Yesterday was a day of many lasts: last day at uni (ever), last 8.30 lecture (thankfully), last tutors' lunch (which I missed because of a meeting that ran overtime), last lecturer evaluation form, last terms test, last coffee with one of my best friends, last lunch in the Law School cafe... and then I remembered there was one more 'last' to come. I have an exam in a couple of weeks. But only a couple of weeks...
It's amazing how time flies. I'm graduating with one degree in December this year, with another next year, I'm starting full-time work early next year. It didn't seem that long ago I was just at high school... but it has been 5 years. And it's been a long time. And I leave the uni phase of my life with mixed feelings.
IT'S OVER!!! I can't believe I made it...
But enough reminiscing. It's going to be a great couple of weeks leading up to the exams, and it's going to be a great almost-4 months of holiday after that. I've only got the one exam, so I'm going to study slowly and relaxingly. My study buddy is really on to it despite being really busy, so I'm going to do some harder slog in the next week so that when we meet for study I have lots to contribute. After the exam, I'm going to do some work for the university for a week or so, and then it's pure holiday until my grandparents come for my graduation, and then the Christmas season will be upon us. In mid-January the grandparents are going back, and I'm going with them to see my god-cousin (son of my mother's god-sister, who is like an aunt to me), and enjoy the first week of Chinese New Year (if my calculations are right). Then back to Welly 2 days before I start work...
Joke of the week: Three girls stood in front of a mirror which would zap you and make you disappear if you said something to it which was untrue. The first girl, a brunette, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the smartest person in the world", and immediately she was zapped and disappeared. The next girl, a redhead, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the most beautiful girl in the world," and she too got zapped and disappeared. The last girl, a blonde (you knew it would be, ay?), went before the mirror and said, "I think...", and she disappeared.
Showing posts with label exams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exams. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
I Can't Be Bothered Now
I am so glad it's over. I never have to play the piano ever again (unless I have failed one component, and I hope I haven't).
Everything went OK, can't say it was fantastic, nor was it abysmal. Bach was nice, Mozart first movement a bit too fast, but not as much as in the competition, second movement bored even me to tears, but it was in time (does that compensate for anything?), third movement was OK, a few too many mistakes than I would be happy with, Chopin was OK but for the mistakes, Gershwin was great as usual.
The Viva Voce was disarmingly simple, and I think I stressed myself out about it so much that I couldn't see the wood from the trees and said some totally stupid things before calming down and saying things in sentences. The sight-reading (it's called a Quick Study- yeah right) was fine... until it came to performing it. I played it through twice reasonably well in the 5 minutes preparation time, but when the real thing came, I screwed up the rhythm in the canon in a jazz style (who ever heard of that?), and everything sort of fell to bits after that. But hopefully I did well enough to warrant a pass.
It doesn't help to wake up the next morning with a headache from the celebratory drink or few (brother: "it's called a hangover"), and then realise that I actually did know how to play that jazz bass rhythm. In fact, I had played a whole piece with that rhythm throughout it. Makes you want to find a wall and knock your head against it, except that it would hurt. Oh, and then survive on Coke the whole day so that it will corrode my insides. Just joking- Coke is just about the only substance that can keep me going when I'm knackered. "Must be holy chips or something" (Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite- the ultimate cool person's movie). Actually it's probably the caffeine and the copious quantities of sugar. Hey, that's a nice bit of alliteration there. Tehe.
Oh well, at least it's over. And I can start studying again. And perhaps clear up the war zone that is my bedroom. You don't know how relieved I am. Where's a wall when you need one?!
Everything went OK, can't say it was fantastic, nor was it abysmal. Bach was nice, Mozart first movement a bit too fast, but not as much as in the competition, second movement bored even me to tears, but it was in time (does that compensate for anything?), third movement was OK, a few too many mistakes than I would be happy with, Chopin was OK but for the mistakes, Gershwin was great as usual.
The Viva Voce was disarmingly simple, and I think I stressed myself out about it so much that I couldn't see the wood from the trees and said some totally stupid things before calming down and saying things in sentences. The sight-reading (it's called a Quick Study- yeah right) was fine... until it came to performing it. I played it through twice reasonably well in the 5 minutes preparation time, but when the real thing came, I screwed up the rhythm in the canon in a jazz style (who ever heard of that?), and everything sort of fell to bits after that. But hopefully I did well enough to warrant a pass.
