me, Brucey, Xing 

Xing, Nikhil, Wen 

haha min. sorry, there are actually only 2 random min photos here... 

random min #3 

A Recital

An Invitation...
I will be playing in part of a recital this coming week, and I'd like to invite you all to come along!
The details are as such:

When Thursday 2 November, 8pm
Where Queen's College Junior Common Room ( Enter via the main archway of Queen's and the Junior Common Room is diagonally across the quadrangle, on your left immediately before the large dining hall. At that time of night there will probably be some street parking available in College Crescent or Swanston Street, but parking in the college grounds is probably not possible.)
Who Featuring Gladys Chua (piano), Jacquie Fordham (clarinet), Anne Veinberg (piano), and Trio Reginae
What A Concert! There will be some Bach, Liszt, Ravel, Mozart, Stravinsky, and some story-telling....!

It shouldn't go for very long, and I'm told there shall be some tea and coffee also..! Please feel free to tell as many people as possible, bring all your friends.
I know it's SWOTVAC and close to exams, but if you can spare the time, it will be a great night, and full of wonderful music!

If you have any questions/issues etc. please feel free to email me or call me (or leave a comment, and I'll email you).

my all-years class debut. my decision. my thongs.

My debut
So, that huge list was a list of thank yous.
Perhaps I should explain the situation?

We (Trio Reginae) played in the final Concert Class of the year! We'd put in our application during the holidays, and apparently there were HEAPS of applications (even for last week). I have played in four concert classes this year (four more than last year!). That is exciting for me! And apparently there were something like sixty applications that were rejected for last week. Just imagine how many applied for week 12. And the times I've played this semester (three), I have been second last three times. I think I'm going pretty well...!

Anyway, we had to change our programme from the Schikele to the Mozart. The Schikele was seriously under-rehearsed and didn't feel very right. So, we had to tell Dr Holtham - eek! And I ended up telling him - even more eek! But he was really nice about it (perhaps he does like me? That is excellent news if so...). He just said something along the lines of "Ok. What are you changing it to? Will you please announce it? Is there any reason for the change? It doesn't go for more than 15 mins, does it?" So, there I was, chicken - and telling Dr Holtham, ready to incur his wrath. And there I was later, chicken - announcing to the whole of concert class (which is supposed to be basically everybody in first and second years, most of third years - excluding composition students, and those fourth years taking prac, including normal prac, performance, and instrumental teaching students). Eek! (Many eeks in too short a period of time!)

Anyway, that went pretty well. It felt fairly settled. And I really enjoy playing the Mozart - it is a beautiful piece! As always, I had thoughts during playing that I shouldn't have been thinking about, such as the weekend. And then I have this thought process that goes something like

"Hey, what am I doing this weekend? Argh! Concentrate! Okay.....wow, so this is what it feels like to be playing for the all years class....lucky I'm playing with other people and not doing a solo...hmm...there are quite a few people in the audience, nearly full house....ahh...so many people...! Ahh..! CONCENTRATE!!!!! Stop thinking about what people are writing or thinking about! Think about the music!" I'm serious. I should really just think about my performance.

It was a stellar class, so I feel quite honoured to have even been included in the programme. This is how it went:

Rebecca Moret (voice acc. Bei-Mi Chen) Beethoven and Strauss songs
Emma Hunt (violin) Franck Sonata
Will Schmidt (piano) Vine Sonata
Janelle Hopman (voice), Catherine Young (violin)
Chenny Xue (violin, acc. Daniel Yim) Bartok Violin Concerto
Anne Veinberg (piano) Stravinsky Etudes
Trio Reginae (piano, clarinet, violin) Schikele cancelled, Mozart
String Octet: Mendelssohn Octet

See? Most people performing are performance stream students. Eek! The octet was so hot. In every sense of the word hot.
And imagine if we had actually played the Schikele. It would have been Vine, Head, Bartok, Stravinsky, Schikele. I don't think anybody would have survived! And so everybody probably breathed a sigh of relief when we played Mozart. Hopefully, anyway.

Anyway, we had an MSS Pizza & Beer thing. It was fun. I saw a whole heap of people I didn't even know went to the Con. Haha. That tends to happen. That tends to happen with the last lecture of semesters too....as displayed in my Music History lecture on Thursday afternoon, as well as the OB lecture on Friday morning. Wow. So full....never knew so many people took these subjects - go figure!

And then in Sinfonia, we read through the entirity of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Which is almost impossible to read through. Argh! No wonder I got lost. Very difficult. But we got to play Dvorak 5 (iv) again! :) Yay! That's a good symphony! As well as a Beethoven Overture. Where I kinda got lost because I kept playing in half time or double time, instead of actual time. Haha. But it was sad.....people are leaving..!

I know, this is only going to get worse, because I will start to know more people each year who are getting closer to graduation. And I'd just gotten to know you guys.....I had feelings of sadness on Friday morning...when most music classes were over......
Christina, Roman, Tim, and even though you don't know me - Lin and Yelian - you guys have been awesome. I'll miss your playing and seeing you around the Con!

My decision
I have decided, after much deliberation (try about four weeks.... :S), that I shall not be moving into the Vic next year. This has been a very difficult decision to make - even harder than deciding to come to Melbourne..! In this four-week period, I have swung between feeling completely convicted of staying at college, and moving into the Vic. There have been a multitude of things to consider. There have been tears (I admit!). There have been doubts. But this is it. And if I don't put my foot down now, I'll be even more angsty and confused. I hope it's the right choice. But as I have likened it, this decision has been so hard. It's kinda like me having to choose between dark chocolate cake and white chocolate cake - and I love chocolate. And perhaps bigger implications. But you get the point.
I admit, I am slowly removing myself from college. Okay, so my isolation is partially inflicted! But you must understand, it's just my interests are generally so different. My focuses in life are so different to most people. I thrive being surrounded by similar people (not that differences are bad, I like them, don't get me wrong!), but I guess I have just had the most wonderful second year (particularly second semester) at the Con, and meeting friends at the Con, that I think they make me happy. And even more crazy - which I have no shame in admitting! So, please don't expect much of me at college. Even my other-college friends are mostly musos. What does that tell you? And I can tell you now, I've talked to some of them about living in college....and many of them agree that it can be pretty isolated being a musician in college - we really are a very different breed of people.

My thongs
My blue shower-cum-go-everywhere-in-them thongs had a hole in the left sole. I could feel stuff underfoot. And that was when I decided that I needed a new pair. In fact, I needed a new pair of shower thongs (which will inevitably end up being worn out and about, oh well), and also a new pair of summer thongs, because most of mine are wearing out (only to be worn on special occasions, or when one can't find desired not-so-worn-out pair of thongs). And so I succumbed to the Havaiana craze/trend. And I also succumed to the brown pair. Because although every second person I know has them (yes, so I follow the crowd....!), they actually do match very well with many things. And that was the basis of my decision.

And so Wen-Li and I went shopping today. Yes, it's SWOTVAC, and we went shopping. Roll your eyes if you like. The shower pair came from Cotton On, and a colour called Lead, and I also got one of those Enviro charity bags. And the guy serving me, whom I had this little conversation about me having issues about which colour to pick (grey or black, although he pointed out that they were both fairly neutral colours, so it was pretty easy to match stuff with), pointed out the bag matched my just-purchased thongs. So I was on the right track. Where would I be without rassuring people like him? Haha.

Last night was the last Connect of the year, appropriately labelled Dis-Connect. We had a DELICIOUS dinner of curry (yum! So good to have a good curry!), and a very relaxed hang-out evening. We talked about the most random things possible, including buzzing, the coolness of Converse (and how cool Tim would be now if he had hung on to his original Converse shoes....from the 80s!), and the oddest, or most disgusting things people had eaten. Sally-Anne grossed everybody out with her slug story. But the prize probably goes to Sam for being the most entertaining. I think all I could do is laugh at Sam. Haha. :P And we even talked about whether one would eat human. Not intentionally killing to eat (cannabilism), but if one had to eat another human to survive. I have thus vowed never to be stuck on a desert island with Sam....! Lol.

Oh well.
Study 1. What I should be doing. 2. What I am not doing at the present moment.

