A two week reprieve?

Finally, the mid-semester break, which is positioned not mid-semester. Whatever.
It has been a crazy past two months; I've tried to keep smiling through all of August and as much September has happened. I don't think I realised how hard it was going to be to consistently putting my body and brain under so much pressure, day-in day-out with not much rest in-between it all.
There have been class performances, rehearsals extraordinaire, phone calls back and forth, not being able to get onto people, assignemnts to look forward to (urgh), an enjoyable football match, a mini (or not so insignificant) Victorian road-trip to Geelong and Ballarat, fun times playing and hanging out backstage, Asian photos, meeting K.Rudd, a couple of trips to South Melbourne, fun playing times, extra meetings here and there.....
And that was within two weeks...

So, there are two weeks of 'Non-teaching' which apparently ≠ holidays. Well, I'm pretty sure that is true in my case.
Here is what needs to be done:
*Australian Economic History: write essay; tute prep (working in advance on a presentation a classmate and I have to do in week 10); lecture/tute reading
*Experimental Economics: Assignment (tute presentation with two other classmates); reading; problem set

Question: How did I end up with two tute presentations in my final semester of university? I think I've only ever done two in my entire degree(s!) so far!!

*Accounting: Quickbooks assignment (gross), possibly after learning HOW to use Quickbooks in the first place..; tute prep; reading I haven't done for the past.....errr...seven weeks :S; learning material I haven't understood for the past....six weeks.... :S
How did first year subjects get so hard?!?!

*Organise Chamber Music stuff, including tutes and dates for exams..
*Have rehearsals for Vocal Ensemble, for a Composition project
*Think about next year (actually suspecting this is losing all novelty value very quickly as it looms and is scary. If anybody would like to help me out, I would love you forever...)
*Rehearsals for auditions/other fun stuff....
*Work: Library, also possibly a teaching gig, MIFB (horn masterclasses woo!)
*Trio rehearsals woo! And a concert for some Russian celebratory thing......I can't really remember the details, but all I know is that it's going to be hilarious (as we're playing the Kurtag, not very 'celebratory'...) and really awkward :P
*Quintet days! Day 1: Rehearsal, lunch, concert Day 2: Tutes. Yes, multiple. With lunch in-between. And possibly some fun shenanigans afterwards to chill out :) Fun-ness.
*Go to concerts, including MIFB stuff, possibly others...??

Yes....so....that 'holiday' ey....?

a few points

* So, I said that it'd be less busy this week. Whatever. About ten rehearsals in all this week. Eek. STRESS (just a little)
* Subsequently, have cancelled work, and possibly will cancel all other things that aren't super-pressing. Sorry :(
* In that promo video when asked "Who are you?" I should have said, with the sign to accompany, "I'm Asian!". Probably one-third of the church would have cried with laughter, some more than others. :D The best ideas always come after the actual thing. Everybody already knew I was crazy, little and eccentric.....
* Essaying not going so well. Gross. So hard. Interesting, but hard.
* Really enjoying this version of the Beethoven - piano part so interesting, why can't I play like that?
* Desk needs some serious cleaning. I'm serously contemplating paying somebody to do it for me...as well as the rest of the house...
* Still debating about next weekend. Ahh, don't know what to decide. At first, I was like, "totally yes!" but now I'm not so sure. Cop out, ey? Sigh...
* I'm exhausted
* As I trammed into the city, away from uni, to South Melbourne today (in the middle of the day!) I felt this thing that said 'Wow, this is so liberating!' and didn't really feel like returning to the real world of uni...sadness!

Crazy times

Fun happenings -
Music Ball: Cool big band (yes, that's right, live music!), a night to party with some awesome friends (unfortunately not all of them came, but that's ok), a swanky venue, many people dressed to the 20s theme, crazy dancing, fun photos, hat-stealing, nice bathrooms, chips and salad with our main, delicious dessert, a hilarious piggy-back race along the pier, standing around trying to figure out what to do after the ball (we stood around for about half an hour hah), maxi-taxi-ing.

Dinner with friends: sometimes at short notice. Been very impressed that they've happened, as I usually am one of thsoe people who doesn't do short notice that well. One was some beautiful pumpkin soup. The other was a drive to Burwood for some long-overdue catching up. And another was brought round to do some communal cooking. 'Tis been good.

Lunch (yum-cha): after quintet rehearsal. Three out of the five of us (I think!) had never eaten it before, so it was all a bit of fun. And tasty it was!

Concerts: Melb Uni Orchestra. Interesting - I hear lots about the happenings of orchestra through these string/woodwind/brass friends of mine...times like this that I wish I played one of those! Oh well...had a small though dedicated contingent to come hear the very Romantic programme (Mussourgsky, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky). Also had MYO concert - more Rachmaninoff (Symphonic Dances) which has a cool piano part in the first movement. Fun concert, really good concert. Ravel 'La Valse' and Shostakovich 2nd piano concerto also on the menu. If you haven't heard the 2nd movt of the Shosta before, DO IT. Most beautiful thing I've heard in a long time!

Trio-ing & Quintet-ing: Plugging away at both. I think I go through phases where one seems to be going better then the other one. But I love them both very much - I couldn't bear to pick between them if I had to! This semester is very different repertoire to each other (unlike Mozart wash in E Flat Major like last!) - there is Beethoven Quintetting (similar to Mozart, but different too) and Trio-ing with Kurtag and Smit. Both 20th-century. Both quite different to Mozart!
We played some Beethoven in a couple of classes already - felt a little bit unprepared personally but it's getting there. Just need to sit down and do it, and not rely on how awesome the individual players are! Aired Kurtag yesterday in class - it's quite interesting, very Webern-like in some ways, very dramatic elsewhere. But it went down really well yay! Smit *should* be fairly straightforward to put together - there are some seriously sexy harmonies in that!

Have had super-long days of uni, especially Thursdays. Some longer than others. Including one fine example: 8am at uni to practice, 9.30am rehearsal in Melba, 10am Accounting lecture, 11am play in Concert Class, 12pm Australian Economic History lecture, 1.15pm Careers seminar, 2.15-3.45pm Experimental Economics class, 4.15-6.15pm Vocal Ensemble, 7.30pm Seminar at Trinity, 8.45pm collapse at home ready to fall into bed....

Have had a few things due at uni too; did quite well in my first two commerce assignments - Accounting (thanks to my tutor for guiding me!) and Australian Ec. History (Argument maping with cool software....anyway, the piont of this was to say that I didn't think I did a great job of it, mine was only A4 fairly small type, and I didn't think that I'd covered the points that well, but still did really well even though I was really worried when I saw other people's A3 tiny type).

Practically threw Mozart Miscellany together to a fairly high degree of success. It was a bit disconcerting that the repertoire was mostly very comfortable - not sure if I've ever experienced something like that before! ACU were very welcoming, some familiar faces in the crowd (thanks guys!) and the sextet were of course, amazing :) Love your work!

Played for Hephzibah Menuhin prelims. Had a little break in the middle, so went to a very nice cafe to have a HoCho date where we sat under the stairs. 'Twas beautiful :) Found out 'we' got into the instrument finals - was informed with this message: "We're in". I love how little we sometimes need to say, we're just on this different wavelength. I suppose that happens when you've known someone for a while and worked intensely with them, it's good. I like those partnerships.

Which segueways really well into this next point.....

