Erhu Exam
Posted by: joycelee on: November 28, 2009
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My first erhu exam after 8 months of hard practice. Comments from the examiner was hard earned. After each song was played, she commented that the song was very well played. I was relieved. My hard work paid off. I am very happy.
I didn’t know that the examiner in front of me is xu jiang de until i went back home to check it out. Then, I realised that she is a very experienced and professional player in China. Therefore, when she says it is good, she does mean it. It’s great to have a professional player tell you that you played well.
After the exam, she said ,’ you must come for exam next year’. To me, it means it was well played and i earn it. It is a pity for not continuing playing erhu.
Of course, not forgetting, she did give some pointers. Next time, when I come, memorise the score so that all the feelings could be internalised into the song and played out easily. I will remember and make it a point to play without score.
Overall, I expected a ‘Distinction’.
There is an interesting thing today. The candidate before me is a blind person. He played kong shan niao yu. This is the song i always wanted to learn. It’s so well played. If a blind person can play it, I can do it too. I really admire his courage coming for the erhu exam. If I were him, I will settle for playing music for leisure but to him, it means mastering that instrument and playing it professionally. I really admire his courage. I wonder how he learns since he could not sight read. It must be hard, relying all on his hearing. Sometimes, I even have coordination problem and following my teacher with my eyes seeing how she slides on the strings. He is really someone I admires.
Inspirational Songs-It’s Gonna Make Sense
Posted by: joycelee on: November 21, 2009
Life comes at many shapes
You think you know what you＇ve got
until it changes
and life will take you high and low
You gonna learn how to walk
and learn which way to go
Every choice you make
when you＇re lost
Every step you take
has its cause
After you clear your eyes
you see the light
somewhere in the darkness
After the rain has gone
you feel the sun comes
And though it seems your sorrow never ends
Someday it’s gonna make sense
Tears you shared all the same
When you left you cry
or broken down in pain
All the yearn words you have spent in the past
Worrying about a thing that didn’t last
Every thing you saw
played a part
and every thing you are
in your heart
After you clear your eyes
you see the light
somewhere in the darkness
After the rain has gone
you feel the sun comes
And though it seems your sorrow never ends
Someday you are gonna find the answers
to all the things you’ve become (and all day down)
at your expense
Someday it’s gonna make sense
After the rain has gone
you feel the sun comes
And though it seems your sorrow never ends
Someday it’s gonna make sense
After the rain has gone
you feel the sun comes
And though it seems your sorrow never ends
Someday it’s gonna make sense
Imperfection by Andrewson Tan
Posted by: joycelee on: October 31, 2009
Imperfection is Perfection itself.
Without it, we will not wonder what perfection is.
A world with everything being perfect,
You will see that it eventually turn defect.
Imperfection is Perfection itself.
As a perfect world will be a world of complacency.
It is a world which lacks the joy of the Aha moments.
It is a world which lacks the breath taking moments.
In a perfect world which lacked imperfections.
One will not know what to do everyday as there is nothing to work on.
One will move through life aimlessly wondering about their uniqueness.
In a perfect world which lacked imperfections,
There will be no joy of giving since everyone has everything.
There will be no joy of learning since nothing needs to be learn.
There will be no joy of improving since nothing needs to be improve
There will be no joy of teaching since nothing is left to be taught.
Imperfection is perfection itself.
It is through its presence that we realize we are just as perfect as anyone else.
We can choose to improve or just stay the same which are both perfectly good.
Embrace imperfections.
It is through them which we see what we wish to work on.
Embrace imperfections.
It is through them that we learn acceptance and forgiveness.
Embrace imperfections.
It is through them that we learn how to love unconditionally.
Embrace imperfections.
As it is these imperfect things about your love ones which you will miss when they are gone.
Embrace imperfections.
As it is in them that we appreciate the perfect moments.
Embrace imperfections.
As it is then you will find that every moment is perfect.
Embrace imperfections.
As you will come to know, there is no such thing as perfect.
Things are just perfect the way it is.
