no idea where to get my score.
I hate Dr Kan!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
16 September, 2008
Testifying to Love
If there is one thing that I am sure of in my life, it’s the fact that God has blessed me abundantly. Till this day, I remain awed at the impact He has made in my life. To fully grasp the sheer magnitude of His awesome grace, you have to know the type of person I was before.
Looking back at how I was as a teenager, I’m amazed that my parents managed to put up with me. At the age of 14 and 15, I was smoking, drinking and a frequent gambler. I was also a violent and aggressive person who got into a number of fights in and out of school. This aggressive and violent streak also found its way back home where I got into frequent fights and arguments with my mother. I hated God and everything related to Him. For that matter, I probably even hated myself at that time. I felt alone in the world and did not see any purpose of my existence. I was also failing my studies in school and was perpetually in detention. When I attended mass, it was only due to the fact that my parents coerced me to. God however, had plans for me and He truly works in mysterious ways. You never know when he will send someone to change your life. Conversely, you will never know how God can make use of the little you do to bring someone closer to Him.
I met a girl online when I was 15. I was never in the habit of meeting people on the internet but for some reason, I continued talking to her. One day, she mentioned that there was a Youth in the Spirit Seminar (YISS) organized by the Youth Praise Ministry (now called Amplified) and she invited me to attend it. I had heard about it from school as I was from a Catholic school and had heard that there would be many girls there. As such, I agreed to go as I wanted to meet girls and maybe get a girlfriend, or two. Little did I expect that God would touch me deeply and that for the first time, I felt like I mattered to God. I was moved to tears that God could care for someone who hated Him and cursed His name. I was humbled by the fact that despite me being a great sinner, he enfolded me with his loving arms and later blessed me by giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me. In addition, He also led me to friends there who were from our parishes Charismatic Prayer Group and they brought me to Christ The King. It was in the Charismatic group where I met people, both adults and youth who would journey with me for many years, guiding me, scolding and lecturing me when needed and loving me for who I was. I slowly let go of my old friends and some of my old habits with them. This is not to say that I became an angel overnight, but it was a start to a long and difficult conversion journey.
Besides bringing me back to God, the YISS also brought something significant in my life. It introduced me to Praise and Worship and I felt an instant connection to it. I have always loved music and in worship, it felt as if my prayer was magnified. It’s not just a sing-a-long when you truly worship. I was drawn to it and it manifested in me a greater love for music and singing. It is when I’m singing praises to God that I feel a sense of great joy and love. It led me to join the worship team in Charismatic as a vocalist and 6 months later, I joined St. Dominic’s Choir as well. It was indeed amazing to those who knew me before my change of heart that I had went from a God-hater to serving in dual ministries in church, all in a span of 6 months.
A few years later, God chose to bless me in yet another way. When I was 18, I started having an interest in playing music. I have never had a single music lesson in my life then but for some reason, I was drawn to it. I started to pick up keyboard playing when a friend showed me the basics. Once I started, my thirst for more was insatiable. Before long, I was asking and learning about things like chords and keys. I started being able to play a few P&W songs, albeit not very well. At that time it was still a hobby and a fun pastime to me. Soon however, I began to feel called to playing. I did not want to do anything about it though as I felt that I was not good enough and unworthy to play. I was still not living a good Christian life and felt that someone like myself could never play for church. Once again, God had other plans for me. At a Charismatic retreat, we were praying for intentions and there God touched me again and impressed upon me that I was not unworthy and though I was a sinner, He loved me no less than anybody else. He also impressed upon me that any music I played would be beautiful in His ears. With that, I decided to start playing music for God and it has been a truly amazing and miraculous journey. My playing started to improve rapidly right after the retreat and soon, I was playing hymns for weekday mass. God also paved a way for me in Charismatic when the musician then who was a professional in the music industry had to take a break due to work and family commitments. Playing for both Mass and Charismatic, I started to garner experience quickly. God also helped me develop by providing me with a lot of exposure as I was asked to provide music for the Sec. 4 confirmation camp in 2005. Subsequently, I was also asked to play for other camps and retreats, as well as events in and out of church. I had to honour and opportunity to work with very talented musicians like Terrence Teo, Melvin Cher, Martin Yeo and Lyonel Tan. I was able to learn a lot from them and by playing with them, my playing also developed. Looking back, it is hard to believe that anyone would enlist the help of someone who has been playing music for only a year and I remain convinced that it was part of God’s plan for me.