I really like workshopping things and developing a relationship with people when I play with them - for me it's quite personal. I know they say it works better when you click musically, but I also am a big fan of clicking personally. Which is why I've found myself through the course of this year caring much for my trio and quintet (and also sextet!) and those people - they're the ones I see myself as aligned to. And that's not really the case at the Academy - they put things together on an ad hoc basis and pull people together as required. And there isn't really structure to how it operates. And even though my stuff and times change all the time, having some sort of structure with definites is my thing. And I'm not ready to undertake their super-rigorous programme just yet. Maybe next year, dunno. Not sure. So I officially withdrew my application.
But I'm thankful that my long-held belief that boys don't talk was shattered when I had alluded to one friend in a text message that I wasn't so sure about my audition, talked to another friend about it briefly and then the first friend called me that evening after talking to friend 2. I'm pretty chuffed to discover that they do indeed talk. And I was really thankful that friend 1 called (and that friend 2 also was concerned).
Anyway, so I actually decided, and thought it'd be important to let friend 1 and 2 know, along with some others. And I felt really relieved when I rang them up. The lady who I talked to was very kind - the conversation went a bit like this:
Me: "I'd like to talk to somebody about my audition"
Lady: "Yes, I can do that, when is your audition scheduled for?"
Me: "Tomorrow, 3.40pm. I'd actually like to officially withdraw my application."
Lady: "You don't want to reschedule? We can find a different day for you if you'd like"
Me: "Thank you, but I'm sure I would like to not audition at all as I don't think it'll be necessary.." (etc. other stuff)
Yes! She was so nice that she wanted to double-check that I didn't want a rescheduled time. She was quite comforting too, and it made me feel like I wasn't putting them at great inconvenience, which is something I don't particularly like doing either.

So, a serious load lifted after I hung up. And of course, I managed to land myself another four gigs after withdrawing for the next week and a half. Hah. What would my life be if it wasn't like this? :P A couple of them VERY short notice, but I did ok, I think.

But the recent tumblings and turnings especially of the last two and a bit weeks have made me realise how fortunate and blessed I am to have these amazing friends. Those that I know continue to support me even though I suddenly become absent and snowed under, those that will pray when I ask them, those that will check in with me to see if it's all going ok, those that call or text or email and put a smile on my face, those that would disagree with my decisions but still support me, those that give up their time to help me out, those that let me be silly and crazy and help me just relax and smile even if for a little while. Thank you, you guys are amazing.

I think I've cried more in the past three weeks than in the past while I can remember - perhaps....previous three months?! It has been a tough August, rolling into September. But I think (hope?!) I'm on the upswing - it can only get better!
And remember, we just gotta keep on truckin' and keep smiling....

One person

You know how through school many people have that one best friend?
I figured out pretty early on that I didn't have just that one person. Instead, I liked having several really close friends, the ones that I couldn't bestow the title of 'best friend' upon, because the others would be disappointed.
I've quite liked the idea of having several, and grown into the notion that this is totally sustainable :) You know, good friends for different things. It may well be hard to have that one person understand absolutely everything (even though they may try!) unless they're pretty much the same as you - and that would be weird....!

On the flipside, what happens when you're in a place where you need to talk to somebody and you can't quite put your finger on the right person to listen? That's the tricky part...
as well as when it's commonly assumed that just because you're an old-hand at the stuff around here doesn't mean you don't have moments of weakness

Music

I hope music will never not be a part of my life.
Even though it feels like I'm spending a lot of my time at The Spot, the new Economics and Commerce building, and a lot of my time is spent reading textbooks that explain theory, and articles about different perspectives and history. I can't say I've ever worked so hard in a different way before - I'd almost forgotten what it was to have to sit down at a desk and study so much! On the flipside, it is possible to bring some of this homework out and about, like on public transport, or to uni to fill in an hour here and there.

The Uni Orchestra is playing a concert on Monday night. Unfortunately, there is no orchestral piano in either of programmes this semester, so I am bitterly disappointed that I won't spend any of my final semester doing orchestra with uni. Thank goodness for MYO and that Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances has a fairly significant piano solo in the first movement! One of the pieces the uni orchestra is playing is Mussorgsky's "Night on a Bald Mountain". (It was going to be John Adams' "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" which has two optional synthesiser parts, but alas, it was not to be so!).

The Mussorgsky has a very special place in my heart, actually....that, along with Tchaikovsky's Cappricio Italien were the first two pieces I ever played in a symphony orchestra. It was part of the Shell Concert Combined Orchestra, which was the grand finale of a concert that featured the public secondary schools' music programmes (largely made up of Churchlands, Perth Mod, Rossmoyne, other large public schools). The combined orchestra was auditioned - I think it was the first external audition I did, at least on violin. I was actually in year seven, one of only two - the rest of the orchestra were secondary school students, so I felt really special that I was chosen!

It was the first time I had a sectional - it was a little scary, I was playing 2nd violin in the second or third desk, and having to all play our one part in this sectional was intimidating, because I was supposed to be playing the same thing as everybody else. Of course, I didn't really know how to approach this all, so I hadn't listened to the repertoire (this is what happens when you're twelve and have never heard of doing this sort of thing before!). But I struggled through the first sectional and resolved to practice my part so I didn't feel or sound like an idiot the next time.

By the time the full orchestra came together, I was fairly overwhelmed with all the new instruments and their sounds. It was a pretty amazing feeling - I didn't know what an oboe or a french horn was previously, and suddenly they had all these bits! We were conducted by Trevor Green, who I distinctly remember thinking was very cool, because he had been Principal Cellist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (somewhere that sounded really good!). There is one bit in the Tchaikovsky where he wanted the strings to sort of sound 'muddy' - in the swirling way, swirling down and becoming a rich pool (rather than being messy!). And the end of that piece introduced me to beating in one! Boy, was that fast, I thought!

The concert was pretty amazing, except for the last little bit in the Tchaikovsky - there was a minor miscommunication and the oboe was cued wrongly, and everybody in the orchestra knew where it was supposed to sound, and we were all singing it in our heads as the conductor and oboist desparately tried to pull it all together. But overall it went very successfully. And what an amazing feeling it was - the sound was glorious, and audience loved it. I felt so proud to be part of that.

Subsequent involvement in orchestras have been amazing for me - from Combined Anglican Schools' concerts (on violin), right through to the Australian Youth Orchestra. Some of the funnest repertoire I have played has been in orchestra, on violin. CAS concerts have included the Pergolesi Mass (I think?! I know it was Baroque, was chamber orchestra - so cool! And there was a great choir, and AB worked really hard!), Bizet's 'Jeux d'Enfants', 'Mars' and 'Jupiter' from Holst's 'The Planets', amazing settings/compositions of William Blake's 'The Tyger' and 'The Lamb'. I was also very fortunate to have a director of music at my high school who pushed really hard for us year nines to be in the orchestra (apparently not that frequent because there are lots of people across six schools who play violin!). In school orchestras, we explored some great string music - some of the stuff on tour: parts of Dvorak's Serenade for Strings, as well as the Elgar, Britten's Simple Symphony; we tried Barber's Adagio for Strings, Vaughan William's Fantasia on Greensleves, and Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins in b minor (there was a very good reason why they put us four girls across that front!).

Don't get me wrong, it has been amazing to play keyboard in the orchestra - there has been the thrill of West Side Story, the amazing feeling I got when across the 30-odd metres of the orchestra, the double basses and piano lined up in the first movement of Shostakovich 5. Or when the celeste is used as the most amazing orchestral colour, at the most poignant moments.

I have been very blessed to have such amazing orchestral experiences - something that has resulted from being a pianist so enthusiastic to get into orchestra (at least partly because most of my friends were playing in orchestra!), and learning violin for a number of years, and having some great teachers who pushed hard for me to have opportunities.

Something different

Two days of uni done. Not too many hours, but it's been strange. Not because I haven't had that much uni and have been around for long hours. That would be expected.
No, something quite different....
I technically only have three hours of music classes this semester. This makes me very upset. I'm taking three commerce classes - this makes me really scared.....
So that leaves little music, which has been so unlike anything else I've done for the past four and a half years. Hence the difference.
But being me, I'm trying to do as much music as I can fit in - so this means extra chamber music (ie. more than required), accompanying where I can, being involved in all sorts of projects (think: opera, vocal fun, other collaborations. Wow, I love collaborations).

