exam?

So, I've just come back from my prac 2-1 exam.
but we have to backtrack here.

I stayed up last night to watch the soccer, australia vs. japan. heck! what a match! i'm glad i stayed for it, because it was fairly thrilling! the room was divided, some japanese supporters, a few australian (hah. guess which one i was..!) anyway. what a match! i don't think i'll go into details, that would take too long.
but all i can say is WOW! i'm excited just coz australia made it into the world cup. but now they've actually scored some goals and actually won a match, now that's exciting! i kinda wish i'd been at fed square just to see it. and to be fully immersed in the excitement! maybe i'll go down another time. just for kicks. and the atmosphere.

so, it was a fairly late night. considering i had an exam this morning.
i had set my alarm for 7.55am. this includes 1 snooze hit and then i'm up at 8am. i was lying there, thinking "ok, i'll be all set for this morning. Maybe i'll just check how many more minutes i have to lie here". i roll over, check my phone, and it has TURNED ITSELF OFF!! well, you know, the battery died. and i'm starting to panic, thinking "uh-oh. phone died, what is the time?" i jump out of bed (quite literally) and find my clock, which reads something like 8.55am.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm an hour late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this does absolutely NOTHING for my already heightened nerves!

all i can think is :
"how much time have i got?"
"do i have enough time for hot brekkie?"
"i wonder if hot brekkie is still out..."
"do i have enough time for a shower?"
"if i don't have a shower, will i smell too much and will dr. holtham notice?"
"stupid stupid phone."
"i can't remember hearing my alarm at all" (I must have hit something, because my phone was OPEN!!!! how did that happen?!?!)
"do i have enough time to give myself a hand massage?"
"how much time on the piano can i get?"

sigh. the answers to these questions are:
"a bit"
"yeah, i think so, if you're quick"
"hmm...it should still be out."
"yeah, if i take a really quick one!"
"hmm...maybe i should have a shower. dr holtham will surely smell me otherwise."
"stupid stupid phone"
"how strange....i must have been REALLY tired"
"yes, a hand massage is v. important"
"hmm....time at piano will have to be efficient"

Sigh. So, i did manage to wolf down some brekkie, warm-up a bit and then head down to uni.

And so, i did my exam.

i was actually 'early' at uni in rm 205, the warm-up room. i was there just before 10am, and dr holtham actually came in and asked what time i was supposed to be at. Thankfully, i could reply "10.30...i've got ages!" which i kinda did.

Anyway, i played my stuff. caroline managed to call out "have fun! and don't forget to breathe!" just as i walked into dr holtahm's office. so, giving the obligatory 'present' of a photocopy of my pieces, i sat down at the brown steinway.

the option of ordering of scales/arpeggios and pieces wasn't really there, but at least his suggestion (scales first) agreed with my preferred order. he started out asking a LH E-flat major scale. And i sat there for about two seconds thinking "hmm.....i haven't practiced this one...but i'll play it anyway..." the next one was a B-minor or something like that. At this point, I was really thinking "hmm....i definitely haven't practiced this.........!!! if the rest are ones i haven't practiced, i'm SCREWED!!" and i kinda turned around and piped up..

"Dr Holtham.....I don't think this is my group....I haven't practiced ANY of these scales......"

Thankfully, i hadn't done the wrong thing all semester....and it was his mistake, for i was the first prac 2 student. PHEW!! getting back to the actual scales i had prepared.....

The chopin went ok. lots of wrong notes. because i play them. which, i might add, he pointedly picked up on...! oh well. i knew that. but at least i kinda stuck the ending. which was at least good. Bach, he cut me short half-way through my prelude and cut to the fugue (which i thankfully got to play all of!)

he then had a little chat. it wasn't a very long one. it kinda went along the lines of:
"you should check all your notes in the prelude (i suspect it was the etude he was referring to. i'm pretty sure my notes in the prelude are all correct..). you should be putting your name down lots of concert class and piano class, even 1st and 2nd yr concert class. i know you've played a few times in piano class, but you should keep putting your name down. i want to hear more of you. we should be hearing much more from you, because there are lots of good things. and performing a lot will be beneficial to you."

so, this translates to (i think, and i hope...!):
"lots of wrong notes, but you're getting there. lots of good things. performing regularly will help you get over nerves. i'm likely to give you a go-ahead if you put your name down for classes."

so that sounded kinda positive. hopefully that's reflected in my mark... :S

oh well, at least it's over. and i'm not beating myself up over it (yet, or i hope i won't anyway!)

now, let's put on my commerce hat and really get the gears grinding for these other exams. not that the music will stop completely, i have a few music lessons next week with caroline (thus, the reason i am staying in melbourne for another weekend....) and there are interesting things to be learnt with the Intercollegiate Orchestra, which i will be leading at the first rehearsal - eep!

ok, adios! back to study..