I finished my audio folio for my brass class. I just have to buy a CD case...I've burnt the CD to a disc, made a booklet and all (which I am incredibly proud of..haha. You should see it. If you do want to, you have to come by before Thursday, which is when it gets handed in!). I just have to finish my written assignment. Which reminds me....I should really source those fingering charts for all those tubas..........

Okay, back to it. I actually enjoy my Brass Class assignemnt...! Is that odd?

thanks, and the viola

samantha
sam
kristen
gina
lauren
nat
gowri
amelia
elise
rach
the octet (high praise, I tell you!)
azy
nicole
anne
dylan
clinton
amber
nick
liz
emily
steph
paul
ed

and as always, jac and em, because i wouldn't be getting the feedback if i wasn't playing with you guys!

"So fluid!" If you think so :)
And Holtham didn't even give me a talk! He was so kind! That's really good...

On another note.....
"Whose fiddle is that?"
"er...mine..."
"You play fiddle? I didn't know that!"
"well, you play viola...."
"I'm about to throw in the viola..."

no no no!!! Who else am I going to get to play viola with? Perhaps you'd like to play the Mozart, in its original form, with us? :)

,me: "Who else am I going to play viola with?!"

Joe: "I'll play with you!"
me: "Umm...do you actually play viola?"

Nick: "Well that never stopped viola players before!"

"The cantor position at st patrick's involves waving my arms in front of a congregation trying to get them to sing!"

"I passed my viola technical exam by two percent! i got a 52, and those two marks were seriously the marks you get just for being a viola player!"

and congratulations to nick and anne for winning the 1st year and all years prizes, respectively.

Funny Monday

*Dave's Baroque opera singing in Monday 10am. I was so convinced that he was a saxophonist. Oh well, he is a good singer...!

*Dave: "We were so hot. We rocked, didn't we?" (As much as early music can 'rock' :P )

*"Do some work, like your...assignment. Or talk quietly amongst yourselves. I didn't actually plan anything for this tute; it's a good thing that those Quality of Teaching surveys have already been done, because there is no teaching!"

*"I'm talking Eastern European right!"

*Nick and I laughing so hard while Sam furiously tries to get down all the quotes.

*Gladys: "I don't understand...I think there's been a misprint.....Mischa......???"
Mischa: "Yeah, you can change that I to a IV or a VI. Or just put those as /III. See? All makes sense!"
Gladys: "But there are so many options.......I'm confused...."
Dave: "It doesn't love you......but it still loves me."

*An amazing Chamber Music Competition final. Congratulations to all, particularly to Three of a Kind.

*Dr Holtham doing the Habanera. Complete with singing, and dancing.

*The entireity of Piano Class completely losing it with laughter.

*Stefan having too much to say. Amy having lots to say. Tristan asking interesting questions.

*"Listen to Tristan. And he can be quite demanding."

And Tuesday:
me: "You know you love him, in a completely platonic way. You know you do!!" (no names..!) :P

what to do?

What to think? Does it depend on what I'm doing at university? Does it depend on how much and when I want to practice?

Does it depend on somebody else?

What is going to sway me?

Rehearsals and other music things.

This post is going to encompass quite a lot.
Wednesday looked something like this:
10 am Piano lesson
11 am Tute for Chamber music
12.20 pm Lunch
12.43 pm Run to shops
1.07 pm Reherasal on piano at Newman Chapel
1.30 pm Choir rehearsal at Newman Chapel
3.00 pm Work in Library
4.45 pm Finish work
6 pm Think about getting ready for Valedictory Dinner while trying to do homework
6.20 pm Actually get ready
6.32 pm Complete one of the fastest dressing-up sessions I have ever done for a formal occasion
6.45 pm Attend pre-dinner drinks
7 pm Attend Valedictory Dinner
9.30 pm Finally head back to my room after Dinner
10.30 pm Attempt to go practice in the JCR
11.00 pm Actually get round to practicing, after having sing-a-long with SCR stragglers
1.00 pm Finally fall asleep after being restless, and ensuring ear-plugs are firmly wedged in ears, my Lamentations of Jeremiah, by the King's College Choir, is turned on, and the fire door closed

Only to be followed by Thursday:
6.30 am Wake up
8.30 am Trio rehearsal
9.15 am Rehearsal in Melba for solo (didn't actually start till 9.27 am)
9.30 am Rehearsal in Melba for trio (didn't actually start till 9.38 am)
10 am Lecture
11 am Concert Class - play
12.25 pm Hang in Con foyer
1 pm Meet Lauren, go to CU
2.15 pm Lecture
3.15 pm Hang in Con foyer
4.25 pm Sinfonia
6.30 pm End Sinfonia, administer QOTs
6.54 pm Come home

See? It's busy.

And that was just two days. Friday and Saturday were quite similar, although probably a bit less busy. Thankfully.

So, concert class.
We played. We, I mean, Trio Reginae. We played the 3rd movement of the Mozart trio. And I played Ravel's Ondine (solo). We had pretty good comments. Der Holtham is nice to play. Although we (Daniel) and I requested that the music stand of the piano be removed, because it is fairly hard to hear dynamic and tonal changes. Bill took the class; he was very nice, and gave constructive criticism.
I had lots of positive feedback for Ravel - many people enjoyed it, which was nice. And also because I really enjoy playing the piece, and think it is quite marvellous.

And because I'm starting to get a big head from all this, or because I felt special, some comments include...(in some sort of paraphrase):
'I love your playing - I cannot fault it'
'The highlight of the class'
'A solid performance'
'Minor note issues, but did not detract from a good performance' (yay! From somebody who is very good himself, and apparently doesn't say all that many nice things about everybody...!)
'Beautiful'
'How do you do that?! There are so many notes...!'

So, thank you all for the (mainly positive) feedback - it's nice to know that people enjoy my playing..!
Sam, Michael, Em, Jac, Danny, Lauren, Freya, Emily, Clinton, Sarah, Trev, Tom, Dylan, Tina, My-Hong, Kristen, Jenny, Ed, Daniel, Azy

So, we had Connect last night. It was a great wrap-up, and there were quite a few people there. Unfortunately, the whole Whitley crew couldn't come, but that's ok. We had a good time!

And tonight, I made up half a concert..! Chamber Music in the Chapel was held tonight at Newman College. Organised by the extraordinary Dylan Edge, appearances were made by Julie, Tom, Alvin, the intercollegiate choir (which held together quite well! And interestingly, had representatives from each of the four college choirs!), Trio Reginae, Rhiannon, and me. :) It was a success. More people should have come, because they would have enjoyed it. But nevertheless, it was lots of fun, and great to see so many friends there. Heck, looking out towards the audience, and not including the other performers, almost the entire right hand side were my friends whom I'd invited. And as for the left side of the chapel, well, I knew about half of them. As I had thought before, and Dylan said, "It was like the Gladys Chua and friends concert". I said I was sorry for hijacking, but now that he's bought me my hot chocolate, he's got me now.

I'm not even going to write about the piano, or the acoustics, or Dylan's shout, well, not now at least. But you know what? The aim of all this was to foster friendships through music. If I can be an example, I think that this goal was achieved. And still is. I got to meet a whole heap of (formal and informal) musicians. I got to perform. I got to listen to performances. I had a great Saturday night - music and friends. Just beautiful.

Thank you to everybody who came - it was great to see you all there. And at least you know why I practice so much...! :P Or perhaps understand how obsessive I am! What a night.

Review

So, I went to the orchestra concert on MOnday night. I unfortunately had to miss the last queen's soiree of the year, but i figured, oh well. And i would have been so upset if i had missed the orchestra concert.

It was FANTASTIC!!!!
martin gave us (me, sam and loz) a lift in his car (bertie) to hawthorn town hall. i mean, he came with us too.
and seriously, almost everybody in the con went! the atmosphere was amazing. everywhere i turned, it was like, "hey! how's it going?" i love that feeling and the fact that i can do that in my faculty! even peter, the technician dude/instrument loans dude came! so did vistara, the office lady. the usual people were there :) excellent.

Stefan Cassomenos was the soloist in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2, while the 2nd half was rimsky-korsakov's Scheherazade.