Am taking things that could either sound terribly dry or interesting, depending on which way you look at it:
* Accounting Reports and Analysis. Unfortunately, I think this sits squarely in the dry category. I'm hoping that I understand Accounting...it's a 1st year subject, and hopefully having tackled things like Econometrics, I will already have learnt the value of persistance and hard work and apply that to Accounting.
* Australian Economic History. I've always been quite interested in history, just never really done it at all. But I just started reading a book "A Concise History of Australia" tonight. It's a weird sensation.....
There is much reading for this subject - two whole readers! I've never done this much reading for any single subject haha. But I'm taking it because Jeff Borland is teaching it. Hopefully it's interesting.
* Experimental Economics. So far the most interesting class - the first class of the week is spent doing an experiment that simulates a famous economic experiment. The second class is devoted discussing the results and explaining theory and how it works or fails. It is the most interesting, for several reasons. Firstly, the subject material, I think. And the way the class works. Sometimes we'll do an experiment with no idea what theory we are considering. Secondly, the class is small (rare in my experience of the Eco & Comm fac); about 15-20 students. And there are postgrad students, and PhD students. Eek! I feel really young, and seriously dumb already! Thirdly, one randomly selected student in the class each week will receive the earnings he/she earns in the experiment from the lecturer. Yes, that's right - apart from the intrinsic interest we all should have to attend the class, there is also an incentive!

So, at the moment I'm feeling a little intimidated by what it means to be a commerce student. Of course, my usual lifestyle equates to much music-king, inside and outside of uni requirements. I suppose now there will be much more attributed to the 'outside' argument! I'm supposedly preparing for an audition in a month's time (EEEK!!!!!); thankfully I've already done my AYO audition (not sure about how that went, but oh well....can't do much about that now). I heard back from AISOI, with a positive response - now I'm just getting a bit frustrated with the fact that they aren't replying to me hopefully regarding reduced costs associated with reduced programme length for me as a pianist (not required 2nd week). But I think I'm keen to do the programme, it looks exciting, and will be a good opportunity. I would just be sad if my friends aren't going too...I know, kinda sounds like a dumb reason, but I do care (yes, I'm human!).

Trying to get on top of assessment dates and the like (eek, scary commerce subjects!), and sorting out my life at present. Hopefully it works out soon enough.....

Will be playing in the 3rd MYO concert this year (hehe...I've managed to be playing in MYO for the majority of this year!), Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances - great piano part! Unfortunately, Uni Orchestra has no orchestral keyboard stuff, so our grand vision of "How awesome would it be if we were all principal in the final orchestra concert of uni???" isn't going to happen with all of us :( I wonder why I picked a non-orchestral instrument......!

It's all getting a bit busy at the present - weekend plans may have to be dampened to get all this work done! Hopefully I'll get on top of it. I'll try to keep being the bubbly person I am, apologies if I can't all the time - please be patient with me, because I'm not sure if I'll enjoy this semester as much as I normally do.

Holidays?

So that planned sleep-in for the day straight after the exam period finished? That didn't really happen...there was much to do: go to the market, practice some piano, do some shopping. Pity I only lasted about two and a half hours with the shopping...

But the holidays had started in my usual style - busy. Stuff to do, places to go, people to see :)
Went to ANAM concert courtesy of E with comp tickets. Rang about four friends to see if they wanted to come, because I knew they'd be particularly interested, but they were in the wrong city, or had something else on, or were sick. Lame. Whatever haha. Ended up going with C; quite a few friends went, so it wasn't a completely solitary affair!

Anyway...so shopping......how un-girly of me. I bought a pair of jeans and a(nother black) top. Didn't break the bank either, which I always like. Did get accosted by cosmetic stand guy who got annoyed when I said I didn't want to buy his product. Collected photo print-outs. They're currently adorning my walls and stuff. They're very happy. Many to do with music....which makes me v. happy :)

Had a couple of rehearsals for another 3MBS Live at the Convent performance that I did with A. It was fun. And pretty good...especially because we'd put it together three days before the actual thing (Note: it's a live broadcast!). I suppose it shows what can be done when you've been playing together (at least fairly regularly) for the last two and a half years....it's nice :) I like that there are a few people for which that holds, and that it means we can do stuff easily. Or just build on that. :)

Spent a lovely Monday lunch in the sun (most of the time, unless it went behind the clouds). It was nice just to eat, and to relax and chill out. Don't get me wrong, I like working hard (be it at the piano, or organising on the email or something like that), but there is a beauty to relaxing with friends over food in beautiful weather.

Then did 3MBS on Tuesday. We caught the bus for the first time in Melbourne. Like, a public transport service bus (that wasn't a tram replacement). It was pretty exciting hehe. And thankfully, easy too! The bakery was strangely (and I'm hoping, uncharacteristicxally) not as good as normal. But we sufficed. Even with ho-chos that were really milky most of the way until the bottom when it all hit us...even with cups that were really cool (think popping a little bit in the top to create the lip!)

Had MRC stuff for Chamber Music Comp that night.....including a welcome reception where the room was full of very important people. Introduced myself to Dame Elisabeth Murdoch though, that was pretty cool. Then off to Fitzroy for a 'celebratory drink'. Really arty place, really not *really* our thing, but it was fun anyway. And at the least, amusing to peek in on the Improvisation going on upstairs!

Pretty chilled the next day - practice. Catch up with a friend, of to MRC. (3rd time in 5 days, never been so often to that place until this week!) Helped out a little....ran into some familiar faces, which was nice. Enjoy the concert very much.

Did an audition the next day....don't worry, I'd been practicing for the days leading up to it too! It's one good way of keeping busy! As I told a friend later, "Oh, it took about forty minutes all up!" That is, one audition. It's like that, I suppose. But I can understand his reaction ("Forty minutes?!?!"), I suppose most auditions don't actually go for that long haha! Went to Winter Jam that night (played keys tonight woo!) then was really hungry (as I have been getting at 10pm this week, just been eating dinner really early because I've needed to be at places fairly early in the evening), so went to get some churros with a friend. So. Tasty. As another friend has once put it, "Churros are just deep-fried and covered in oil"....but I enjoyed it all the same, especially covered in chocolate :)

I said I was going to take Friday off. But no. I had this moment of "Oh, what shall I do?" And the obvious answer was Practice! So that I did. But it was really relaxed. Like, reading through stuff, taking it easy. It was beautiful. And then M and I read through a couple of gorgeous French songs. :) Did some more ushering that night (watching concert too!), asked for another ticket (our allocation was 2) so that a friend could come along. Always makes it more fun when you go to a concert with somebody (not that I haven't gone by myself, or that there wouldn't be people, I suppose!) but that you can definitely discuss it with that person! And the company is always appreciated :)
Stayed around after that for a little while talking to people, which was cool. Then headed up to F's house for her going-away party. It was really nice. Just really sad at the end. Yes, there were waterworks. :( I will miss her lots, but she'll be back here for a bit here and there. And it's thankfully not *too* far away.

Actually took yesterday off from practice. I mean that. Did not touch the piano. Quite liberating, a little scary. Better not get too used to it!
But slept in, called home (took a little while!), then it was lunchtime already haha. Went off in the afternoon to have a Chiasma meeting. Stayed talking for a little while, then hopped on a tram to come home for a bit. Ran into the people I was going to have dinner with on the way home, which was pretty funny (they had just come back from the footy). Chilled out, fluffed around a little. Went to diner. Fun-ness. But had to wait for a while, which was a pity, but we dealt. Food was so good. Arguments were funny.
Atari/Intellivision. Forks/spoons. Splades/sporks.
We ate so well.
Then we played fooseball. Some are much better than others. That's ok. :)

Also had a pretty relaxing day today.....bit of practice, a lot of nothinging-around. Watched 'my' trio online....(the one I was supposed to be page-turning for but they didn't realise, so they asked one of their friends, so I was out of that job...oh well....But they were in the finals, so I watdhed. And they WON the trio section woo! Anyway..)
Started packing. Wow, I always remember/forget (I know they're contradictory terms..) how much I dislike it. As well as unpacking, when I get around to it.. :S

And now it's already in the "All Night Classics" segment on radio..which means it's late.....
Oh well, I'll sleep well tomorrow.

