Christmas Greetings 2006

Greetings from the South! I hope this letter finds you and yours well. Christmas time is here and where did the year go. I would not want to bore you with all the things that happened this year. With that, here are the firsts and funnies for this year:
Firsts:
• Stepped foot on Europe. In March, I was the bridesmaid and florist for my sister’s wedding in Cambridge, UK. I managed to visit the Cambridge University library (now that’s a REAL research library) and spent several days in London.
• Stuck in Chicago O’Hare overnight, after so many trips, it had to happen, right?
• Have a class size of 130 for 2 sections of music appreciation and finding out I’m the teacher, pianist, custodian, dancer and singer. Also, I’m the official unofficial tech person.
• Performed in Malaysia with Mr. James Taylor, baritone. Hoping there will be a request for a piano masterclass instead of coaching school choirs next summer.
• Pertaining to football: Learned the art of scalping … which is legal for one ticket.
• Went to the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) along with 92,000 screaming fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Roll Tide! We lost though … • Dressed up in a costume and played a recital on Halloween.
• First and last: Taking a course overload in graduate school and play a recital in a semester.

Funnies:
1. “Going to the zoo with you is like walking into a giant grocery store with you.”
2. On accompanying Mr. James Taylor.Gloria: If Mr. Taylor is James Bond, and Mrs. Taylor is M, does that make me Bond Girl?
3. On a true or false question. Student: Grieg can’t be a Czech composer! You said he’s from Norway! (Promise I held a straight face while giving this test.)4. “What are you going to do with your hands at the fermata?” If you know my quirky sense of humor, you can imagine what my answer could have been.
5. I thought I had heard it all from 5 and 6 yr olds since I’ve seen about 200 every day for 18 years of my life, and stories from my mom’s kindergarten, but this:
From 6-yr-old Gabriel: I’ll buy you a husband.
Gloria: Really? How much does it cost to buy a husband?
Gabriel: Nothing, I’ll just need to put on my knight costume and go buy you one.
Gloria: What if I don’t like him? Can I rent one so I can try him out?
Gabriel: You can’t rent a husband cos you can’t return him. You’re stuck!

May your Christmas celebration and the coming year be full of His goodness and abiding presence. We can laugh and rejoice, weep and persevere because Jesus came to give us life, joy in abundance and hope for years to come. He is Emmanuel and may His light continue to shine upon you. Maranatha!

Beethoven links

Here are some links for Beethoven that have been wonderful for my Beethoven piano music survey class. Since the books about Beethoven's piano sonatas were checked out, I had to be very creative in how I came up with the scholarly resources for my presentation. I had to say I started off with Wikipedia, not that I'm proud of it but I found a gem.

The Raptus Association has information about Beethoven's pieces. The creation histories contain a section about the piano sonatas and quotes some major authors on Beethoven (Solomon, Kinderman, Cooper, Kaiser). The information is drawn from books by those authors and the page nos are given. This is absolutely fantastic as you can read all about a work without having to flip through a couple books.

The other website that is just wonderful is the Beethoven Haus website. This is the house where Beethoven was born in. Navigate the digital archives for music manuscripts, first editions and letters. It is interesting to see all these posted on the web and you don't need to go to Bonn. There is also a page about the museum and a live webcam.

Taking a year's survey of Beethoven's music has really deepened my appreciation for his music and his genius. I would love to play and listen to more of his sonatas now than ever before.

Malaysian Music Links

I've been surfing the web for resources to teach the world music course next year. I thought I should try to look for some stuff about my own country, Malaysia. I am pleasantly surprised that the Malaysian Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage has a website and included video & sound files for downloading here.

There are folk songs and folk dances of Malaysia listed here. Also video clips of puppet (wayang kulit) plays accompanied by the gamelan is available. As one would expect, the website is available in Malay and English. You should be able to click on the audio or video links from the publication page and browse the files. I haven't figured out how exactly to download from this site yet but will soon.

Happy browsing!

It's done!

Yes, my first recital is over. I should capture the moment. I feel that I did my best out there and I am happy that I played decently. I had a relaxing day and wasn't stressed .. even took a nap without setting my alarm clock. Decided to be traditional and wore black, although this time black silk & Swarovski crystals with a pearl choker.

I wasn't surprised that a note-perfect Bach wouldn't happen today. Monday was a fluke I think. The Haydn was fine, little slips here and there. I don't think I took as many chances as I should have and could be a little more playful. There was something elusive about the Haydn, and I think a friend pointed it out. I think I was lost in the detail of the piece, and didn't project the whole picture as much as I should.

I am proud of the Brahms piece. I have to say that it did rise to the occasion and I took more time rounding off phrases. The transitions were done as I expected. I was true to my interpretation of the piece to the end. The Chinese pieces were fun but I missed a whole run LOL. There was a memory slip in the last piece because there was something wrong with my fingering. Overall, I played with conviction, and managed to elicit as many different colors from the piano as possible. I count that a success!

First DMA Recital

Wow, after all the "I can't memorize", "I get really bad stage fright", "I can't do this" of my freshman year, here we are - three days to a DMA recital. I have played for people several times and have had note perfect renditions lately. It has never happened this consistently before, although it is still not every time it is happening more frequently.