Love yourself and others for the imperfectness as they are already perfect.
‘With the absence of what is not, what is, is not’ – Neale Donald Walsch
馬曉暉二胡演奏：我的路
Posted by: joycelee on: July 10, 2009
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《My Way》是一首欧美著名英文流行曲，旋律源自法国名曲Comme d’habitude（一如往日），法文原版由克罗德·法兰索瓦（Claude François）、雅克·赫霍（Jacques Revaux）及吉尔·提伯（Gilles Thibaut）在1967年共同创作，随后由保罗·安卡（Paul Anka）改编成英文版，1969年首次收录在法兰·仙纳杜拉同名大碟，自此风靡全球。这首歌不但成为仙纳杜拉的代表作，在流行文化上亦常被用作为告别曲，表示一场表演的结束或一个人的离开。这亦是英国最受欢迎的丧礼挽曲。相比英文版哀伤的曲调，法文版的配乐则有忧伤、轻快、或摇滚版本。
My Way以一句”And now, the end is near”（现在快要离别）作开始，讲述一名快将离世的老人。他向身边的朋友回望自己的一生，讲述如何坚强、自信面对人生中的挑战。匆匆岁月中，他为很少事后悔，为自己一生顾昐自豪，走出自己的人生路：
“And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing…”／现在泪水已干，往事如烟
“To think, I did all that, and may I say, not in a shy way”／原来我曾做过这种事，但我不会害羞说
“Oh no, oh no not me, I did it my way” 不，不是我，我只是走我的路
这与法文版Comme d’habitude的歌词截然不同。Claude François创作的原曲讲述一位失去挚爱的恋人，一天醒来发现情人已逝去，他一如往日为她盖被子、也一如往日等着她回来：
“Moi je reviendrai comme d’habitude”／一如往日，我回家
“Toi, tu seras sortie”／你却出了门
“Pas encore rentrée comme d’habitude”／一如往常，还未回来
“Tout seul j’irai me coucher”／我独个儿去睡
“Dans ce grand lit froid comme d’habitude”／在这又大又冷的床，一如往日
“Mes larmes, je les cacherai”／我会藏起眼泪
玩得太动人了。我简直陶醉在其中能感受到歌里想要表达的意境。太棒了！
Original Version
英文歌词
And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I’ll say it clear;
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain.
I’ve lived a life that’s full -
I’ve travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Regrets? I’ve had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried,
I’ve had my fill – my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.
For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself – Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.
Yes, it was my way.
New Suzhou Aged Rosewood Erhu
Posted by: joycelee on: July 10, 2009
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I bought a new erhu. Below is some of the pictures I took.
Too bad I don’t know who is the erhu maker because I do not know how to read chinese words in 小篆. The snake skin is very tight and the snake skin is not too thick or too thin. I like the engravings on the erhu. I think it is better than other erhu in terms of design who have the pictures on plasitcs pasted on the erhu pole. Also, the casing is stylish as well. In terms of weight, it is very light as well. A comparsion with my 乌木erhu, it is 10 times lighter. Overall, good feel good sound.