This year, as I was finishing my National Service, I was trying to decide what to study and I asked my friends to pray for me that God would give me a direction. After much prayer, God revealed to me that He would lead me further using music. As such, I decided to try enrolling in NAFA under a MOE scholarship. At first, it did not seem that the audition was going well. I could not read notes and my classical piano technique was nowhere near the required standard. I did not know anything about theory and I had to have a 3 day crash course before the entrance test. However, I decided to leave it to God that it would be His will being fulfilled and not mine. Indeed, when God promises something, he always delivers and in the end, against all odds, I was accepted into NAFA. Instead of having to pay my school fees, MOE covers everything and even provided me with an allowance. This just goes to show that in God, nothing is impossible. If we but open our hearts to Him and trust him, He will bless us abundantly. That is why I’ve spent a considerable amount of time giving my music back to God in His service. After all, without Him, I wouldn’t even be able to have such a fulfilling passion.
If anyone doubts the power of God in one’s life, I can only say this. God’s ways are not those of the world. Though it goes against our human nature and all logic, we must let go of our lives and place it in God’s hands. Though it may frighten us to do so, or fill us with anxiety, trust wholly in Him and He will not abandon you. That is something that I can testify to, without a doubt.
Looking back at how I was as a teenager, I’m amazed that my parents managed to put up with me. At the age of 14 and 15, I was smoking, drinking and a frequent gambler. I was also a violent and aggressive person who got into a number of fights in and out of school. This aggressive and violent streak also found its way back home where I got into frequent fights and arguments with my mother. I hated God and everything related to Him. For that matter, I probably even hated myself at that time. I felt alone in the world and did not see any purpose of my existence. I was also failing my studies in school and was perpetually in detention. When I attended mass, it was only due to the fact that my parents coerced me to. God however, had plans for me and He truly works in mysterious ways. You never know when he will send someone to change your life. Conversely, you will never know how God can make use of the little you do to bring someone closer to Him.
I met a girl online when I was 15. I was never in the habit of meeting people on the internet but for some reason, I continued talking to her. One day, she mentioned that there was a Youth in the Spirit Seminar (YISS) organized by the Youth Praise Ministry (now called Amplified) and she invited me to attend it. I had heard about it from school as I was from a Catholic school and had heard that there would be many girls there. As such, I agreed to go as I wanted to meet girls and maybe get a girlfriend, or two. Little did I expect that God would touch me deeply and that for the first time, I felt like I mattered to God. I was moved to tears that God could care for someone who hated Him and cursed His name. I was humbled by the fact that despite me being a great sinner, he enfolded me with his loving arms and later blessed me by giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me. In addition, He also led me to friends there who were from our parishes Charismatic Prayer Group and they brought me to Christ The King. It was in the Charismatic group where I met people, both adults and youth who would journey with me for many years, guiding me, scolding and lecturing me when needed and loving me for who I was. I slowly let go of my old friends and some of my old habits with them. This is not to say that I became an angel overnight, but it was a start to a long and difficult conversion journey.
Besides bringing me back to God, the YISS also brought something significant in my life. It introduced me to Praise and Worship and I felt an instant connection to it. I have always loved music and in worship, it felt as if my prayer was magnified. It’s not just a sing-a-long when you truly worship. I was drawn to it and it manifested in me a greater love for music and singing. It is when I’m singing praises to God that I feel a sense of great joy and love. It led me to join the worship team in Charismatic as a vocalist and 6 months later, I joined St. Dominic’s Choir as well. It was indeed amazing to those who knew me before my change of heart that I had went from a God-hater to serving in dual ministries in church, all in a span of 6 months.