It doesn't help to wake up the next morning with a headache from the celebratory drink or few (brother: "it's called a hangover"), and then realise that I actually did know how to play that jazz bass rhythm. In fact, I had played a whole piece with that rhythm throughout it. Makes you want to find a wall and knock your head against it, except that it would hurt. Oh, and then survive on Coke the whole day so that it will corrode my insides. Just joking- Coke is just about the only substance that can keep me going when I'm knackered. "Must be holy chips or something" (Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite- the ultimate cool person's movie). Actually it's probably the caffeine and the copious quantities of sugar. Hey, that's a nice bit of alliteration there. Tehe.
Oh well, at least it's over. And I can start studying again. And perhaps clear up the war zone that is my bedroom. You don't know how relieved I am. Where's a wall when you need one?!
Friday, September 14, 2007
He Loves and She Loves
I had my piano competition/festival recital today and yesterday. I played my Bach Prelude and Fugue on Friday, and the rest of my programme on Saturday (today). I hate recitals and playing in public.
The Bach Prelude was horrible. I put in rubato (variations in speed), which I had never done before, but felt I had to do because everyone else did. This resulted in an uneven, and decidedly un -serene performance. The Fugue was orright, could have had better clarity between voices, but it was rather bland and void of expression to compensate for the rather bipolar excesses of the Prelude. All the other performers played with a great deal of pedal (which I vehemently disagree with when playing Bach- thankfully at least my brain didn't tell me to put it in) and rubato, some to the other extreme from me, making it sound like a bad Romantic piece. Which the adjudicator liked. It's probably quite clear what I think. Needless to say I didn't win...
The other performance went a bit better. The Mozart first movement was played too fast, but I carried it off (it sounds better that way anyway, although I got told off (deservedly, I must confess) by my teacher for not playing within my capabilities at the time resulting in some mistakes that weren't there before. Second movement was orright, third was super, albeit with mistakes. Chopin was beautiful, also albeit with mistakes. I love the theme in the Nocturne, but it always seemed to me the contrasting B section, with its conrapuntal textures and its almost unrestrained fury, seemed a bit too contrasting. But the adjudicator liked it. And the Gershwin, he loved, and I loved. It was beautiful.
So I didn't get 1st prize. But I still got a prize, which was nice. The most important thing I got out of it was knowing that I hated public performances, and that I would never do it again. The stage fright is terrible. My hands shake noticeably, I start biting my nails, I run to the toilet several times, even though I don't need to go. When I am up there, I forget where I am, and have to stop to find my place on the score (even though, since I am playing from the score and not from memory, I should know exactly where I am), I mistime my page turns. It's horrible. I have never been a great public speaker, and I am no better as a performer. The neurotic in me comes out and it doesn't bode well for me at all. After my piano teacher's end of year concert, I will not perform in any more competitions or concerts or anything public unless there is some good reason for doing so. I hate it. I get nightmares from it.
Ugh.
The Bach Prelude was horrible. I put in rubato (variations in speed), which I had never done before, but felt I had to do because everyone else did. This resulted in an uneven, and decidedly un -serene performance. The Fugue was orright, could have had better clarity between voices, but it was rather bland and void of expression to compensate for the rather bipolar excesses of the Prelude. All the other performers played with a great deal of pedal (which I vehemently disagree with when playing Bach- thankfully at least my brain didn't tell me to put it in) and rubato, some to the other extreme from me, making it sound like a bad Romantic piece. Which the adjudicator liked. It's probably quite clear what I think. Needless to say I didn't win...
The other performance went a bit better. The Mozart first movement was played too fast, but I carried it off (it sounds better that way anyway, although I got told off (deservedly, I must confess) by my teacher for not playing within my capabilities at the time resulting in some mistakes that weren't there before. Second movement was orright, third was super, albeit with mistakes. Chopin was beautiful, also albeit with mistakes. I love the theme in the Nocturne, but it always seemed to me the contrasting B section, with its conrapuntal textures and its almost unrestrained fury, seemed a bit too contrasting. But the adjudicator liked it. And the Gershwin, he loved, and I loved. It was beautiful.
So I didn't get 1st prize. But I still got a prize, which was nice. The most important thing I got out of it was knowing that I hated public performances, and that I would never do it again. The stage fright is terrible. My hands shake noticeably, I start biting my nails, I run to the toilet several times, even though I don't need to go. When I am up there, I forget where I am, and have to stop to find my place on the score (even though, since I am playing from the score and not from memory, I should know exactly where I am), I mistime my page turns. It's horrible. I have never been a great public speaker, and I am no better as a performer. The neurotic in me comes out and it doesn't bode well for me at all. After my piano teacher's end of year concert, I will not perform in any more competitions or concerts or anything public unless there is some good reason for doing so. I hate it. I get nightmares from it.
Ugh.
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