Anyway...
It has been an amazing semester. Despite the stress, frustrations and what nots, I have enjoyed most of it! Particularly the music of it all. I just seem to find ways to play even more each semester, but I love it. And I do it because I enjoy it so much, and I enjoy making music with you guys so much. I know two weeks isn't that long, but hopefully I won't miss you too much! Adios for now....catch you soon for the upcoming months of projects... :D

Stumbling along

....and just like that, my one and only exam is over.
How anti-climatic. But sheer relief is the feeling that swept over me.

It has been a busy busy time....
vocal exams, rehearsals, studying, rehearsals, concerts, rehearsals, studying, rehearsals.
I love it though (the rehearsals part...)
Done a little bit of Melbourne suburbia on the train...I quite enjoy it, even if it does take more time. It's quite exciting to see where people live, and to go to the suburbs and see the various characters.

Mozart and Strauss have been the pillars of this semester's music-ing.
There is a bit more to go (of the Strauss sort).


Okay, so I left this post for a while, and now it's another day...let me continue...

And just like that, all the exams are over. Mine and the others'. They went mostly ok. Some more satisfying than others, some more comfortable than others. But very happy for them all.
Yes, I tend to get personally involved in them. Even if I really shouldn't. But that's just me. And if it doesn't turn out so well, so be it - some of them are not there for me to feel personally responsible.
There has been much money spent on food. There has been some funny (read: strange) events. Of weird coincidences; interesting. There have been things to hang on to, things to return (still pending hehe). There has been standing in the cold, but totally worth it.
I miss being ridiculously busy.....(I never think I'll say that, but hey, there it is!)
I wonder if we should talk...?

The end of the semester

What? Another semester gone already!
One more hour of required class to go to. And then it's twelve weeks of the undergraduate installment. Eek.
Much has happened in the past two weeks.
There has been much playing, most of all. Playing of trio music, of quintet music, Strauss concerto, other music. There has been applying for AYO and AISOI. There have been final assessments: conducting tests, chamber music exams (if you missed these, you missed out big time. They were awesome. But you'll be able to catch us on the radio. Even if you're not in this city! The other one, I hope you get to hear it sometime soon, because it was awesome. Not kidding.) There have been fun times two-piano-ing. There has been some MYO-ing (and more to come).
Oh, and I've managed to go to uni in-between all that. Which apparently has one commerce class somewhere....

So, pretty much, lots of music-king. Enough in the last two weeks to confirm that this is what I want to do. How, is another question. I've been asked quite a bit in the last three months, "What are you going to do next year?" The truthful answer is "I don't know." It scares me quite a bit.
I'd like to stay in this city - I've definitely fallen in love with it. And I don't think I could leave the people I've met here. But I know some of them are moving, or might move. And that makes me a little bit sad - all of the people I've met in my time here have shaped the way the last four and half years have happened. I know life keeps moving, but there are parts of me that sometimes want it to go back in time, or for time to stand still for a while so that things can be replayed, or happen for a long time without any change.

I'd like to go elsewhere in the not-so-distant future though. Sydney was an option, there is a course I'd like to pursue up there, but I'm not sure I could fall in love with the city as much as I have here. And there's the prospect of Manchester, which is somewhere I'd really like to go. But I know that's far, and the opportunity, if it arises, would be awesome. I know I'd be very sad though.

I thought I had a really clear idea, but now I'm not so sure. I'd like to think of myself as a forward-planner, but really, that's only for some things. Dreams. Not necessarily practical. I'm possibly organised, but not necessarily a planner. In some ways, much of my life is really circumstantial - stuff happens because it happens (although planned by somebody far greater than me!). I just let it happen, and hopefully take the right ones and run with them. So I'm sorry if I haven't gotten down and had the real conversation I've been meaning to have with you just yet - to find out how you're really going and stuff like that. I've just been having it with other people.

I'm terribly scared. Of what may or may not happen.
What would happen if I dared?

Ahh! Overload...!

So. Much. Mozart.
Don't get me wrong, I love Mozart. But there's just so. much. of. it. right. now.
Concerti.
Trio.
Quintet.
Sonata.
Arias.
Whole operas.

Almost everyday this week, I've gotten two new bits of music.
Fun. Just so. much. to. learn.

Please be patient with me.
The downside to being asked to do stuff? Over-commitment. And my inability to say no.
I'm very slowly learning.

So much for an early night....!

So hopefully this is the turnaround of being a bad friend. Key point being hopefully. I will at least attempt it.
Been in virtual hiding for a bit, although my activity on Facebook might say otherwise.
Flew back to Melbourne, took the most ridiculous (and expensive) taxi ride due to the ineptitude driver. Was grumpy. Sunday pretty relaxed (although I was supposedly on a tight schedule...go figure..), met up with a friend to practice some German and ended up talking for a little while. Got to see his house though, it's very cool!
And thus began the three weeks of lockdown/craziness.

Orchestra
Was asked to play in orchestra two weeks before the concert. Stravinsky's Firebird suite. It's not easy. I got my music at noon on Monday, and was expected to be at the rehearsal, ready to go at 5.30pm that afternoon. I looked at it for 20mins and almost lost the plot. Thankfully, the conductor was forgiving as I explained to him the situation, apologising for my lack of preparation and promising that by the next week it'd be perfect. Orchestra took up Monday night, Tuesday night, Sunday afternoon, the following Monday night, Tuesday night and Thursday afternoon before the concert Thursday night. So, I could make those times, but those were actually the times I was supposed to be doing those assignments. Oh, I see why I got so time-deprived....
It was fun though. I really enjoy doing orchestra, particularly as most of my friends are orchestra players. The organisation of it was miserable (the fault of the top admin, I believe) but the actual playing was ok, and the learning experience good.
A few friends came to the concert, which was quite exciting - the message going around was that a lot of them couldn't make it, which I was getting a little sad about. P said it was a reflection of how many good friends I had, or moreso, which ones were actually the good ones! Haha. I was pleasantly surprised to see one friend, didn't think he was coming at all, so that was nice!
Went to the afterparty for a little longer than intended, but it was really nice to hang out with those friends as well as musos afterwards. The usual crowd, fun times :)

Birthdays
The celebration of three in one week. My actual birthday was a very busy day, so it didn't feel particularly celebratory except for the masses of FB love and text messages :) Couldn't really party big time though with lots of uni on, rehearsal to attend, and tests the next day to study for! But thanks to everybody who did send greetings and love, muchly appreciated :)
Two days later, we carried out the most unsurprising and awkward birthday surprise party. It was pretty funny in retrospect. So much effort had been put into the operation, I was very impressed. There was some behind-the-scenes communication on the inside, a decoy, and a nice turn-out. Amazing party food (woo!) and good company.
Actually celebrated my own birthday a little bit over two occasions: dinner at Thaila Thai (followed by the Comfy Chair afterwards, not planned, but the night was left open) and then brunch the following morning at Cicalata. Both were lovely occasions, it was good to hang out with friends for some time over the weekend, pretty blissful :) Thanks to those who did come to celebrate, and no worries to those who couldn't make it. It was fun, but not a huge deal frankly - still had much work and business to attend to that weekend, so it was some good relief and fun :)
The next party was the following night after church, felt a lot like a pizza party - it was awesome. Much fun, with the usual suspects again (whom I love very much!) - it was good to celebrate! I had fun, and a lovely time. :)
Just this last weekend, celebrated a 21st birthday with a champagne breakfast in South Yarra. It was truly beautiful, and much fun. And a great idea! L, you are an amazing girl - it's probably not so evident, but I truly love you to bits and admire and respect you so much.

Clothes
The church has recently been repainted as part of the restoration works. Now, to go with the forward looking Vision, the church has adopted and equally modern outlook on the walls. Ask me to show you sometime if you haven't already seen it. We were on music that weekend, so we thought it'd be a fantastic idea to dress according to the colours of the church. That is, some grey (and white if desired) with highlights of red, blue and lime green. Bright much? Yes, that's right, we matched the church. Right down to some bits of grey, me wearing a kid's blue jumper (so we didn't have so much red in the lineup), P wearing ALL three colours (and that's what she would NORMALLY wear....!), and S's shirt matching the lime green wall so much that it looked almost like Floating Head Dummer.
All Blacks. Much performing.