A few years later, God chose to bless me in yet another way. When I was 18, I started having an interest in playing music. I have never had a single music lesson in my life then but for some reason, I was drawn to it. I started to pick up keyboard playing when a friend showed me the basics. Once I started, my thirst for more was insatiable. Before long, I was asking and learning about things like chords and keys. I started being able to play a few P&W songs, albeit not very well. At that time it was still a hobby and a fun pastime to me. Soon however, I began to feel called to playing. I did not want to do anything about it though as I felt that I was not good enough and unworthy to play. I was still not living a good Christian life and felt that someone like myself could never play for church. Once again, God had other plans for me. At a Charismatic retreat, we were praying for intentions and there God touched me again and impressed upon me that I was not unworthy and though I was a sinner, He loved me no less than anybody else. He also impressed upon me that any music I played would be beautiful in His ears. With that, I decided to start playing music for God and it has been a truly amazing and miraculous journey. My playing started to improve rapidly right after the retreat and soon, I was playing hymns for weekday mass. God also paved a way for me in Charismatic when the musician then who was a professional in the music industry had to take a break due to work and family commitments. Playing for both Mass and Charismatic, I started to garner experience quickly. God also helped me develop by providing me with a lot of exposure as I was asked to provide music for the Sec. 4 confirmation camp in 2005. Subsequently, I was also asked to play for other camps and retreats, as well as events in and out of church. I had to honour and opportunity to work with very talented musicians like Terrence Teo, Melvin Cher, Martin Yeo and Lyonel Tan. I was able to learn a lot from them and by playing with them, my playing also developed. Looking back, it is hard to believe that anyone would enlist the help of someone who has been playing music for only a year and I remain convinced that it was part of God’s plan for me.
This year, as I was finishing my National Service, I was trying to decide what to study and I asked my friends to pray for me that God would give me a direction. After much prayer, God revealed to me that He would lead me further using music. As such, I decided to try enrolling in NAFA under a MOE scholarship. At first, it did not seem that the audition was going well. I could not read notes and my classical piano technique was nowhere near the required standard. I did not know anything about theory and I had to have a 3 day crash course before the entrance test. However, I decided to leave it to God that it would be His will being fulfilled and not mine. Indeed, when God promises something, he always delivers and in the end, against all odds, I was accepted into NAFA. Instead of having to pay my school fees, MOE covers everything and even provided me with an allowance. This just goes to show that in God, nothing is impossible. If we but open our hearts to Him and trust him, He will bless us abundantly. That is why I’ve spent a considerable amount of time giving my music back to God in His service. After all, without Him, I wouldn’t even be able to have such a fulfilling passion.
If anyone doubts the power of God in one’s life, I can only say this. God’s ways are not those of the world. Though it goes against our human nature and all logic, we must let go of our lives and place it in God’s hands. Though it may frighten us to do so, or fill us with anxiety, trust wholly in Him and He will not abandon you. That is something that I can testify to, without a doubt.
08 September, 2008
Acting cheem...Haha
And I quote...
"...is a greater appreciation of how art transcends the various mediums of expression and how it’s the collective ideas of humankind that binds all art forms together..."
Am I smart or what!?
Haha...kidding. I'm sure the lit major will scoff!
"...is a greater appreciation of how art transcends the various mediums of expression and how it’s the collective ideas of humankind that binds all art forms together..."
Am I smart or what!?
Haha...kidding. I'm sure the lit major will scoff!
07 September, 2008
Why Dr Kan... Why?
AAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!
What do I have to say about History?
!@#$%^&*&^@*%$#@!$^
Seriously, the only reason Dr Kan gives so much bloody work is because she has too much free time. Can any guy out there date/marry/procure her so that her time will not be spent reading our work and coming up with more work!
What do I have to say about History?
!@#$%^&*&^@*%$#@!$^
Seriously, the only reason Dr Kan gives so much bloody work is because she has too much free time. Can any guy out there date/marry/procure her so that her time will not be spent reading our work and coming up with more work!
20 August, 2008
So far so good...
Hey hey!!!
Yes... I know that there's been a slow down... BUT, I can't help it. I'm a hard-working student now. Yes you heard me right the 1st time. I'm being a hard working student now. So not me!
It seems to be paying off though. I recieved my 1st grade for the semester and it was an A. Mind you, this was for piano and I was expecting to fail all the way. The next grade I recieved was a perect 10. Yup, full marks for a 10% assignment! Only 1 other person managed to get it!
Hopefully, this keeps up but I seriously doubt it as I heard failing Theory is a norm and a C is considered a good grade. Oh well, till the next time then.
Yes... I know that there's been a slow down... BUT, I can't help it. I'm a hard-working student now. Yes you heard me right the 1st time. I'm being a hard working student now. So not me!