The orchestra was great! Stefan played really well! considering he's been hideously overworked (and I thought i was busy? I'vce got nothing on him.....!) Well, i mean, he played very well.
the orchestra shone in the 2nd half, particularly. the solos were just beautiful. Michael brooks-reid was the violin soloist, ewen was the cello soloist. misha's oboe solos were beautiful. (i'm totally in love in misha, in a completely platonic way. you just have to hear him play, and be in the same class as him. you will understand then! he is totally amazing.) it was such a great concert!

wow wow. and it's cool, i knew so many people in the orchestra...i didn't think that i did...until i kept seeing performers. or went through the orchestra list. haha. :) i love the con :)

Minimalism

ABC Keys to Music this week is about Minimalism. So tune in if you can - 9am, ABC Classic FM. In Perth, 97.7 FM and in Melbourne, 105.9 FM.

"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Phillip Glass."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

:(

i can't go to borodin quartet tonight :(

:"(
i really think i'm about to cry. :"(

on this pleasant Sunday morning...

I went to the final concert of the Spring Early Music Festival last night...it was a concert presented by Early Voices, held at the Trinity College Chapel. It was a fantastic concert! I went with Lauren to see a couple of our friends sing. And I didn't even know that I knew so many people who sung in this ensemble! I had, earlier that day (while practicing piano..!) thought about auditioning for Early Voices next year. Because I really love singing, particularly music from this era (Renaissance and the Baroque), and I'm thinking of not doing Queen's Choir next semester, for reasons of time and not enough performances. (Don't get me wrong, it's challenging, but I'd like my challenges to have more to them!) Anyway, they were fantabulous. Highlights included seeing my friends sing solos (well, in ensembles too..!) and Nick hitting a low D with great conviction and resonance :)

Afterwards, Lauren and I talked for ages (with different people, as well as each other..!) We went to Ormond, we came to Queen's, we went back to Ormond. Haha. There are perks of living on campus, so close to each other! She said that the Christian singer, Rebecca St James, prayed and wrote letters to her future husband. I know, this seems like a weird concept. But while I'm in the mood, I thought it wasn't such a weird idea, that it was more interesting than anything else, and would be a good way of recounting things too. So.....let's give it a shot.....!

Dear Future Husband,

I hope you are well. (What else am I supposed to start with?!?!) On this pleasant Sunday morning, I feel quite anti-social not doing much of the 2006 Queen's VD Day celebrations. I just can't bear to be surrounded by so many drunk people. I know some of them are still fairly in control; some of them are very nice people; some of them are very nice. But I have to look and think that they're wrecking their livers. And by the end of the day, they'll forget what happened. Only to not realise what they've done, to be repeated at another ocassion. This makes me sad, and feel quite deluded, really. Enough of disappointment.
Last night I went to a fantastic concert - Early Voices presented the final concert as part of the 2006 Spring Early Music Festival. I talked to a friend of mine from Newman. I really enjoy talking to him, because he's so passionate about music; he believes that music should be available to all - he's keen to organise a number of free concerts. He's almost an idealist - he loves music, art and poetry hehe. :P I suggested he might have been born in the wrong era, although he pointed out that if he lived then, he would've been labelled as one of those nutcases, and gone insane, probably throwing himself in the Rhine or something like that! I love that he's so enthusiastic - he's got lots of great things planned, like competing for the MYM Young Conductor's programme, winning awards and the like. I am in awe of him.
Anyway, enough of my enthusiastic friend!
This is a first - a random 'letter' to my future husband. Some may call it weird, eccentric, downright crazy. But most of all, it intrigues me. Because it allows me to wonder and speculate. I hope you're nice. Of course.. :P
But I hope you are honest, down-to-earth, trusting and loving. There are so many things...!
I hope you believe and live out the marriage vows that will be made. I hope you love God first. I hope you'll encourage me in my life. I hope you help me when I can't do things, or when it starts to get hard. I hope you don't get hideously drunk like the people on the floor above and I hope you don't start dropping dumbells like them. I hope you have a nice smile that warms my heart :) I hope you have that twinkle in your eye. And I hope you have a big heart.
And I hope you enjoy music :)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to my beloved cousin who has been elected the 2007 President of the Ormond Student Club.

Come! :)

there is free concert at which I'm playing, solo, with other musicians and friends, (and I will also be watching some bits of it!) to which I am inviting you all!

The simple details...
What The intercollegiate music society presents Chamber Music in the Chapel
When Saturday 21 October, 8-about 10pm
Where The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Newman College, 887 Swanston Street, Parkville
Featuring Trio Reginae, the intercollegiate string orchestra, the intercollegiate choir, The Dome Quintet as well as soloists Rhiannon Maynes, Julie Boyer, Alvin Chong & Gladys Chua.
Works to include Mozar'ts Kegelstatt-Trio in E-flat, Peter Schickele's Serenade for Three, Liszt's Concert Etude #2, Ravel's 'Ondine' from Gaspard de la Nuit PLUS MUCH MORE!


So, reasons why you should come:
Because you would like to hear me play.
Because you'd like to listen to some fantastic music.
Because you'd like to support young musicians.
Because you're my proxy family! :)
Because you'd like to help me celebrate my nineteenth-and-a-half birthday on the night!
Or any other reasons!

If you can make it, it'd be wonderful to see you there! It will be a great concert, so I'm actually anticipating a big turn-out!

tim said:

"Fatherhood is wonderful. You all should try it sometime...!"

yay!

my mortal loves me!!!!! :) finally! xoxo

totally cool

Andrew from The Idea of North replied to my email. :)
How's that for down-to-earth attitude with your fans? Totally awesome.
And it was a very nice email too :)

help!

Does anybody know how I can add cool things to my blog?
Like, adding things to lists, such that urls are present (so you can link to my friend's blogs, favourite bands etc?)
And also whether there is something where I can check the stats of my blog? Things like, how many people access my blog, and where from?
Let me know if you know - I may enlist your help! :)

Okay, wow #2

I promised I'd have the full wrap-up of The Idea of North.
So, having managed to talk at amazing rates over the weekend, squishing "I went to see The Idea of North on Friday night and it was so awesome!" into every sentence, I think I am now capable of the full wrap-up. No guarantees on it being cohesive as I get progressively more excited though!

So, we managed to miss two trams....they seriously weren't labelled! And yet, in the city, they were the #72. Go figure. We thought we had it all planned out...well, we did, but clearly not very well, or without considering about six alternatives if the previous five didn't work! Anyway, I was very paranoid (well, normal paranoid is kinda my usual state, unfortunately!) but we hopped on a tram down to Flinders St, then caught three cabs in total to get to Chapel off Chapel in Prahan. Our taxi driver followed the other cabs (that had our friends in them, not random cabs...!) and managed to get us there about five minutes before the concert was scheduled to start!

We ran in, we claimed our tickets, we distributed them quite haphazardly - there was no chance to rig any sort of seating (hehe!) but it turned out well. Most people sat with at least one person they knew, and if they didn't know the others around them, they got to meet new people! We had about 30 people in total in our group booking - we're hoping to increase that next time (hey, what about putting on a concert at Chapel just for Gladys and Sam and their associated friends? I'm sure we could fill that place...!). I sat next to Kristen and Min for the 2nd half (replace Min with Sam for the 2nd half). And every time they started a new song, I kept sqealing and having to restrain myself.

The songs they performed were stunning. Not just because they're stunning normally (as a standard!) but live, they're just ELECTRIC! I love seeing performers who are just phenomenal live, not just on their CDs. And The Idea of North are most definitely that. As I said, but will recap here, they sang all the songs from their latest album, The Gospel Project (which I have bought now! Yay!), as well as some from Evidence, and some others.

The slower ones on The Gospel Project, including poems by Michael Leunig (set to music, and arranged by Nick), are just beautiful. 'Revelation' was wonderfully upbeat, so too was "Ain't No Rock". Some of the songs are with a band backing. When we first heard that Idea were collaborating with a band, we were slightly suspicious (I guess, when you have a reputation of "A cappella vocal quartet" a band seems to be a huge addition. Come on, even James Morrison has been quoted as saying something about if you're The Idea of North, a band would get in the way!). But when they put it all together, especially live, it was even more electric! All my slight doubts flew out of my mind. I guess one of the good parts is that the bass, Andrew, is at least partially relieved of percussion duties and can be the actual bass! And that not everybody has to be singing all the time. It was wonderful.