Music Quote of the Day
Posted by: joycelee on: June 22, 2009
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一叶一菩提，一花一世界 音乐是需要顿悟的，那美妙音律里所包涵的深邃的思想，是 需要一星火光来点燃的。也许只在一瞬间，你便发现，一个短促的音符，便是整个浩瀚的宇宙
光明行
Posted by: joycelee on: June 21, 2009
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光明行：二胡独奏曲，作于１９３１年春，是一首振奋人心的进行曲，旋律铿锵有力，气势豪迈，节奏富有弹性。刘天华创作此曲时曾说：“因外国人都谓我国音乐萎靡不振，故作此曲以证其误”。
在这首曲中，他借鉴了西洋音乐的进行曲曲式和转调手法，但音调风格仍然完全保持了民族音乐的语言特色，并在技法上创新立异地把小提琴跳弓、颤弓用到二胡上。调性明亮，音区的递换也极富色彩。林石城在1958年将此曲改编成琵琶曲。
乐曲浅析
乐曲敏捷欢快，生气勃勃，表达了勇往直前的进取精神和对光明前途的乐观自信。
全曲采用复三部曲式结构，除引子和尾声外，共分四段。
引子节奏有力齐整犹如步伐，然后是小军鼓的敲击节奏和昂扬的音调；
第二段旋律优美流畅，运用内外弦不同的特性在Ｇ、Ｄ调上分别重复主题，使音乐形象更为饱满，开朗；
第三段采用重复、模进等手法，表现人们踏着矫健的步伐,昂首前进。
尾声则利用颤音的特殊效果再现第二段的主题并加以扩展，最后又出现模拟军号声的主三和弦分解旋律，使全曲生气勃勃，充满积极向上，不断进取的乐观精神和探索光明的坚定信念。
流波曲
Posted by: joycelee on: June 8, 2009
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Sun Wenming’s “Song of Flowing Waves” (Liú bō qǔ 流波曲)
二胡曲，盲艺人孙文明的流落异乡困苦生活的自我写照，乐声凄苦缠绵深沉，表现感情真挚。
流波曲：二胡曲，是盲艺人孙文明的代表曲，是他流落异乡困苦生活的自我写照，把自已比作默默流逝的水波，借琴声倾吐痛苦的心声，凄苦缠绵深沉，表现感情真挚。
乐曲结构短小，结构布局合理，特性音调贯穿全曲，起到点题作用，并以此把全曲划分为五个段落：
第一段旋律向上引发，旋即下落，表达了欲诉还休的痛苦。
第二段在高音区上作多次八度来回跳跃，抑扬有致，深沉悱恻。
第三段是进一步发展了前段的乐思，表达了作者对现实生活的愤懑不平。
第四段进入高音区，是一个展开性段落，因受阿炳曲《二泉映月》的影响，出现与其相似的旋律。
第五段融合了一、二段的特性音调，以第一段的末句作为乐曲的终止。全曲节奏舒缓，首尾呼应。
What does it take to be a musician?
Posted by: joycelee on: June 1, 2009
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A musician must be a stubborn optimist who is willing to spend hours, weeks, even months on the dull problems of technique.
In a performance, the heart, mind, and hands must all work together.
The heart should be filled to overflowing with wonder and beauty; the mind must learn to communicate these emotions; the hands must obediently, and under all conditions, execute the musical ideas that heart and mind command.
We must be able to imagine every tone, every phrase, the whole composition as we wish it to sound and we must be able to project the piece so that the listener receives precisely the impression we wish to create.
We must practise in order to develop flexibility, sensitivity and maximum mastery of our instrument. We practise to become competent, which in turn, if we concentrate, will make us confident.
Alfred Cortot once said, “Music is poetry. Once you have played, it’s over. You can never express the same thing twice in the same way.”
The first rule of practising is to ‘LISTEN‘ and to learn from all sources with an open, investigating mind and with the determination to make a piece ’sound right’ regardless of the means required to achieve this end.
We must think of our instruments as part of us – an extension of our equipment to express musical thought. We cannot play for an audience unless, or until, we have confidence in ourselves
Concentrate for the full length of the musical line, without interruption.
Determine the mood to be expressed and make every detail point towards it.
Find the focal point or climax of a phrase or section in order to give direction to your musical thought.
You must also, at all times, give the music direction – make it ‘go’ somewhere. A melody without direction is purposeless. Every sound must be beautiful.
Always use the imagination to help create a mood. When a musician uses their imagination, they stop playing mere notes – they make music.
“Never must your fingers stand in the way of your artistic interpretation,”
Imagine yourself as the audience
Don’t get discouraged during any part of the learning process. “The darkest hour is that before the dawn.” DONT GIVE UP!(:
How to Survive through University?
Posted by: joycelee on: April 11, 2009
Hmm… What do you think? I definitely committed some of these small tricks to get my ‘A’ in my 4 years university life. Opps! Now the cat is out of the bag, I wondered whether anyone would still fall for it. 
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