It seems to be paying off though. I recieved my 1st grade for the semester and it was an A. Mind you, this was for piano and I was expecting to fail all the way. The next grade I recieved was a perect 10. Yup, full marks for a 10% assignment! Only 1 other person managed to get it!
Hopefully, this keeps up but I seriously doubt it as I heard failing Theory is a norm and a C is considered a good grade. Oh well, till the next time then.
11 August, 2008
03 August, 2008
Poetry
Song
Go, and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me, where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
If though be'est born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
Nowhere
Lives a woman true, and fair.
If thou find'st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet,
Yet do I not, I would not go,
Thou at next door we might meet,
Thou she were true when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two, to three.
--- John Donne, 1572-1631.
02 August, 2008
Twinkly Twinkly
Sigh... the twin sisters are all sciency now. Bloody stargazers... Haha
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,
—Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, Twinkle little star,
SOON, we'll know just WHAT YOU ARE! :))))) HAHA
Haha indeed...
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,
—Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, Twinkle little star,
SOON, we'll know just WHAT YOU ARE! :))))) HAHA
Haha indeed...
01 August, 2008
School... and other burning questions.
No. 1... I do NOT... I repeat do NOT have a thing for Cynthia. I am also not promoting her to any male readers out there! This came from 2 different individuals as well... Sheesh. I'm just fascinated by the fact that this little shy girl with her book sitting a discernible distance away from Gerard on the same 2 seater couch has grown up into a young confident lady. That's all. Seriously...
No 2...
A small number of people have indicated to me that I mention school but not my area of study. One even said that driving school is not school. For the record, I'm not taking driving lessons... yet... So I'm going to clear the air and talk about school. Those who've heard this for a million times can either click on the little x at the top right corner of your screen or click on the little red dot at the top left corner.
Now, I suppose I'll begin at the beginning. The importance of the beginning cannot be Diminished. After all, the beginning of a good story always Augments the main story. Never think that it is too Minor and dismiss it for you'll lose a Major part of the whole. Alright... I'm rambling here. Those who know Music Theory will understand what I'm rambling about.
Some months back, I was thinking about my future and the choices I had. I could do my private 'A's, go back to poly, sign on or do distance learning. To be frank, none of them were very appealing to me for various reasons. I was seriously at a lost about what to do. Out of the blue, someone mentioned to me, " Eh, why don't you try out for music? MOE are looking for music teachers. " Now, that really intrigued me and got me thinking. After all, according to the person, NIE accepts any Tom, Harry and Dick for music. Or so he/she said.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. After all, music is my passion and I love it to its deepest core. Give me a proper instrument(Steinway or fender... kidding) and I can play all day. However, there was a snag; I could not sight read... or read scores for that matter and my scales, fingering(get your mind out of the gutter) and technique were horrendous. In the end I decided to pray about it and I got others to do the same and the general consensus I had was go with the music and so I applied with MOE online and received my first shock.
They asked me for my grade and stated that there was a minimum requirement of Grade 5 theory and that I had to audition with at least a Grade 6 piece. They also stated that it was working with NAFA and that I would be there for 3 yrs and receive a Dip in Music before heading west to NIE. It didn't seem to me now that they accepted Tom's Hairy Dick in there! I mean, I have a grade 0 and I can't do classical music for nuts. Nevertheless, I submitted what was basically an empty application(save for my details) and hoped for the best.
Surprisingly, MOE called me up and asked if I could go for an interview with them. I thought to myself, "Maybe they interview all applicants. After all, they're paid OT and its government resources so they probably don't care." I went down and talked to them and basically told them that there was no mistake in my application and I indeed have never recieved music training. I told them that my main instruments were the electone and the keyboard and they said sure, they'll contact me if I'm shortlisted for the audition. To my greater surprise, they called me to tell me that that I was scheduled to go for an audition at NAFA which comprised of 2 pieces, sight-reading, aural and a theory test!!! I was nervous as hell. This was where the buck stops, I told myself. Now my gift of the gab and my bs counts for nothing. To make matters worse, there was a miscomm between the 3 parties and on the day itself, the head of department of music called me and told me that they only offered piano. This was on the day of the audition itself!!! To cut a long story short, I had to change my piece at literally the last minute. It was horrendous. I couldn't do the sight reading at all, my touch and technique were not good and the theory test included history, of which I knew nothing about. The only good thing I had going for me was the Aural segment. I was done for, dusted, finished.