"People Get Ready" was actually written as a 'protest' song for the anti-discrimination movement (re: African Americans, think Martin Luther King). Incidentally, the previous day, my history lecturer had just shown a slide that was a picture of the protest in Washington where Martin Luther King had spoken. It was a phenomenal picture - there were so many people, all protesting for a basic human right. And it was fabulous to hear this song, which is already a favourite (for many reasons, including FQB&HDVJ at Melba Hall), done by one of my favourite groups! The lights just went "click click!" and it was awesome to turn around excitedly to Gina and in an excited whisper, gabble, "That's what Trish was talking about!!!" Hehe. :P I love it when stuff just makes sense like that!

"Just Kidding" and "No More Blues" was fantastic :) They are technically difficult, and they pulled if off so well (not that I'd expect anything less, really!). I noticed that "No More Blues" was in a different key ;) (darn perfect pitch sometimes, though!) The Toupe Song made another appearance. Hehe. I love that song. Complete with Nick's wrong trombone note that Andrew had to fix! Talking about funny songs, 'The Unfortunate Tale of a Country Chicken' was just so amusing! Sam next to me was laughing at every line, Xing gasped when "that silly chook the storm did cook/with a lightning bolt and thunder" (hehe. Her reaction was so cute). And the feathers! The feathers! Haha. Most amusing visual effect - something unfortunately not achievable on a sound recording! Oh well. There was also a song originally done by Take Six, who incidentally wrote a song 'A Quiet Place' that was on our Aural Studies CD last year, and that we performed for our final exam last year. See? Click click click, the lights turn on!

As I said, they also did my shower song, which FYI, is "But Not for Me". Perhpas because Naomi's arrangement has the main solo for the alto (yay! :) ) or because it's so characteristically a jazz song? I don't know. But it's a great song to sing in the shower! (And thanks Sam for the affirmations that it is not only a great shower song, but a great anytime song and for your approval!) 'Shed a Little Light' made a come-back from their first self-titled album but it was re-done, with a new middle section! It was kinda cool to hear something familiar, but not completely familiar! I think if I wasn't the terribly self-consious person that I am, I would have been singing my heart out along with them! Haha. (not that people paid to see or hear me, but I was so captivated and swept up with the music!) And also, Chris and I were speculating at the interval, "I wonder if they'll do 'Isn't She Lovely'..." because we love that song. Incidentally, it is one of my favourite songs (it's definitely going to be at my wedding. Or my wedding reception. Stevie Wonder would be awesome, but dude, The Idea of North would be totally awesome..! Hehe...). And they did it as an encore!!!! I unfortunately wasn't sitting close to Chris, but when they started singing (Nick dedicated it to his son, although it says isn't she lovely..oh well...!), I squealed and think there were seriously tears in my eyes. For a few reasons...it is one of my favourite songs, Idea's version is wonderful, I'd been hoping for it, Chris had been hoping for it. And we even got to do those harmonies :) We go to sing with The Idea of North. Totally cool.

Wow, I feel horrible for not mentioning every song. But I unfortunately can't! (This is where I may start to ramble on in-/dis-/un-cohesively...) They were just totally awesome!!!!! We did manage to meet them afterwards, as is customary. And it was amazing that they rememberd us as those music students from the Con! Hehe. :) Excellent. I definitely felt like a groupie (such that all my friends who were waiting oh-so-patiently said I was..! Haha). But hey, as a friend pointed out, at least you're passionate about something! (Worse still, I could be apathetic...!) They were just WONDERFUL. I had an awesome awesome time. There are some acts that I totally pep myself up for, go to their concert, have an awesome time, come home and listen to their stuff more, but then sometimes get a little sick of their music for about a month. But not The Idea of North. I could live on this stuff for ages! And at the risk of sounding like a crazy fan/stalker, we did get pictures with them (see below). And I know for one that I'm eagerly anticipating their next concert, the launch of their new site (which will probably get a zillion hits just from me!), and have been recommending them to everybody I meet!

So, thanks to The Idea of North for making me so happy (my cheeks have been hurting so much because I haven't been able to stop grinning like crazy!), for bringing us beautiful music, for being awesome performers. Thanks to all my friends who have put up with my craziness, my obsession, my paranoia, ramblings, squeals/shrieks of delight and excitedness and my garbled feedback! Because,

"We accept it, we observe it, we absorb it.
We surrender to our bare truth.
We are nourished, we are changed.
We are blessed. We rise up.
For this we give thanks.
Amen." (Prayer by Michael Leunig)

Andrew (bass, The Idea of North), me. 

Group photo! :) L-R: Jon, Nick (tenor), Sam, Trish (soprano), Andrew (bass), Naomi (alto), Min. Me, Gina in the front! Chapel off Chapel, Friday 6 October 2006 

quotes

more from techiques...

"mischa, is that good enough for you? minimal wastage of paper!"

"no, cathy, i didn't say that. why would i say that?"

"that's just nut-baggery!"
"right, the aim of this week is to use that word in each conversation"
"right, micha...how was your weekend?"
"....errr.....nug-baggery...?"

"belly-button fluff or whatever them arts students do..."

"IV to V....use for schmaltz, all the pop songs do..!"

wow!

yep, so i just got back from going to The Idea of North concert at chapel off chapel.

WOW
I know i say this all the time. but it was an AMAZING concert!
the full report will come later,
but briefly, they did a whole heap of tracks from their new album "The Gospel Project". it was amazing.
They also did some from their previous cd, Evidence (including No More Blues, and Just Kidding - v. complex!) as well as the Toupe song (is that how you spell it..?!), the jazz sax one (with 7000 words about a mouse....!), they did Isn't She Lovely as one of the three encore songs. I think I nearly cried. I thought it couldn't get better, but it did!
They even did my shower song!!! (Yep, I even leant over to sam and whispered very excitedly, "This is my shower song!!". And he approved of it. Even said that it was a good anytime song..! haha)
The Gospel Project Band played, and they were awesome! I was worried that they would detract from the function of the group to sing a cappella, but they were great....they really did just support the main act, and we heard some great jazz!

I did end up buying their new CD, it's fantastic! Yes, and we were being all groupie, and got them to sign it, talk to them all individually, as well as having photos taken with them! :) (yep, sooo groupy! at least they remember us!) our next aim is for them to come to the con..! how amazing would that be?!?!?!

i met angus' sister tonight at the concert. (yay! now that i actually know who angus is and all..! and that we're all fans and all! hehe :P ) angus' family is actually perth..! it was very cool. mental note: angus' sister is Mary-Jane. i hope i won't forget..! i should actually go talk to angus myself haha.

some of us went out afterwards, got some coffee (or equivilent) then sat at the long tables at the city brunetti's and "did" speed-dating. Haha. not that it was really speed-dating, but it was fun to have to rotate through four guys and talk to them about....stuff. hehe.

anyway, it was amazing!!!

photos will hopefully come soon :) what an amazing night.....it was a fantsatic concert with great company......

to all those that came:
Sam (you organisatinal mastermind..! and my equally obsessive groupie..!)
Liz
Gina (you photo junkie you..! i love you for it though! :) )
Chris
Flick
Sam
Min
Jon
Kristen
Jacquie
Jenny
Xing
Nat

And all the associated friends who I have not listed....thank you all for sharing this amazing experience with me and I hope you had as much fun as i had....! we're most definitely going to their next melbourne appearance! :)

more quotes

[In a Music Techniques tute]
"So what did we learn today?"
"We've learnt that you can fit an Indian Minor in your pocket."

"Sometimes you might need to write little notes to explain yourself. But I probably shouldn't have told you that, Gladys, because I know how many words you can fit on a piece of paper."


"Puccini wrote fantastic stuff. Oh, pity, Gladys, you're a pianist...you don't get to play Puccini!" (thanks for the consolations, Nick :P )

not what you think!

"when somebody says mendelssohn piano trio to me, i immediately think it's felix. but it's not! it's fanny!"
hahaha. mind you, i go through the same thought process too :P

finally!