More performing
So, asides from the orchestra concert, there's been some repeated Concert Class appearances. As in, I'm playing in some form or another (trio, quintet, accompanying) every week. yes, that's six consecutive weeks. I hope I'm not boo-ed off for being so prominent haha. Well, the way I see it, I'm (we're) getting practice because we got our act together. It's all about efficiency......
And there was last Friday where Chamber Class was the J&G show. No kidding. Our quintet was first, then our trio. Just in case you know, hand't had enough Mozart. Or Eb Major. Again. Haha. It was wonderful though. Even though it wasn't performance do-or-die at that time, it was still pretty adrenalin-pumped to play well for the whole hour. Which left me EXHAUSTED at the end of the day! I see how playing an entire concert with that much concentration, adrenalin and pressure is a very difficult thing!


So, the group assignment is finished, as is the essay (although that was pretty much done three days in advance woo efficiency and nerdiness!) apart from a couple of final touch-ups the day before. All is finished with that today. And I thought I was going to go to bed early tonight, until I realised that I have a test tomorrow (not too nervous about it, thankfully - yet...) and some homework to do. And much admin to sort through. I like doing the admin, but maybe with not so much work that needs to be done, you know? So much for that early night...I'll catch up on the sleep next week - am not going to the ball so I can have me-time. Muchly needed. I'll get there.....

Am trying to do Organisation Freakism as I realise that I have exams in two weeks' time (eek!) and uni has to keep rolling in that time, and that there are other things to prepare for in that time. I wish I had the next two weeks to do intense chamber music for the whole time. Alas, that is not possible, how unfortunate. But I have drawn up a timeline for each group - there is much work to be done......so possibly will not be the best friend at the moment......sorry....I'll do it as best I can!

Exciting little snippets: some good comments about my playing, particularly from people who can do stuff and facilitate stuff. I just need to maintain standards. And I did admittedly say No this evening to something, plus only a fairly unlikely 'maybe' to something else. It feels a little sad because as a young musician, you take as many opportunities you get. But in my case, it's often to the detriment of my health or ever-so-slightly mental state (even though I love being busy). And that's where knowing that I over-commit has to kick in and be sensible.

Sorry...

...if I'm a crap friend in the next three weeks. Please forgive me.
I thought I could do everything, and therefore said yes to it all.
I really want to do it, so I am. But this is the brief overview:
7: number of orchestra rehearsals in the next two weeks
1: Paris essay (60%) due
1: Econometrics project (20% group) due
1: Econometrics test
2: Conducting tests
7: Playing in front of people of sorts (not rehearsals)
1: Birthday that is my own to celebrate
5: Other birthdays to celebrate :)

Don't get me wrong, I love rehearsals, I love performing, I enjoy working hard and being pushed to work hard. Just perhaps not in such quick succession and so much so condensed.

ANAM Applications out soon. Haven't had lesson. Starting to worry a lot. What if I can't do it?
What if I can't even audition for AYO stuff? AHH!!

I can't wait for the semester to be over, but it means some stuff will finish there. I hope some of it doesn't, that it continues. Hopefully. Time is a friend. Also an enemy...
Please bear with me. I value your friendships very much - just be patient, and please support and encourage me!

Eighteen weeks left of universty: the undergrad installment

Ahh!
Easter is upon us - which means term one is over. Which means I'm supposed to have learnt half of the material for this semester already. Ahh! I am very far from that!
Rehearsals again have taken up much of my time - which I do admittedly enjoy. Have fortunately managed to meet up with friends in-between that (some more than others...) which is also good. I like those moments.

So, highlights have included....

* Getting gelate on Lygon St on a lovely Saturday afternoon. A lovely way to while away the time... :)
* Wednesdays. Conducting class has been challenging, amusing and frustrating. And a time to get really hungry....whereupon we immediately run out to get lunch. Pity we don't get pastries (yet!) in the morning during our quintet rehearsal.....we're still waiting ;)
* Fun music practice. Where we check out the new colour scheme. And then how that becomes the hot topic of conversation. (Eg. would you have a wedding with those walls? What would the bridesmaids wear? Who or what would actually be the centre of attention?!)
* 21sts. There's not too many left to attend (I think...) but there are a few. Particularly good when almost everybody there you also consider your close friends in that circle too. Lovely.
* Housewarmings. Paintings. Friends.
* Chamber music tutes that go well. When they like us :) Which seems to be working out for us at the moment......and the satisfaction of being pushed hard because somebody thinks you have potential. And then hearing the results. So exciting.
* Exciting music ideas.....and how people are really excited about delivering the news!
* Playing in Concert Class (even when you play wrong notes that are dissonant and really funny!). And for singing lessons. And for grad seminars.
* Long hours of days out - morning till night. Running around madly trying to make rehearsals, meetings, dinner appointments, concerts. Awesome times. Except for the homework I didn't do....but I knew I was never going to do it...
* Those days that are really cold....but sunny and clear. One of my favourite sorts. More heat is preferable for some, but this, I think is really ideal, so long as one is dressed approrpriately for it.
* Massive church services because there are four people being baptised on the same night. Awesome. Truly.

I fell asleep (read: nodded off multiple times) in EVERY class this week - oops...there is much revision to be done.
And there is a warm bed waiting for me to hop into it. Why am I blogging now? I've set my alarm for six hours' time....so that I can catch a cab at 7.15am. So. Early. Ahhh.
See y'all back in the 'bourne soon...
xoxo. Not that one. Just me. :P

So long!

Ah! I thought I'd updated a bit more recently than Feb 24th. Apologies to reader(s?!) out there.
Anyway, uni started. It has been very busy. Even before uni started.
Did more travelling by going on QC Mentor Camp to Foster North (for the 3rd year in a row!). I've been to more mentor camps than not in my time haha....
We were a bit worried given that there were fires around that area, but they were pretty far from where we were going, so it was ok.

Uni really snuck up on me. I really need a holiday now. I needed one three weeks ago.....how sad!
Still getting my head around my timetable, all my homework (which has seriously snuck up on me - how did this all happen?!). I thought final year was going to be more of the same....but it's not really. It feels like I have a couple of large projects due, which I didn't expect at all..
Feeling fairly stressed - really still haven't figured out this whole uni thing again! I'm fitting in an Accompanying lesson as well (which isn't on campus) as well as a couple of hours of work a week. I've found that Monday-Wednesday is super super busy and then it all just disappates and Thursday has no classes (though possibly a Concert Class appearance) and Friday has a rehearsal and only one class!

Got asked to play in MYO for their performance of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony. It's pretty exciting - this is my fifth orchestral pianist experience, and the fourth time it's Shosta! It's fairly well-run, which is cool, plus I have a couple of friends in the orchestra so it makes it exciting to actually go to the rehearsals, and know that I'll be playing on stage with these friends!

Trio got super-organised and put in all our plans for this semester - all our rehearsals (all the regular ones anyway, with possible emergency ones to be scheduled as we go along) put in, as well as our first tute confirmed, as well as our final date of performance (read: assessment) and the dates that we'll play in class. It's nice to have that all in concrete (I think it's pretty set anyway!).

I'm sad to have left Apollo - but think they're in fairly safe hands :) But now I'm seeing I couldn't have managed it - probably a wise decision (I'd like to think so anyway!) Again, I'm pulling weird hours (though you know, fairly usual Gladys-hours...)

Okay, I should get off the internet and you know, actually go get some of that sleep that I'm desparately craving!

ps. Went to MSO last weekend (thanks J!). Pretty cool. Ashkenazy conducted and Janine Jansen played pretty darn amazingly! I forgot how much fun going to concerts were. And how many musos you see when you go! Plus, I ran into my old school's now-retired deputy principal (the one whose farewell concert I played at, the same one the school flew me home for!). How coincidental - it was fun :) I love those weird funny stories!

Lots has happened since February 5th.