Point to self. When God says he will do something, he will do it. Here I was, not trusting in HIM and being all worried and preparing myself to fail because logically speaking, they would not take me. God though, does not work on human logic. The bottom line is, I got accepted and I was the happiest person alive at that moment. I was jumping like a lunatic and didn't care that I looked like a fool doing it. Well, that's how I got into school and its only the 2nd week, but I know God will see me through. I know its not easy but hey, nobody said that it was going to be easy.
Till the next time then...
No 2...
A small number of people have indicated to me that I mention school but not my area of study. One even said that driving school is not school. For the record, I'm not taking driving lessons... yet... So I'm going to clear the air and talk about school. Those who've heard this for a million times can either click on the little x at the top right corner of your screen or click on the little red dot at the top left corner.
Now, I suppose I'll begin at the beginning. The importance of the beginning cannot be Diminished. After all, the beginning of a good story always Augments the main story. Never think that it is too Minor and dismiss it for you'll lose a Major part of the whole. Alright... I'm rambling here. Those who know Music Theory will understand what I'm rambling about.
Some months back, I was thinking about my future and the choices I had. I could do my private 'A's, go back to poly, sign on or do distance learning. To be frank, none of them were very appealing to me for various reasons. I was seriously at a lost about what to do. Out of the blue, someone mentioned to me, " Eh, why don't you try out for music? MOE are looking for music teachers. " Now, that really intrigued me and got me thinking. After all, according to the person, NIE accepts any Tom, Harry and Dick for music. Or so he/she said.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. After all, music is my passion and I love it to its deepest core. Give me a proper instrument(Steinway or fender... kidding) and I can play all day. However, there was a snag; I could not sight read... or read scores for that matter and my scales, fingering(get your mind out of the gutter) and technique were horrendous. In the end I decided to pray about it and I got others to do the same and the general consensus I had was go with the music and so I applied with MOE online and received my first shock.
They asked me for my grade and stated that there was a minimum requirement of Grade 5 theory and that I had to audition with at least a Grade 6 piece. They also stated that it was working with NAFA and that I would be there for 3 yrs and receive a Dip in Music before heading west to NIE. It didn't seem to me now that they accepted Tom's Hairy Dick in there! I mean, I have a grade 0 and I can't do classical music for nuts. Nevertheless, I submitted what was basically an empty application(save for my details) and hoped for the best.
Surprisingly, MOE called me up and asked if I could go for an interview with them. I thought to myself, "Maybe they interview all applicants. After all, they're paid OT and its government resources so they probably don't care." I went down and talked to them and basically told them that there was no mistake in my application and I indeed have never recieved music training. I told them that my main instruments were the electone and the keyboard and they said sure, they'll contact me if I'm shortlisted for the audition. To my greater surprise, they called me to tell me that that I was scheduled to go for an audition at NAFA which comprised of 2 pieces, sight-reading, aural and a theory test!!! I was nervous as hell. This was where the buck stops, I told myself. Now my gift of the gab and my bs counts for nothing. To make matters worse, there was a miscomm between the 3 parties and on the day itself, the head of department of music called me and told me that they only offered piano. This was on the day of the audition itself!!! To cut a long story short, I had to change my piece at literally the last minute. It was horrendous. I couldn't do the sight reading at all, my touch and technique were not good and the theory test included history, of which I knew nothing about. The only good thing I had going for me was the Aural segment. I was done for, dusted, finished.
Point to self. When God says he will do something, he will do it. Here I was, not trusting in HIM and being all worried and preparing myself to fail because logically speaking, they would not take me. God though, does not work on human logic. The bottom line is, I got accepted and I was the happiest person alive at that moment. I was jumping like a lunatic and didn't care that I looked like a fool doing it. Well, that's how I got into school and its only the 2nd week, but I know God will see me through. I know its not easy but hey, nobody said that it was going to be easy.
Till the next time then...
28 July, 2008
I hate Mondays
Mondays suck big time! Argh!
My bloody timetable on monday is so screwed up. 1hr lesson in the morning, followed by a 8 HOUR BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is that!?!?!?
