Jules Massenet

On Friday I remembered to buy the score for this song.It's one of the songs for the grade 7 ABRSM violin exam. This may replace my second song. The teacher thinks this will be an "easier" piece to play than my current song. Generally, I do not like slow songs because you have to count accurately to keep in tempo and there is a lot of vibrato in most fingers. ( Not my strong point)  The tempo is Andante Religioso . I've done the first three lines so far. There is a lot of position change. I think it may be easier to hit the right notes because the song is more familiar. But we'll have to see the progress. The score together with the piano accompaniment cost RM40. ( ouch!)

Meditation is the music from the opera Thais. And it is composed by a french composer names Jules Massenet. Did you know that? ( I didn't but before you start feeling smug, composers aren't my thing...try testing me on the British Royal Family instead) It is the music played in between scenes in Act 2 and it's in the mood of deep reflection and decision-making. The famous violinists who have played this solo with an orchestra are Izhak Perlman ( large hands...the violin looks small when he plays..he has no problem covering all positions ), Joshua Bell, Sarah Cheng and Sophie Mutter.

To help me in my Violin Exam

To help me in my grade 2 exams on violin, originally uploaded by rachwarwick.

Am taking grade 7 violin exam this year. Oh boy! It sounds scary even as I type it out. WHy? Because this means loads of regular dedicated practice to achieve a reasonable standard to be able to walk in and play and hope to pass.

One hour of practice five days a week?

Someone wrote 195 hours.
Let's get started on hour number one...( right after my jog on the treadmill) Yes I'm trying to collect another medal...DOUBLE shot

June 14th

My fingers stretching painfully

This is the violin exam date. If you've ever failed exams, you will empathise with the feeling of dread and nagging worry as this date gets nearer and nearer. The exact comments from the examiner got lost in the post. ( a good thing otherwise I shan't be able to face my teacher ) I have only my own version of what went wrong. Top of the list was lack of practice. Everything else stems from this so it's not much point expanding on this rather distasteful subject. ( not least because it highlights my negative traits) How I have attempted to rectify this:
1. My violin is no longer in its case but out of it for easy access. It is ( even as I type) sitting on my ottoman together with the bow.
2. The violin and ottoman are placed strategically in the study beside my imac and macbook. This way, surfing the net and playing the violin can be done alternatively leading to more hours on the violin.
3. I practise SLOWLY with enphasis on hitting the right note for ALL notes.
4. I practice regularly (most days) rather than in spurts.
5. I don't hate scales any more.

Happy Saturday everybody. It's a month to my violin exam. Wish me luck!

We all fail exams sometimes...aargh aargh

taken from schoolgate

Violin exam results are out. No good news I'm afraid. I failed. ( to be read in a resigned tone of voice with a tinge of sadness). Of course putting things in perspective, I probably deserve the marks I got having shown a lack of commitment early on only to furiously practise in the last month before the exams. And yes that blasted sigh-singing was painful. ( for the examiner as well I gather ...as she's seen fit that I repeat this exam) Dun fret I shan't be hurling self over any window/cliff any time soon. Life goes on....and apparently workload piling in the to-do corner goes on and on and on. An idle mind sees fit to sink into depression but a busy mind has no time for such an indulgence. An awakening.....:) I plan to resit...in the new year. And with a better game plan ie actually setting some time to practise regularly. As for the singing bit....*shake head*...that's going to take SOME practise. Hee hee.

23 hours and counting

Okay tomorrow at this time I would be nursing a post adrenaline surge headache. Violin exam is tomorrow afternoon at Hotel Istana which is where the exam was held last year and which is where I played an ENTIRE song out of pitch last year. *shake head* not going to happen this year no way no way. Preparation for this year has been like last year rather shoddy at the beginning and only furious practise sessions lined up the few weeks before. And as in last year, the weeks leading up to the exam were speckled with other essential work-related stuff which kinda mucked up the practise-mode somewhat. And so this am and pm I will be playing the violin intermittently. No point straining the ole wrist at this stage, Everything in moderation and no panicking allowed. I'll be back in business after this weekend. Picture is an old one taken a few years ago when I managed to climb the bridge. Dare to dream! That's the motto.

2 more weeks...Oh boy!!

There's two more weeks before the exam. Oh boy oh boy. It's been a while since I've been ill-prepared for any exam and it serves me right. Been detracted with a myriad of things. Wish me luck..