AYO Season 1 has concluded. I've played with the orchestra at Costa Hall (Deakin University, Geelong), as well as at the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra. We drove through areas affected by Black Saturday after the hottest day on record. We travelled in a bus from Melbourne to Canberra, as well as from Canberra to Sydney. I almost met my MP at Parliament House. I saw Gideon Kremer and his orchestra at Llewellyn Hall. I stayed at one of the most beautiful colleges I've ever stayed at (Women's College at Sydney University). I went to the SCG for a Professional Development Session, had a photo with Georgie Parker, had another photo with Steve Waugh. I caught a bus (after getting completely drenched along the main road, just like in the movies) into the centre of Sydney city, and managed to (eventually!) get on the right train for a 45min ride out to Seven Hills. I watched the rehearsal of AYO in Sydney including the one with Human Nature singing one of my favourite songs, 'People Get Ready'.
Had some post-AYO S1 withdrawal symptoms; it almost felt strange to not be surrounded by crazy awesome musos all the time!

Managed to get back to Melbourne. Got picked up from the airport and driven back 'home' by a friend - thank you. Trying to 'set up shop' back in the same flat from last year. Yes, the same one - had to move out over summer if I didn't want to pay the rent. Oh well. Still not completely all set up - boxes still in lounge room etc. but getting there. Hopefully will be neat(er) this year; we've put a cleaning regime in place. Hopefully it works and sticks!

Busy weeks back after AYO. Friends have probably thought that because uni starts next week, we need to enjoy the rest of the summer holidays as long as they last, which means we should go out lots! It's fun, just tiring sometimes and can get expensive. But it's really nice to get back into the groove with everybody. S1 in Melbourne felt a little strange, like I was in my adopted home city, but not. Don't get me wrong, I love all my friends, but over time they change composition according to circumstances, a lot of the time. So it feels like sometimes it needs time to get back into it. I feel like a lot has happened in Melbourne while I've been away; I mean, yeah, a lot has happened that I feel like I've missed out on. We've been to MSO with a picnic, I had to skip Luna Park (but it sounded fun!), we went to the beach (the boys played Ultimate, the girls watched; we got fish and chips), I missed gelate (due to being at ANAM for a concert - very musician crowd, so different!), we're going to Night Market. Spent almost a day in the city because of Cathedral gig - the company was excellent though, made it bearable and fun! I think I'll miss a few things because of this camp this weekend....I hate missing things. And saying no.

Been into uni almost every day - hello practice regime. Gotta get back into it. Now that I figured that I think I know what I want to do next year. There's a path of hard work ahead of me. Haven't really got into the swing as much as I'd like, but next week will REALLY kick in soon...Just been on LMS and figured out that I have homework before I start and that I'm already behind! Such a worrying way to start the year....

Going to go switch mobile phone plans. Sorry Optus - there was a time when Prepaid was the best option, but some of the service has been not top-notch and the rates aren't really cutting it anymore. I hate to think that a brand I've been loyal to for about five years is losing a customer...oh well. Been to mentor training for the Con and will be taking on mentees from Queen's as well. I'm a little worried but hopefully it'll be ok.

Busy is the name of this year, I think. Nothing out of the ordinary though, I suppose. I'm staying in my allocated Conducting Class - with some friends phew. Trying to organise times and schedules....
I have ten hours of class this semester
but that excludes:
my piano lesson
lesson with accompanying teacher
chamber music rehearsals (quintet, trio/s?)
any accompanying things
3hrs of work in the library

And I'm supposed to be studying? And keeping a social life? Hah.
We'll see. I'll try.

Still around!

Just not posting regularly....

Music Camp in Adelaide came and went. It was lots of fun - awesome music, a very jam-packed schedule of rehearsals, more rehearsals, concerts, even more rehearsals. The concerts were awesome, Shostakovich 11 was incredibly moving. And loud. And very long! Had a great party afterwards, involving going out at 11pm and staying out till 4am. And then playing some table-tennis till about 4.45am. All in time for some people to catch a 7am bus. At least mine was a bit later, but two hours sleep doesn't quite cut it normally! It was fun though. Definitely a really fun camp. Possibly more detail to follow in another post.....

Went home for a week to relax a little, reminisce much about Camp, get prepared to pack up again and go again, but this time for an extended time! Saw Australia Day fireworks from a prime location, and celebrated Chinese New Year at abou the same time - quite a unique coincidence of dates!

A week and a bit after arriving home from camp, I was off again to Melbourne for AYO tour. Still on it, our first concert is tonight in Melbourne Town Hall. I've been looking forward to this concert for a while now, also because lots of my friends are coming to see it woo! I'll definitely try to do a wrap-up of tour when it's over. Remind me.

Also more reminders to self: a post called "Criticisms" with key topics Principals, Orders of Australia, AOC funding. Grr....

The end of 2008 - hello 2009!

Christmas at our place was quite large...22 people in all. We went to church in the morning, and then promptly came home to cook for the rest of the day! The feast was quite amazing - so much food, so many people!

Went to some of the post-Christmas sales, but definitely not the Boxing Day rush of Myer and David Jones. I'd gone to bed the night before (or morning!) at 3am after the clean-up (including staying up to see the end of the dishwashing cycle, as it was the first time we used the machine!) so a serious sleep-in was in order. As well as watching the cricket.

Managed to catch up with a couple of friends (well, will do so by the end of this week!). But mostly been hiding at home, enjoying the air-conditioning!

Camp music came (finally!) - I was expecting Stravinsky. Instead, I got Shostakovich and Ades. Which shocked me a little. Because I was prepared for hard. And got and easy bit and a VERY VERY hard bit. I think I got the harder end of the deal! And I also got AYO music, which is mostly fun. The Shostakovich is mostly octaves (including 31 bars of A octaves at a very loud dynamic!), with some other bits in-between, including a few solos yay! The Bernstein is so much fun (quite complex and hard though!) but it's not a boring piano part, which is good - ie. I don't sit there for most of the piece only to play a little segment. I actually play for most of the piece. It should be fun. We got the itinerary for the three-week tour, which looks like lots of fun. We're mostly based in Melbourne, but will be travelling to Geelong for a concert, as well as to Canberra for a few days (9hr coach ride ahh!) as well as to Sydney for a couple of days as well.

I'm off to Adelaide this weekend, which I'm excited about (but a little nervous woo!). Should be fun. Don't really know what is going to go down there, but should be good. And then home for another week and a half and then off again. Wow, these holidays are going pretty fast!

Social idea for Melbourne '09.....
Let's go to the outdoor movies at the Botanic Gardens when I get back to Melbourne!
What do you think?

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Back at home, chilling out. Haven't found a job with the agency yet. But I'm fairly content to relax. Eagerly anticipating NMC music which is supposed to be in the mail.

Enjoyed last few days in Melbourne - Night Market, Lygon St adventures, airport rides, extended BBC viewing sessions, pizza-making.

Thanks to those who called me last week - really appreciated it.
Wish I could be there with you all.

Lots of stuff!

So, since my last post.....
It has been very busy (bus since when has it not?)
There was that week of a bajillion rehearsals. Fun fun. That week probably gave me a bit of a taste of what it was like to be a freelance musician. I have to say I quite liked it. You know, own practice in the morning, afternoon rehearsals (evening if necessary). Some performances here and there (afternoon and evening when necessary). Master's recital was lots of fun - I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to perform with the sextet, and can't wait for more projects. At the moment, we might have a Lunchtime Concert at ACU lined up for next year - a lot of Mozart (as we did this year). And we're throwing up the possibilities and ideas of touring with the Mozart programme.

Concerts that week were also fun. St Matt's Prahan had a Violin-Viola extravaganza (with some piano thrown in as the orchestra!). And then rushed off straight after (I mean in the style of C giving me flowers, hug & kiss, then whispered "I'll see you next week!" and then ran out the door, down the road, and onto the train!). Got up to North Carlton to Gerald's Bar for some Schubert (hastily put together with our substitute clarinettist!). It went really well, and a few friends came, which was cool.

Had a few more rehearsals the next week, as well as two horn exams to play for, which were both great. Had lots of fun doing them! Then some page-turning 'gigs' - which was fun. And got to meet some cool people in the music industry, which is always cool. Met a couple of friends who were over in Melbourne for holidays - quite coincidental that I was free that day, and met them both! Went to recitals, practiced, hung out with friends. It was pretty cool.