My bloody timetable on monday is so screwed up. 1hr lesson in the morning, followed by a 8 HOUR BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is that!?!?!?
21 July, 2008
Sleepy... Zzzz...
Argh... It is not good to attend a wedding dinner with lots a wine 1 night before your first day of school! Lesson learned!
Although... The food was excellent as it was a rich couple's wedding. This family is basically one of those high society types. Case in point; the brides younger sister was the valedictorian last year at SMU. Some other obscure cousin/family friend just returned from Oxford where he was studying Political Science, Econs and Philo. Oh yeah, he's on a PSC scholarship and he wants to start work in the PMO. Yup... high flyers all right.
The wedding was an eye opener all right. She had an expensive and talented group of singers(that would be Isabel, Cynthia, Martha, Del, Theodore and myself at $88 apiece) and an even more talented musician (refer to previous posts) to do her songs. Said musician was also at the lunch reception but more on that later. The 1st reader read the reading like it was some kind a BBC story-telling session. The prayers of the faithful required the use of a dictionary(for some people la) and it included things like " ...the couple, raised in an environment of order and respect for their ancestors... " and " ...in this tumultuous sea which we call life..." which were filled with powderful English. They had some 45 min long photo session to cap off the church wedding.
After the wedding, we headed to a chapel-looking house in Binjai Park for the lunch reception. The red carpet was literally rolled out and there was a very nice and fancy tentage on the lawn with a chef slicing roast and dishing out potatoes. There was salmon, scallops and duck and seafood risotto which were not bad. There were people sipping their wine by the pool while the above mentioned musician played jazz on a grand which was in a little corner of the living area(take note that their little corner can accommodate a grand and I said living area, not living room). The piano was of course mic-ed up to a sound system where a soundman idly fiddled about with countless knobs and levers. The couple arrived in a Rolls Royce and confetti cannons were fired. All in all, quite a nice house I must say. Of course, they had their 3 maids complete with uniform to clean up the considerable amount of confetti which littered the driveway so no worries there.
That was all on a Friday but of course, a wedding will not be complete without the dinner which was duly held at The Sentosa Spa and Resort last night. There was a four piece jazz band and a pretty ok singer( I say pretty ok cos I've been to South Bridge and Bellini's) with a pretty high vocal range. There was an opening speech... no wait, opening address by the valedictorian who talked about bloodlines joining and all that. The food was fabulous though and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Menu :
-Lobster Salad
-Shark fins Soup w/ Crab & Abalone
-Prawns
-Scallop w/ Celery
-Mushrooms, Vege & Abalone
-Stewed Duck
-Red Grouper
-Seafood Fried Rice
-Really Really Fantastic Tiramisu!
There was something quite novel about the dinner and that was the fact that everybody was separated from their families and seated according to "interests"/age which led to a lot of confusion among the guests. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty chirpy chap and was able to mix around. It wasn't too bad actually. My table was basically Catholic and single-sex educated and considerably younger than me(with the exception of the future minister from Oxford who's 22). I basically had 4 IJ girls(2 ex, 2 present), and 1 each(all alumni) from St. Gab's, St. Pat's, RI and ACS. It was a pity that Cynthia did not join my table as she was stuck with older people and I would have liked to have her company as we're in the same school now. Anyway, I was seated in between 2 girls who could hardly have been more different. On my left, was Theodore's niece, Victoria, who's 18, extremely outgoing and friendly, bubbly(or bimbotic depending on who you ask) and not too bad looking. She speaks in a slang and as far as I know, is pretty sporty(tennis). She's not gorgeous but a beautiful dress, make-up and immaculate tresses can make a helluva difference. She's kinda shallow though but fun all the same. On the other hand(my right to be exact), there's Joy, who's a CJ-ian(the new kind which hang out at the library), kinda plain looking(black specs and cardigan), witty in a dry way, loves rock and "blessed" with an aversion towards SJI guys(at least those in CJ). I had an interesting time though and it was quite enjoyable. We even had a toast to youth at our table which got the evergreen table next to us staring. Oh well, at least I did not wake up to a hangover this morning.