So, today, I finally played for Stephen McIntyre!!!!! Woot!
I've been dying to since last year!

I'm sure I've explained the oh-so-many two degrees of separation, and I finally got to play for him, in the flesh (well, I guess that is the definition of playing for somebody...). I masterclass-ed Ravel's 'Ondine' from Gaspard de la Nuit and he had good comments: encouraging words, tips for practice, constructive feedback. That's definitely a few hallmarks of a good teacher. He's amazing...he's everything I could wish for in a masterclass. And he was very nice too.
And I managed to step into it, when I told him that I'd been dying to play for him. Haha. I even sent regards from my previous teacher from Perth!

The collation

From June 2006:

Anonymous commenter: You should walk around College - there are plenty of people still around - you just have to find them - it's like an Easter Egg hunt :) 10:40 AM

glady_4: dear anonymous commenter,
please reveal yourself!! or at least some clue....? (you didn't happen to be an anonymous commenter a little while back, did you?) i'm assuming you are at college (mine, in fact..), so there aren't THAT many choices (i think?!) an easter egg hunt, hey? i like that.... :)

Anonymous commenter: A clue? Hmm .. tall, dark, handsome ...12:19 PM

glady_4: hmm...well, RE: Tall. if this is in comparison to me, it could be ANYBODY. almost. so, that's not very clue-y. Dark. This is in comparison to what..? In terms of hair colour..? Or eyes? Or skin tone in relation to mine? And Handsome, hey? That is a matter of opinion, surely I'd be the one to be the judge of that?
So, anonymous commenter, you really haven't given me a clue at all!
Hey, what about I try guess who you are..? Starting with... DO YOU LIVE IN KERNICK?!?! (during the university semester, of course..)

Anonymous commenter: Hey you didn't blog about the Queen's Revue! 1:19 PM

glady_4: oh, so i didn't! i shall have to...did i put photos from it..? maybe i'll just write a little spiel. but now i have to run to an exam.
and YOU didn't answer any of my questions!!!

Anonymous commenter: Hope your exam went well :) 6:53 PM

dear anonymous commenter

it is with great amusement that i think i may never figure out who you are. although i'm quite determined to figure it out. really.
please, more clues would be helpful. at least answer my ONE question!!
so, in response to you pointing out that i haven't blogged about the revue, i shall include photos..i'll do that now..!
yours truly,
gladys (the blogger..)

dear anonymous commenter #2

could you please leave more clues?
....like an easter egg hunt?

Anonymous commenter: Clues .. hmmm .. I've been to your corridor several times ... other than that - i think it's more amusing (for me) to remain anonymous :P 1:33 PM

dear anonymous commenter #3

gahh!!!!
reveal reveal!!!!!!!!!
you've visited my corridor several times?
1) do you live on my corridor...????? (that could be very annoying)
2) which corridor/building do you live on/at?
3) why would it be funner, or 'more amusing' for you to remain anonymous? i think you should start revealing more..
o, what we've established:
1) this is like an easter egg hunt
2) you, my anonymous commenter, uses emoticons
3) i must know you. (yes, steph, this person well and truly knows me..! and i don't think it's a secret admirer...sigh! how exciting would that be?!? haha)
4) you've been to my corridor several times. (or more than several??)
5) you're tall, dark and handsome. this lends itself to a male anonymous commenter. but like i said, tall is really not good..i'm short, so tall is anything, really. dark is like..what? dark skin, dark hair, dark what? and handsome, well, that's a matter of opinoin. help me help you help me help you help me help you.
6) you find this amusing.

Oh, and there was another one.....when I wrote about somebody commenting that Queen's people and Ormond people were similar, I got an anonymous commenter: That's lucky considering they were going to merge.

From September 2006:
Anonymous commenter: HAHAHA 2:46 PM (in response to "ahem")

glady_4: ...is that who i think it is...? or is that the return of my actual anonymous commenter (the tall, dark and handsome one?!) ?

Anonymous commenter: OMG - that blue text hurts my eyes - my eyes my eyes. And no, I'm the tall dark handsome one - that other person is an imposter. 12:14 AM

Anonymous commenter: Okay - another clue - I'm taller than you. 6:27 PM

So, the verdict? What does one make of this?

This person is most definitely a Queen's person. Who else could have known about the Revue? The Ormond-Queen's merger, my corridor, my blog (the least substantal argument here, but still...)

I need some concrete clues. "Tall, dark, handsome" unfortunately does not cut it. (As I said, tall isn't very hard to accomplish over me, even YOU know that! Dark, well, are you at night..?!?! Or otherwise? And what is dark? Your hair? Your eyes? Your skin tone? See? Inconclusive! And sorry, handsome is a matter of opinion. Perhpas if you revealed yourself to me, I could determine and pass judgement on whether handsome really applies to you or not. Note: I may be more likely to say you are if you actually revealed yourself to me...I really can't determine so if I have no physical reference..!)

you don't say...

To the dark, tall and handsome anonymous commenter...

You don't happen to perhaps be the person I am supposed to marry as per the "ahem" post..? (to marry, so that I can be your brother's sister-in-law...)
This means that you have to have a brother I know. You don't say you are the same?

Thank you kindly.

Engineering

At the 2006 ExxonMobil Dean's Presentation Ceremony, Mr James Hunsaker, Director of Gas & Power Marketing at ExxonMobil, said:

"Normally when we talk about climate change, we talk over a very long time period, perhaps hundreds of years. But climate change in Melbourne occurs every fifteen minutes."

Hahaha.

Ahem

"Gladys needs a boyfriend."

"And he needs a girlfriend."

"What are you implying...?"

"Well, you guys can get married, and then you can be my sister-in-law."

"Ah, sole purpose. Nothing about love or anything. It's all about in-laws."

"Clearly......sole purpose, I see...."

Hah. Remember, water-person. Or there with the orange slices.

not-so-dead-or-dying elephant

I'm really getting into this horn thing.
I played for Nat the other day, through a voice conversation on MSN. (I thought you had to have skype or something like that for it to happen!). She said it actually sounded like a french horn! Go figure..!
I'd like to keep it up, but it'd be hard.
Considering that minor prac on violin is in the very back of my head. Not sure how viable that is. And horn..?!?!

something different...

"When are you going to play horn in Sinfonia? Then we could have a full horn section!"
Perhaps not, Phoebe...or maybe the last week. When it's alright to make a complete fool of myself :P

sport

it's like i'm on the sidelines permanently.
one day i'll get to take centre stage.
maybe the crowds will roar. and maybe the other players will look around and ask why it's never happen before.

every time

every time i hear it, i think of you.

every time i start singing, i think of you.

and i smile.

YPA

So, heartiest congratulations of all sorts to CAMERON HILL. Okay, so I don't personally know the guy, but I know of him.
And I can boast that I went to uni with him. And I know people who know him.
So that counts!
Anyway, so Cameron won the YPA 2006, playing Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D.
Well done to the other two finalists - they are phenomenal musicians in their own right, and the judge's choice was incredibly hard.

The Con will have a field month. I know I will...I am thinking of having a party in his honour, just coz. I think it'd be fun.

So, CONGRATULATIONS again. Because he definitely deserves it; from all I know about him, this rising star is phenomenal, totally amazing. If you don't already know of him, look out..!

woah!

so, it's the holidays now......

i was at uni for AGES on thursday and friday....
thursday...think about 9am-7pm.
Darn...i think i have blogged this, but it didn't save....! What's the go?!?!

Anyway, so Friday I had this recording thingo.
Thanks to sam for helping out.
monique did really well. We did like, ten songs....intense!!