Did the violin-viola extravaganza again, but at St Jude's in Carlton. Was much fun, though it was very tiring, as that day I went to and played at B & J's wedding in Weribee, which was just beautiful. Unfortunately couldn't go to the reception (which would have been very fun!) because of the concert that night, but that's cool - one definitely picks what they're going to do, I suppose!

Had Queen's Advent Service on Sunday ('wear a party frock' were the instructions, which A & I took seriously). It went really well, particularly as I had my first and only rehearsal for it that afternoon! Much fun. Profiteroles were delicious haha. And then rocked up to Prayer Meeting looking all dressed up, to be asked "Why do you look so nice?" Haha.

Monday involved some recital-going (in fact, four!!). It was great. And it's always fun to support your friends, and hear them play.
My own recital was yesterday. About 20 people came, which was cool. I kinda didn't expect that many people to come, even though I know I invited about 70 people! But it filled up most of Heinze Room, so that was a nice audience to play to. there were some parts of it (my recital) which I liked, some I didn't. But I'm taking Geoff's advice (considering he was one of my examiners!) that I wanted to come out of it feeling better than what I felt like going into it. I think I can say I am relieved it's over, but also a little sad that I don't have anything like that to practice for the immediate future (apart from you know, camp and AYO stuff, when I eventually get it!). I slept in this morning (something I haven't done for about the past three months!) which felt very luxurious and a little indulgent. And haven't touched piano at all today. Feeling a bit of withdrawal symptoms.

After exam, went to have some brunch and celebrate (fairly low-key!). Had to laugh at S's chai latte. Then spent the rest of the day, with A's amazing help, packing and moving out of my flat. I'm so glad I didn't do it before my exam - I think I would have gone mental! And probably hurt myself. But it took a very long time, and it was quite painful. But we finally did it. Thank you D, F and S, for letting me keep stuff at your places. And A, for your muscles and cheerful attitude throughout it all!

So, catching up with friends in these last few days, going to some recitals, chilling out, re-packing. Before I finally go home.....and will be separated from these Melbourne friends!
Thanks for another amazing year - I love you all, and really appreciate your friendship.
To another amazing year in 2009....

More coherant?

We'll see about that. But I'll try my best.
So, have had a couple of exams and am waiting till December for my final one. Seems like ages away - I hope I don't lose motivation.

Orchestration exam was as expected - I though pretty straightforward. It was one of the classes I had this year that had the majority of my friends in it (though admittedly, so did Prac, where Thursday Concert Classes were a bit of a time to catch up; as too was Chamber Music, though the division of the class into instrument groups didn't really allow for that much social interaction. Anyway). So there were a bunch of us, sitting all in one row. The exam was held in Theatre A in the Old Arts Building - if you don't know it, I must tell you that this is a lecture theatre where the desks are those flip-out ones that flip out from a row in front of you. Therefore, it is very difficult to get in and out of the seats in the middle of the rows. Which is exactly where I sat. Silly me, because I was pretty sure I wasn't going to stay for the two hours. I left with N after an hour and a quarter, and made life difficult for myself and the four or so people we eventually disturbed in order to get out of the exam. And the whole time, I was wondering whether I should do a fancy leap-over-the-rows act, or perhaps be thrown to the front of the theatre by some friends to make it out, while the lecturer looked at us bemusedly as we pondered how to get out without affecting a maximum number of people.

K's exam was the next day - went pretty well, it was fun to do. I suppose she was very relieved when it was over, as it was her last exam for this year! So well done on finishing, K!

Then had Macroeconomics exam on Thursday. This was the one I was dreading the most; it has been the subject giving me the most grief in terms of study, and perhaps all this semester, although that is a little hard to determine because I don't think that I worked hard for it at all this semester. Until Swotvac. It went ok, I think. I hope. Not really sure. I definitely studied my butt off for it. (Though my butt is still in place, thank you very much.) Not really sure how I did - you know when you do exams and you think you do ok, because you can answer pretty much almost everything with a little bit of confidence, but then afterwards you start talking to your friends and they start talking about specific questions and how they answered it and you have no idea what they're talking about - the concepts are ones you don't even recall, or possibly have never heard of. That's when I decided to leave and go home, because the exam was done, and I couldn't do anything else. Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we? I do hope I at least pass though, because it would be very painful if I had to do the subject again. Plus, I kinda don't want to have to spend another semester at uni, just doing commerce stuff. What a drag that would be!

It was good to get out on Thursday night to celebrate S's birthday - almost like a mini-post-exams party (though not really post-exams just yet). Furthermore, there was a BBQ the following night to celebrate P's birthday which was earlier in the week. So that was fun. There were a couple of people that were at both, but even not so - there were good friends at both that made both evenings much fun and relaxed and definitely what I needed following some intense study.

Had a pretty chilled weekend - some rehearsals, some relaxing (though how much of REAL relaxation, without thinking about much else is debatable), some business to sort out. All good.
Got called by J for my piano debut at church that night. It was cool. I've always had a bit of a *thing* about playing piano in church, particularly since starting uni. Much too long to get into here, but anyway. Bottom line, it was pretty cool. Still not sure where I'm going with it next year and stuff, but there's definitely lots to think about.

This coming week sees about eleven rehearsals in the diary. Yes, you read correctly. And performing of sorts five times. I'm not sure how my wrist is holding up - I don't want to do any damage, but let's say today it's not doing so well. I know it's something I have to be overly cautious about, and eleven rehearsals in one week definitely won't help it. So please remind me to take it easy, and to be very careful!

Now, if somebody could just tell me exactly when the new James Bond movie comes out in Australia. I feel really stupid, as I have in my diary 27 November as the release date, but read somewhere (probably wikipedia....haha) that it's been shifted forward a week to this Wednesday. But I can't, for the life of me, actually find the date. Please enlighten me.

Wow, I should really go eat dinner. I called my mother up at work this afternoon to ask how to cook that broccoli and egg thing that my uncle does. I would have called him, but thought my mum might appreciate it more. I think she was in a meeting or something. Either way, she was definitely laughing at me.

very brief update - in ten minutes of furious typing!

It is been almost a month since I blogged. Primarily because term four has been super-busy (more than usual...is that possible?) and also because about two weeks ago, my computer decided to kick it. So, not having the distractions of checking my email and facebook every two minutes, as well as not having the need to update the readers of this blog on my weekly happenings.

But this will probably be fairly short, with more updates (ie. the whole of the last four weeks!) to come later, probably at the end of this week.

Done lots of playing, which may be summarised as such:
*Concert Class - solo (woo!) and the Khachaturian trio (yay!)
*Concerto Comp with a few friends
*Chamber Music Comp
*Chamber Music tutes
*Chamber Music exams
*Apollo Concert (my last as Choir conductor!)
*Concert at Queen's
*Composition Concert
oh, and rehearsals here and there for all the above, plus more.
It's been fun :)

A couple of 21sts, one themed as a jazz night and the other as a Spanish Fiesta. Both were enjoyable. Good chance to catch up with some friends, party for the last time till after exams (hah)

Been organising some AYO stuff on my side, getting forms in, chasing up people and bits and pieces.

Figured out that my late-night study regime is actually quite good - as in, I study fairly well at night (particularly with no MSN open to distract me now!). But this is also a bad thing, because I work well in the early morning too. And can't *really* afford to sleep in the afternoon given that my body should get used to being awake in the afternoon due to exams in the afternoon. What I need is to be able to survive on NO sleep. Or perhaps just a little bit of sleep. But unfortunately, that is not the case. Oh well....

Okay, it is time to depart. More to follow, if it is necessary.....

So, term 4 really hit the ground running.
First day back, 8am tute. Nice. Lots of music-king, and I mean lots. In one day. Possibly 8am-4pm. Intense.
Rehearsals filled most of the first week, although it didn't feel like that many.
Didn't go to lots of other things, but probably a good thing.