P.S. I just have to say this. I'm pleasantly surprised to see how Cynthia has grown from a shy little girl to a beautiful outgoing young lady. Younger guys, if you're interested, she's a Portuguese(mum)-Chinese(dad) 18 yr old with a lovely dress sense(inherited from both parents) and she's currently single.
Although... The food was excellent as it was a rich couple's wedding. This family is basically one of those high society types. Case in point; the brides younger sister was the valedictorian last year at SMU. Some other obscure cousin/family friend just returned from Oxford where he was studying Political Science, Econs and Philo. Oh yeah, he's on a PSC scholarship and he wants to start work in the PMO. Yup... high flyers all right.
The wedding was an eye opener all right. She had an expensive and talented group of singers(that would be Isabel, Cynthia, Martha, Del, Theodore and myself at $88 apiece) and an even more talented musician (refer to previous posts) to do her songs. Said musician was also at the lunch reception but more on that later. The 1st reader read the reading like it was some kind a BBC story-telling session. The prayers of the faithful required the use of a dictionary(for some people la) and it included things like " ...the couple, raised in an environment of order and respect for their ancestors... " and " ...in this tumultuous sea which we call life..." which were filled with powderful English. They had some 45 min long photo session to cap off the church wedding.
After the wedding, we headed to a chapel-looking house in Binjai Park for the lunch reception. The red carpet was literally rolled out and there was a very nice and fancy tentage on the lawn with a chef slicing roast and dishing out potatoes. There was salmon, scallops and duck and seafood risotto which were not bad. There were people sipping their wine by the pool while the above mentioned musician played jazz on a grand which was in a little corner of the living area(take note that their little corner can accommodate a grand and I said living area, not living room). The piano was of course mic-ed up to a sound system where a soundman idly fiddled about with countless knobs and levers. The couple arrived in a Rolls Royce and confetti cannons were fired. All in all, quite a nice house I must say. Of course, they had their 3 maids complete with uniform to clean up the considerable amount of confetti which littered the driveway so no worries there.
That was all on a Friday but of course, a wedding will not be complete without the dinner which was duly held at The Sentosa Spa and Resort last night. There was a four piece jazz band and a pretty ok singer( I say pretty ok cos I've been to South Bridge and Bellini's) with a pretty high vocal range. There was an opening speech... no wait, opening address by the valedictorian who talked about bloodlines joining and all that. The food was fabulous though and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Menu :
-Lobster Salad
-Shark fins Soup w/ Crab & Abalone
-Prawns
-Scallop w/ Celery
-Mushrooms, Vege & Abalone
-Stewed Duck
-Red Grouper
-Seafood Fried Rice
-Really Really Fantastic Tiramisu!
There was something quite novel about the dinner and that was the fact that everybody was separated from their families and seated according to "interests"/age which led to a lot of confusion among the guests. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty chirpy chap and was able to mix around. It wasn't too bad actually. My table was basically Catholic and single-sex educated and considerably younger than me(with the exception of the future minister from Oxford who's 22). I basically had 4 IJ girls(2 ex, 2 present), and 1 each(all alumni) from St. Gab's, St. Pat's, RI and ACS. It was a pity that Cynthia did not join my table as she was stuck with older people and I would have liked to have her company as we're in the same school now. Anyway, I was seated in between 2 girls who could hardly have been more different. On my left, was Theodore's niece, Victoria, who's 18, extremely outgoing and friendly, bubbly(or bimbotic depending on who you ask) and not too bad looking. She speaks in a slang and as far as I know, is pretty sporty(tennis). She's not gorgeous but a beautiful dress, make-up and immaculate tresses can make a helluva difference. She's kinda shallow though but fun all the same. On the other hand(my right to be exact), there's Joy, who's a CJ-ian(the new kind which hang out at the library), kinda plain looking(black specs and cardigan), witty in a dry way, loves rock and "blessed" with an aversion towards SJI guys(at least those in CJ). I had an interesting time though and it was quite enjoyable. We even had a toast to youth at our table which got the evergreen table next to us staring. Oh well, at least I did not wake up to a hangover this morning.
P.S. I just have to say this. I'm pleasantly surprised to see how Cynthia has grown from a shy little girl to a beautiful outgoing young lady. Younger guys, if you're interested, she's a Portuguese(mum)-Chinese(dad) 18 yr old with a lovely dress sense(inherited from both parents) and she's currently single.
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