And so, coincidentally, some guy came in and sat in the recording session. He didn't say a word, didn't make a sound, didn't interrupt or anything.
Turns out he's an Italian conductor. And he's played horn with some big names and met some famous people and all. Conversing with him was quite hard...lucky monique knew some italian..! (His english was fairly broken..!) Wow, they had like, a full-on talk. hehe

missed the Caltex dude, at the expense of sitting in the con foyer :) (a pastime I know enjoy quite regularly..!) Had a rehearsal on friday arvo/evening for TRIO REGINAE. (Did i unveil that already..?) Jazz and wyvern was that night. Managed to have beer spilt all over me, have yet more scratches from heels and the like courtesy of other people; I always go to turns and stuff and come back with battle scars.

got up late on the weekends...gosh, haven't been able to do that in a VERY long time! felt so good! had jude's music prac on saturday...that went well :) we played on sunday (obviously..) we rocked....maybe not as much as we could have if ben were there, though..!
Went to inkari on saturday and sunday nights..!
Saturday was to listen to the live latin band :) totally cool. the band really liked us (probably because we were a group of people, rather than just like, two people..) the guitarist even came out and said hi to all of us...making sure he shook everybody's hand! hehe :P When we tried to go (xing was getting a takeaway coffee), one of the guys, i think the string bass player was like, "takeaway?! No! No takeaway!"
"oh, sorry, i have to deliver this coffee..I'll come back next week!"
"you break my heart..!"
hehe. Too cute.

then went again on sunday night coz it was a lygon st night. we were supposed to split up into groups and stuff, but it ended up being one MASSIVE group at inkari; we took up the entire outside, and half the inside! hehe. :P (splitting the bill was a nightmare though, and a huge headache ensued...!) good times, good times :)

monday i had a piano lesson. then had sushi for lunch :)
the lesson went well, which was great. lots to work on, lots of work to do..! but at least i know where i am at the moment! i've put my name down to play the first day back in a masterclass with stephen mcintyre. i am really shocked i did that. but i've been dying to play for him. but i'm not sure if i'm ready or not..! argh!

the ACO concert broadcast on monday night was wonderful. they played beethoven 5, in the midst of a bunch of things. but they were using this urtext version that had beethoven's tempi. and how sprightly it was!!!

"so what are you doing for the rest of the day?"
"wishing that somebody (read: interesting man of some description) will ring me up and ask me to dinner :P"

tuesday night (last night), i went and saw the st lawrence string quartet play at hamer hall as part of the musica viva series. it was a great concert. i went with mel (thanks a bunch!!! i hope you had as much fun as i did!) after alex pulled out, and i messaged/emailled a bunch of people, it turned out to be just me and mel :) it was great. :) i'd forgotten how beautiful hamer hall is!

cameron hill is now playing the stravinsky violin concerto in the final of the young performer's award.


Concerts I have missed:
Friday night: VCA plays Mahler 5; muco at St Paul's.
Saturday: Girton college cambridge choir at Trinity College. (Also, trinity college choir)
Sunday: MYO plays tchaikovsky
Monday: ACO Concert (didn't actually see it)
Tuseady: lucky i finally went to a concert. but i missed an Impressaria concert.
Tonight: seeing the YPA final at hamer hall. i am listning to it, but perhaps I shoulda gone to see Cameron (and the other two talented soloists).....I woulda run into a zillion con students!
Upcoming concerts: thursday - The Stiletto Sisters (I have no idea, i got a flyer; looked interesting...). Friday: Spring Early Music Festival: Melbourne Collegium @ Newman College Chapel.

"look at you, all social!"
"wow, am i a gig-freak or what?"
haha.

"interested in seeing the st lawrence st.qt tonight@hamer hall? student rush $15, 7.30pm. i'm going with a coupla friends, need a muso friend too!"
"sorry mate i have to work tonight :-( good luck finding a muso! Hava good night, bless ya"

Gigs.
Messages.
Lack of $.
Want to go out.
The social life of a musician...?!

multi faceted

little in life is ever a single dimension. it's usually multi-faceted.
which is my angst at the moment.
leaving or staying.
i'm probably staying, it's just that sometimes i wonder whether i could really hack it again.
i'm sure i could, just distancing myself has been one of the wonders of this semester.
it has been an amazing time to get to know new people, especially people who are so passionate about the same things as me.

don't get me wrong, the people here are lots of fun, and are all unique. i'm sick of the fact that I can't talk about the things i'm really interested in without the other person really understanding, i'm tired of the crap that goes on. my idea of fun is clearly something quite different. it would perhaps be very prudent of me to say that i have matured much faster than a lot of them. but it feels that way in many instances.
I definitely identify with them all - we're all here. but sometimes i have to wonder if that's the only thing.
no common interests, no anything else, really. it's just the place that brings us together.
of course, identifying with a place is a strong thing, but is it enough?
is that what i define myself by?

no. i define myself in a number of ways. you may call it multifaceted.

i'm like one of those bouncy rubber balls. i'll spring back up again.
it's just i'm having one of those lows where i'm deluded by it all.

i feel apathetic towards it all.
after being deluded by it.
and perhaps what i don't know, i just don't care about. not that everything is like that, but such frivolity really doesn't matter to me anymore.

what up

i shoulda gone on church camp. it sounds like it was a really really good camp.
oh well.

thursday was long. 10am-7pm.fun though. just tiring. lucky i didn't go to cloudstreet that night, i would have got home at about 10.30-11 or something crazy like that.

our new OB lecturer is really cool. ok, sure she doesn't have scott's cool accent, but she sure is enthusiastic, and definitely will not take No for an answer!

got a message on friday night:
"Ok guys get ur diaries and turn to october 14. Scribble out anything that is written there, and write the words 'duckdive gig at the evelyn' Easy!"

Haha. i felt compelled to send one back about Cloudstreet.

went to cloudstreet on saturday night. phenomenal. long (about 3.5hrs) but it was so worth it. excellent acting. they did a marvellous job. and i know the places they talk about in this..!
crawley, freo, subiaco, shenton park, nedlands...i even went to school in nedlands..go figure!

sang a whole mass in chapel on sunday. wow. was that hard or what...! (and exhausting..) plus, it was michael's last service with us (for something like three years..) this is a very sad ocassion :(

monday again had its good moments. below are the some of the highlights...

Nick: What happened to the zing guy?
Tim: Would it be a breach of privacy to say that he's close to failing?

woodwind students. (half of the class)
Nick and I sit there going..."yeah....." [Nick: I'm a singer and viola player...I have no idea what they're going on about...]

Mischa: Tim, why did you waste my paper?
Tim: Mischa, you made me give you a grade and waste your paper!

Tim: Carl's manuscript? There should be something called Tim's manuscript! Then I could set it as a prescribed text and charge three dollars a sheet!

Ed: What do you mean by new and improved manuscript? How is it new and improved?
Gladys: Well, perhaps the lines are half a millimetre further apart. Then you could fit all of your bigger notes in!

Nick: Can I please share your book?

Nick: Ooh, nice chord! Can I plagarise?

Tim: I'm a genius! now, I'm going to tell you all, so don't steal my idea. There should be a function on your email inbox that allows you to bounce emails back. Then if you got an email from somebody that you really didn't like or didn't want to know about, you could keep bouncing it back!
Sam: I think the university has something like it.....
Tim: No, melbourne uni is one of the pioneers of uni email.....they can't have created it, and it can't exist now because it's dishonest!

Ed: There's another Ed Ferris walking around on campus.....
Nick: I'm unique! No one else with my name! No, actually, my uncle is Nick too.
Darn it, I'm not unique...

Tim: Can I borrow some manuscript? I want to keep my exercise for posterity's sake.

Tim: Gonna write the inner parts in less than a minute! Awww...it can't have been more than ten per cent over time!

Tim: Are you a piano player? Good, you should play what you've written because it's beautiful.
Sam/Nick: Yeah! Play it, Gladys!
Gladys: No, I'll be right...
Tim: Right, I'll play it!
[plays it]
Class: Awww.....

Good times, good times. We should keep the quotes from this class, like...
"M & E are letting you guys down, only getting A+!"
"Next week we're going to get S! Come on, we're the best class, remember?"

orchestral

today in sinfonia, i got to play parts of pretrouchka and dvorak 5!
suddenly, dvorak and tchaikovsky don't seem so hard any more, not after stravinsky...!

dvorak 5 iv is awesome! lots of fun. a winner, i tell you!

how odd

before the weekend, i was feeling so under the pump about getting this OB group assignment bit done. I did, but very rushed. Ok, there were still some loose ends.