Went for a long-awaited massage at the city baths on Saturday, courtesy of a bunch of friends who had pooled together for a very large group present (which amounted to a number of things including a couple of vouchers for massages at the baths) for my 21st birthday earlier this year. To sum it up, I was very loose but sore the next day.

This last week has been a week of soreness - apart from my back (which has been slowly recovering, though not all the knots are out...there's still some large ones!), a sore heel from practicing piano barefoot on a hard floor. That's my own fault. And the recovering wrist from an arm wrestle (silly idea on my part) which the massage did some good for. And a wonky knee on the other leg. I have to learn to take better care of myself. Particularly my back, which I neglect significantly.....

Had actually gone to the markets at 7am on Saturday morning - it was nice! Much fun. But I also kinda realised that I like going shopping by myself, largely. Or at least be at leisure to browse a bit. Didn't manage to go to the Chamber Music Australia/Melb Festival concert at BMW Edge that night, but I heard that it went well. Instead, at that time, I was at my own rehearsal, which was quite fun. Ended up eating dinner at about 8.20pm, and hung out with A, which was cool. Then came home to apparently work on my assignment. Which didn't work. I had done some work for it though, and J and I worked on it the next day. And admittedly, spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights working on it too, till late hours....which is why I really should be in bed now...haha

Anyway, this week has been (and is going to be, as it's not done!) a massive playing week. Played in Piano Class on Monday - I signed myself up about three weeks ago, because I was told that my pieces were well and truly ready to be masterclassed - my teacher gave me heaps of confidence when she said that. So, it was good to play for R, as he's very nice, and very helpful. It went ok - ppl told me afterwards that it sounded good, which I was a little surprised about, because I was so nervous! Oh well. The 3rd movt raced like anything, but that's why I have time before my exam to fix it, yeah?

More rehearsals this week, performances today in the Chamber Music comp - they both went ok - but approached from different sides for both trios. Oh well, we'll just see what happens. It was good to do, at the very least - getting performance practice, which is always a good thing. And an opportunity to work with some friends, which is often an enjoyable experience. Playing in Concert Class tomorrow - probably my last CC solo performance, and also with Kairos trio. I'm quite nervous about the Chopin, despite my teacher's reassurances (I asked if I could play it to her on Tuesday, but our times didn't match up, and she looked at me strangely and asked why I was so worried about it. Hah.) I'm a nervous solo performer...so hopefully there'll be lots of kind support tomorrow! It'll be the first time in 2 years that I've played solo in this class, but I am looking forward to it all. And that will be all the playing in Concert Class....it's kinda bittersweet!

K asked me last night "How are you going?" and as usual, I replied "Busy". But was there more to the question? She's very good at making me articulate things. And I realised that in the past two weeks, I didn't really spend time with anybody to just catch up. When I did, it was part of something else - mostly music rehearsals. I hope this is just a busy time and not a more regularly occurrence than occasionally - although I have a sneaking suspicion that it is more regular than I'd like to think. :(
This makes me sad. I do really love my friends' company - I suppose I have just been extra snowed under at the moment and so find it tight to do everything. But I think a lot about them, and often don't know how to just randomly, out of the blue, ask how it is all going without sounding so strange. But it's something I should endeavour to do more.
So, please forgive me for my absence of late, and if it seems like I haven't got time for you. I assure you that I haven't forgotten about you.
And please keep encouraging me re. relationships, and Strong Strong Love. Now there's something to be so thankful for!

Holidays....or not?

Since the last update, there have been some exciting things going on.
Had a 21st to go to, so had to go shopping for a group present. Having gone shopping for J's, I was keen to be the shopper (or one of them!). Plus, I hadn't really been shopping for a while, so I pretty excited. So, shopping day came. It was exciting. There were delays, text messages flying back and forth, some bad news, some assurance and finally, two surprises. It was great to get out and do some walking of this city, in and out of here and there, with two friends that I don't really spend that much time with outside of the usual contexts. So it was fun to hang out with them then. It took about five hours to shop for the present (!!) and we finally decided on a couple of things that we thought would go down well (on behalf of the group). Oh, and there were obviously the obligatory lunch and coffee breaks, as well as the visit-person-you-know-is-working-in-the-city-to-get-his-opinion break. It was very good.
So, what did I learn on that shopping trip?
Girls who wear strapless dresses can expect to be hitching their dress up all night.

Which is what I did that night at the party. Hah. Oh well.
It was a fun night, speeches were great, enjoyment was had. Funny/possibly inappropriate photos (which were not intended to be so) were taken, awkward moments ensued....all in great fun.

And that was to kick the two week mid-semester 'holiday' off. It was a great start.
To that 'holiday' (otherwise known as 'non-teaching period' - where students are still expected to do assignments, homework, study............hah)
Had fairly busy first few days of rehearsals, practice and general figuring out what work I actually needed to do. Then it was off to Ballarat I was! Was going to visit P (crossover a day with A), and then stay with P while Apollo Camp was also there. It was a most relaxing five days - took a bit of work up with me to try get a bit done. Of course, I didn't do any hehe. Instead, I slept quite a lot, watched movies with the girls, ate so very well, played games, went on a picnic, went on a drive to Daylesford where we spent a beautiful afternoon wandering in the shops and having chocolate sensations. Apollo did well - successful rehearsals, fun times, and a good concert. Now onto Pops.....

Coming back from Ballarat was a bit of a 'back to the smoky haze' experience - jumped on an earlier train so I could make it back in time for music that night; on the way, had to stop by the Con to pick up some new music to learn for the following week, stop by home to dump my stuff and grab a fiddle, then off to Jude's. All in an hour. Of course, the train was a little delayed. As were the trams. And then running into church like a headless chicken...yeah, good look.. :S It was a great session that night, particularly enjoyed playing the organ :D

So, this music I had to learn for that week that I picked up on Sunday night......
well, it was very much "back to business", hit the ground running style. Had an interview for NMC Arts Admin programme last week (I thought it went weirdly; they called about 20mins late, that can't be a good sign....., then had some curvy questions that I wasn't really sure about...anyway..) and I found out the results of all AYO programmes last week while I was in Ballarat. Let's say there was some nervous waiting (I'm glad we went to Daylesford that day!), frantic jumping around, furious forwarding of emails, answering phone calls etc.
And also I'd gotten calls to accompany for some masterclasses during MIFB. Which I agreed to, not knowing what I was getting myself into. I got myself into some hard music (only some, some easy), very quick learning, and playing with instruments I haven't before played with, and playing for some very esteemed musicians. It was cool.

So, this week, I've been doing four to five hour sessions every morning (from breakfast to lunch) of practice in the basement...quite bliss! Except for the whole 'basement' factor - no windows, no sunlight, just a piano and me. And then I found out last night that my exam isn't for another two whole MONTHS. I can afford to take a holiday between now and then! Anyway, there was much trombone music to learn! I don't think I've ever learnt so much (not necessarily easy) music in such short notice for such an event. Anyway, masterclasses were cool - didn't play my best in all of them, but it happens. I get over it, move on, keep going. Met some cool people, particularly the teachers who were all really nice (apparently that is the common theme with them all, apart from them being AWESOME!). Went to a Wycliffe Gordon jazz concert last night - totally HOT!!! It was probably one of the concerts I'll be raving about for a long time. I'm not sure if I can really express in the written word just how awesome it was; it probably needs some action and crazy hand movements and very fast talking on my part to capture maybe about half the excitement and awesome-ness that it was! Go on youtube to find some stuff of him. Totally cool.

Also had a half-birthday picnic yesterday in the Botanic Gardens. I hadn't ever been before, and they were just STUNNING. It was a perfect day for a picnic yesterday, the weather was gorgeous and it felt like a holiday. A few people came by at some point to join us, which was lots of fun. Definitely a really good excuse for a picnic. And a really good time at it!

So, it'll be back to semester again once this weekend is over...where did my holidays go? I felt like this week was very go-go-go (well, it was....) and I haven't rested quite so well. I did while I was away, but it's amazing what I push myself to once I'm back in the city. I think I need another holiday...

Anyway, some things are looking great, some other things are looking a little shaky. And some things we just have to wait and see what happens...