Then on monday, i felt like we were going well. Then last night (tuesday night), i started freaking out because it was like "ah! tomorrow is wednesday and it's the day before it's due and it's not finished! argh!"

tuesday was alright. it was jac's birthday, which was exciting.
we booked idea of north tickets yesterday (not really related to jac's birthday...). had a bit of a hitch trying to get xing (which we didn't), but we have it all sorted out. i've never been in charge of so much money in my entire life. well, money that's not mine..! do not worry, friends, the money has been passed on to the appropriate person, and our tickets have been booked. We shall collect them on the night. we have a very very large group booking (something in excess of 22 people....!)
i was waiting out the back of the con when this conversation took place:

"hi, how's it going?"
"yeah, good. yourself?"
"yeah, good. i see you have your horn!"
"yes, brass class later.."
"ooh, well, play something for me!"
"no! I sound terrible!" (and also, the other person is a brass player......how embarrassing..!)
"oh no, you have to play for me!"
"no no no...!!! Really. I have just learnt to stick my hand into the bell, and I haven't been able to get a nice sound out! tuning? what's that? i'm a pianist! i just press keys!"
(laughs) "ok. i have a class that i'm late for, but next time i see you, you have to play something for me, ok?"

so, people went out for jac's birthday dinner. i didn't make it to dinner, but managed, along with ace and sal, to make it to lygon st to join them. i was supposed to go to ormond to do a dinner announcement, but that fell through because jesse (who is the QCS&SC President 2007!!! Congratulations!!!) couldn't get in touch with their pres. pooh. oh well. helen, ace, steph and sal and i went and got gelate from freddo's after that :) yum.
came home at about 10. thought "it's too late to practice". well, at least i had done some that afternoon. spent about an hour talking to helen. then had to do work (techs, OB etc.)
went to bed at 2. woke up at 8.
this is quite unhealthy, is it not..? and this is not the first time it's happened. well, i think 6hrs is the least i've got but it often verges somewhere between 6 and 7.25hrs. i will definitely come crashing down in a little while..i can feel it in my bones..!

so, today, although i didn't have uni, it was pretty busy.
had to hand in techs assignment. had trio rehearsal.

within about three days, several performance opportunities have arisen:
*from dylan, who was replying to an email of mine, mentioned that the ICO is probably going to be put on hold for the rest of the year, because it's getting really difficult to arrange the stuff before any sort of concert. but we're still having a concert..! 20 October, i think....called Chamber Music in the Chapel at Newman College Chapel. I will confirm that later..!
and he was like, "there's going to be a string orchestra playing a piece by yours truly and tchaikovsky. do you want to play in it?" HECK YES!!
and he was like, "perhaps this is an opportunity to play a piano solo?" heck yes! any performance opportunity!!! wow. i love this guy for creating opportunities.

*also, the con is having its annual Chamber music competition. and we thought it'd be good for our trio to at least enter it. we'll put down that we're playing mozart (tbc..) but it'd be really good. experience, exposure. it's cool.

*em is giving a recital towards the end of the year and she wants us (the trio) to play in it! how cool is that?

perhaps our trio can play in the chamber music concert? this is fantastic! since when did i do chamber music? not that i'm complaining, but it's suddenly all come up. which is really cool!

i'm so excited about these performance opportunities. every musician is always looking for them. so, please come to these. i'll confirm these dates and times later on, when they're set in concrete and stuff...

then did paid work, worked on OB. it's like, DONE!!!
okay, so now i kinda feel liberated, but i know it's not going to be...!

Monday mornings

I love my Monday mornings, I think.
I'll tell you why. Because I usually have a good Sunday night (although it is often very busy). Then i do this early morning thing to practice. And ther'es nothing quitelike having music as your first thing for the day. (Although this morning I started getting really hungry in the middle of Ravel...)
Then I go for my 10am Techniques 1-2 tute. Of so many classes I have taken, this is definitely one of my favourites.
I'll tell you why.
I have cool people in my tute. Tim is an awesome lecturer and tutor, we have awesome students in my tute. Not just students who really get what they're doing, but students who are lots of fun.
For example, we have established that monday 10am is the best tute. Although apparently we're being let down by people who are getting only A+, rather than S (the highest grade for an assignment). but they're totally capable of it.
then we talk about random stuff. them boys have so many random stories. for example, i learnt about stuffing a bird into a blazer pocket.....then the teacher having a heart attack. who knew?
(poor bird..)
and then there's the constant "we're the best class!" and then encouraging each other on. and then the random discussions about other random stuff..
all this while being productive, no kidding. it's fantastic.
and the time between 10am and 11am class (let's call it 10.55-11.05) is the perfect time to be around in the con on a monday morning, because i run into a whole heap of musos that i know. it's wonderful. my entire con social life could possibly be carried out on a monday morning! brilliant!
i'll tell you, i'll really miss this class after i'm done with it; i'm that attached to it..

Musical Terms

In order to keep you abreast of the ever-developing world
of musical terminology, we provide herewith the latest
additions to the esteemed Harvard Dictionary of Music:

ALLREGRETTO
When you're 16 bars into the piece and realize you took
too fast a tempo

ANGUS DEI
To play with a divinely beefy tone

A PATELLA
Accompanied by knee-slapping

APPOLOGGIATURA
A composition that you regret playing

APPROXIMATURA
A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet
played with an "I meant to do that" attitude

APPROXIMENTO
A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity
of the correct pitch

CACOUGHPHANY
A composition incorporating many people with chest
colds

CORAL SYMPHONY
A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven's
Caribbean Period

DILL PICCOLINI
An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays
only sour notes

FERMANTRA
A note held over and over and over and over and...

FERMOOTA
A note of dubious value held for indefinite length

FIDDLER CRABS
Grumpy string players

FLUTE FLIES
Those tiny mosquitos that bother musicians on outdoor
gigs

FRUGALHORN
A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument

GAUL BLATTER
A French horn player

GREGORIAN CHAMP
The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note
the longest

GROUND HOG
Someone who takes control of the repeated bassline
and won't let anyone else play it

PLACEBO DOMINGO
A faux tenor

SCHMALZANDO
A sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band

THE RIGHT OF STRINGS
Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Violists

SPRITZICATO
An indication to string instruments to produce a
bright and bubbly sound

TEMPO TANTRUM
What an elementary school orchestra is having when
it's not following the conductor (also common in
municipal bands and community orchestras)

TROUBLE CLEF
Any clef one can't read: e.g. alto clef for pianists

VESUVIOSO
An indication to build up to a fiery conclusion

VIBRATTO
Child prodigy son of the concertmaster


And here are the latest and most up-to-date
definitions of traditional musical terms:

AN-DANTE
A tempo that's infernally slow

ANTIPHONAL
Referring to the prohibition of cell phones in
the concert hall

BAR LINE
What musicians form after the concert

BASSO CONTINUO
When musicians are still fishing long after the
legal season has ended

BEN SOSTENUTO
First cousin of the second trombonist

CADENZA
Something that happens when you forget what the
composer wrote

CANTABILE
To achieve a complaining sound, as if you have a
sour stomach

COL LEGNO
An indication to cellists to hold on tight with
their lower extremities

CON SORDINO
An indication to string players to bow in a
slashing, rapier motion

ESPRESSIVO
Used to indicate permission to take a coffee break

L'ISTESSO TEMPO
An indication to play listlessly; e.g. as if
you don't care

MAESTRO
A person who, standing in front of the orchestra
and/or chorus, is able to follow them precisely

OPERA BUFFA
Musical stage production performed by nudists

PASTORALE
The beverage to drink in the country when listening
to Beethoven with a member of the clergy

PESANTE
An effect distinctly non-upper-class

PIZZICATO
Too much coffee -- time to take a break

RUBATO
A cross between a rhubarb and a tomato

STRINGENDO
An unpleasant effect produced by the violin
section when it doesn't use vibrato

Questions

"I sometimes feel like the Ormond people and the Queen's people are very similar."

the questions:
#1. the validity of this statement.
#2. do you agree with this?
#3. why or why not?

any comments appreciated.

busy-ness

it really has been!
friday was a fairly early start, although i didn't get as much work as i intended to do done before i had a class at 10am. it was unfortuantely the last lecture we have with our cool american lecturer, scott (well, he's american. and he's got a cool american accent. he's totally cool.)
then i tried to go to the con to read the concert reports from several weeks ago to see what people had written when i played. but i got told something i really didn't understand. oh well. perhaps i'll try again next week.
then we had lunch, and spent ages talking to sam and xing and then tried to do work after that. was feeling a bit unmotivated to practice piano. i unfortunately have to feel it, and to feel it, i have to feel like i have a good amount of time, not under pressure. so it hasn't happened yet, because i have felt really really busy.

then i had commerce dinner. it was good. unfortunately, jeff borland couldn't come because he had a stomach bug or something. and i was supposed to sit next to him so that i could talk economics with him. rather unfortunate that he wasn't there, really. i was really looking forward to getting to know the head of the economics department, you know, nice and chummy. perhaps my ticket to honours..?!? oh well, the dinner went quite well. it was a nice event to get all dressed up for :) dinner was delicious, the speaker, Dr David Cousins, was good, and the conversation we had was good. i then nicked off to go to girls' night at the vic. i didn't even bother getting changed out of my dress, i stuck a coat on top, and walked over at about 11pm! i didn't care, i had promised that i was going to make it to girls' night and i wasn't about to not fulfill that promise!

i arrived just in time to start The Notebook. I really wish i had my pjs instead (everybody else looked, and i bet, was, really comfy!) yep, so what happens when you watch The Notebook with nine other girls, who are basically all as weepy as me? Yes, it was emotional. we had the toilet roll out, honking our way through it; it was soo sad!! but so good! (why do us girls put ourselves through such emotional trauma quite willingly?!) we all agreed that we wouldn't turn on the lights well after the movie, for fear of looking like absolute train wrecks..! (I assure you i was; i'm one of those people that when i cry, i look absolutely terrible - you can tell when i cry. my eyes are all puffy, red, and my nose goes bright red and doesn't un-red itself for a while). well, it was a late night, i got home at about 2am, went to bed at 2.30.

so this morning, i got up at 8.30, because i was meeting lauren at 10am, and i kinda wanted to get a bit of work done. yep, 6 hrs sleep is not very much. it's quite unfortunate that i have been very close to this quite often recently. i will seriously crash on the holidays. as long as i can hold out for about two weeks longer...
we went to piano landmarks this morning, saw Stefan play Satie, and Stephen McIntyre play Debussy. It was a good concert! loz met her friend marina in the city, and i had to head home after it because i had a bunch of work to do!

things i missed out on today:
michael's farewell (I feel really bad about this one. considering he's going for three years...)
the icac art exhibition (i really wanted to see this. it's always interesting to see this! and go poke around another college. it's kinda fun..!)
the CU ball (i really wanted to go to this too. amy was telling me i HAD to go.......i feel bad for her..!)
this monash uni orchestra concert at melba hall (with four soloists playing....stuff...)
treas' birthday bbq
the rest of the piano landmarks concerts. because i wanted to go to all four, because there was at least one thing in each that i really wanted to see, either a certain person who was playing, or the piece that they were playing. pooh. and ondine was being played by ke lin (who incidentally, first studied commerce. i tell you, the number of musicians, especially pianists, mostly male actually...who did commerce first. or are doing commerce too..........the odds are up..!)

mind you, i went to Youth Alive tonight with loz, sam, and two other ormondians.
the quirky bits first...
one of them is steph, who is incidentally a friend of li's. and who went to College. and so she knows a whole heap of queeners. totally cool!
the other one was chloe. who is a music student. who incidentally comes from perth. who knew sof (flutes at uwa...). and she went to penrhos. she knew amy twining. and apparently she goes to subi as well..! (except she goes to the evening service...when i go back, i shall have to see her there..!) how quirky is that?!?!

anyway, youth alive was at rod laver arena. it was such an amazing night.
it was so amazing and encouraging to see so many young people expressing their love for God. something like 12 000 people. Not kidding. it was HUGE. totally amazing. there was a band, some skateboarders, preston - this dude who delivered a testimony (a truly amazing one, i tell you!) and a speaker, Reggie (he was totally cool). it was a truly AMAZING night.
rod laver is totally cool too :)
the walk there and back from the flinders st/swanston st station was just beautiful. it was just such a beautiful day and night out today (and tonight!) - it was cold, not too windy. it was just beautiful. surely we are so blessed.
we went out after to get some gelate. we talked. it was nice.
it was a truly excellent day. just that work unfortunately doesn't do itself for me. this is a great pity, in my opinion.

so, on that note, i should get back to it....(i'll go to sleep soon, i promise..!)

definitely

haha. definitely the year for musos.
(brass variety?!)

why?

why has nobody else updated their blog?
why do i keep incessantly checking my email/who's online/who's commented/who's updated their facebook profile?
why has nobody written comments for my blog? (okay, i take some of that back. perhaps the question should be why haven't more people commented on my blog?!?!)

out today from 9.45-11.30am, 12.40-10.30pm. no wonder i'm trying to desparately get some work done now (despite talking about it right now, right here....)

went for dinner with rellies on tuesday night. i ate so well - seafood and nice salad (ie. not the weeds..). got some stuff from the parents that i'd asked to send over, plus you know, a care package type thing. plus extra care package type things from aunt and uncle. awesome to see them in melbourne again! pity they didn't get to drop by queen's again.

piano lesson. almost completely lost it. don't want to end up crying in lesson. feeling quite frustrated and a bit lost, really. this is terrible. but i don't want it to be a shambles, so i'll do it the only way i know how: keep persisting with the work, keep pushing through it all. keep filling myself up with stuff to keep me busy, and to keep working. that's the only i know how to do it, and it has somehow sustained me so far. i don't know how feasible it really is.
did lose it on the phone with mum last night. am not going home for september break. that's ok. will give me a chance to chilax...catch up on piano lessons, work some more (ie. more study), and to perhaps visit some friends round here.

tom's birthday today. happy birthday tom. finally 19 yay!

went to CU public meeting today. it was good. v. interesting. and it's nice to see so many other uni Christians. some from jude's some not, but all is good. and lots of musos, apparently.
hung out in the con for an hour between history and sinfonia. tried to do OB work (isn't working now either..). talked to rob (about cloudstreet, jazz and wyvern, other random qc stuff..). talked to rowan about i don't know what. oh well. tim was being....tim. brass boy. well, they all are... go figure....

had dinner with flick and erica along with lauren tonight. so much fun. ate so well! love the girls :) busy-ness (as opposed to business).
can't make deadlines argh!

friday plan:
sleep a bit...OB lecture....lunch, piano practice, other study, commerce dinner, girl's night.

Saturday plan:
piano landmarks concert with lauren 11am (pre-concert talk at 10.40). will see stefan and stephen (i desparately want to actually meet and introduce myself to stephen). come home. do work/study. Youth alive with lauren, sam and other ppl. (am a bit nervous, don't know what to expect, but am quite excited about it). it is dubbed lauren-saturday.
am unfortunately going to have to miss michael's farewell, probably the ICAC art exhibition (pity, it is usually good), moash uni orchestra at melba hall, treas' birthday bash (my friends are starting to get old, not kidding......def. past the big 2-1. over the hill, i tell you!), the CU ball (pooh...next year, i tell you, next year) and the other landmarks concerts. pooh.

had letter from ex-piano teacher this week. totally cute. totally cool.

sunday: choir.

i think i'm going to fall off my chair. or compeltely lose my head. eyes about to pop out of my head and i am about to slump onto the floor. this is not healthy..............

Math

When you can't get the correct math answers, there's no harm in trying to get marks for creativity.

Diagrammatic Representation

It's really quirky; go figure.

Stuff

See below for pictures from the Music Ball.
It was a really fun time. Lots of good things. I'm glad it worked out well. MSS was running thin sometimes, but itdid work out. Thanks to Dave, Steph, Ben, Cam, Seals, Daniel, Cam, Sal, Tim, Gowri, Nat, Ash.

standards

"Yeah, there aren't that many Christian guys in the Con....I assume that is a standard for you, right?"

"Oh, most definitely. And a muso helps too...."

mel, sam, me 

jac and me 

rhiannon and me 

shane and me 

group shot: lauren, mel, gina, me, sam, gowri, mags 

mel, jac, me 

gowri and me 

ben and me 

gowri and mags 

gina and mags 

some trinity musos: gina, paul, fiona