I am ready, I don't think I've ever been more ready to play and play well. Not taking any prisoners this time. I have learned to tune comments and critiques out at this point. I felt that it has been beneficial and productive to just live with my pieces in the last two weeks. They are now growing with me, not against me. I want to communicate, not just play and I pray the pieces will come alive. I'm making no apologies that I am absorbed in my own world.

The recital is in three days' time and I haven't decided what to wear. I have my shoes. This is strange for me. The flowers for the stage are ready. I know how I want the piano to be placed and the lights. I am still fooling around with the acoustics in the hall. Somehow the recording sounds very choppy, so I will have to adjust some more things. The piano tech here has worked closely with me to voice the piano. It sounds so much better and much easier to control because the timbre is evened out.

So here's to more Hanon, practice recitals and delayed continuity practice all at mezzo forte. The fun continues!

T-town Debut

I played at Shelton State today as part of their Terrific Tuesday Concert Series. What a wonderful performing venue and a nice piano. I also had a great audience and there were quite a few people that were dressed up for Halloween. I showed up in my ball gown and it certainly fits the recital. I had a great time on stage although there were some memory slips, more than usual. I will have to practice a little more carefully and get a lot more sleep! For a first time and a first run-through, I am happy with what happened today. It will only get better with my actual recital two weeks away. Tomorrow I have a guinea pig audience and another next week, all in time for the big day. The flowers and guestbook are ready. Now besides formatting the program and turning that in :), "The Facets of Play" is in full swing.

Free Classical Sheet Music

I stumbled upon this website, Sheet Music Fox, a long time ago when I was at Southwestern College. My memory was jogged when another pianist mentioned it on a forum last week. I'd just like to post it here especially for those of you in Malaysia who are logging on. I live further away from campus now so I do a lot of my studying over the internet. I was looking up Beethoven's Andante Favori WoO 57 this evening and found the score there.

The site is searchable by composer and keyword I think. Also browsable by composer. The pieces are PDF files, which you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access and print. I don't think the edition of pieces posted here would be recommended study editions, because the sources are unnamed. It is best to use these to sight-read and determine whether it would be suitable before buying "trusted" editions. I know music is expensive and sometimes hard to come by in Malaysia. Of course, for bargain hunters & the cash-strapped this site is excellent.

So enjoy browsing the site. I know I will!

Teluk Intan, July 30

This is the last concert we performed. I had to make one demand that I felt like I had to. I wanted the grand to be moved from Ipoh to Teluk Intan (Anson Bay). In this process, we found out what piano movers charge here. There isn't a recommended rate and it was like dealing with cutthroats. They would keep changing their minds about the prices and it was haggling over the phone for hours.

Teluk Intan is the place where my father grew up and where my grandpa's house was. Known for its leaning clock tower, famous lotus seed caramel filled biscuits & not to mention seafood, it is about a 45 minute drive from Kampar. My brother Justin's godparents, Mr and Mrs Loh live there and they were our hosts. Mr Loh is the life of any party and he is one person that can tell a joke after another, and make them up as he goes along. I think Mr Loh met his match in Mr T. We had many good laughs at the dinner table. Hmmm dinner was .. steamed river crabs, prawns, fried eel and all with fresh sugar cane juice. Very interesting!

Mr & Mrs Loh, My Dad, Mr & Mrs T & I. All wearing traditional Malaysian batik considered formal attire in my country, except Mrs T and I in concert black. I misplaced my other gowns in Ipoh else I'd be in red!

I used to be very active with school choirs although my knowledge of choirs back then would be considered amateurish now. I still receive phone calls when I'm home asking me to go coach a choir. So this time, I had Mr. T do that with a school choir in Teluk Intan. It was fun, as I watched how excited the kiddos were and how they stayed back after school just to work with him. We offered the students a discounted admission to our recital and they showed up. After the coaching session, the "Check Engine" light came on.. ugh.. I suspected the alternator was giving out, and that was confirmed by the mechanic. So we had to make do with other transport arrangements.

Besides student tickets, the other marketing strategy for this concert was that there would be a full-course Chinese dinner prior to the recital. The guests would eat, tables cleared and then we would perform. I'm not sure whether I've mentioned this but in Chinese culture, food is very important. (Thanksgiving in the USA is nothing compared to what I get to eat!)

Our audience and the dinner tables at the City Hall.

We waited at the guest house since we skipped the dinner. Just before my dad came to get us we saw two rainbows in the sky. Although rainbows are fairly common here, we very seldom see them in Malaysia. I was reminded by God's promise and that He would be faithful to us.

My former Mathematics teacher was the master of ceremony that evening. After my solo set, he said he was glad I dropped my ambition to be a pharmacist. The audience clapped! My life would not be so interesting if I didn't become who I am. It was a little embarassing to have some of your childhood revealed at a recital. ;) Most people in the audience have seen me as a toddler, little girl & a teenager!

The recital went fairly smoothly other than the fact the air-conditioning was pretty loud and in the middle of the German lied set, there was a Muslim prayer call. We forged on and the audience loved this performance. Very seldom do classical artists make their way to this tiny little town. They gave us a standing ovation and we had to do an encore. If we kept going, they wouldn't have left. I'm glad we brought classical music especially voice and piano to the many music students who have never had the chance to hear it live. We were inundated with gifts, bouquets and mobbed for autographs.

The people that made the Teluk Intan concert a success. Many thanks!

On stage, at the close of the recital with the bouquets.

The choir members from the school from the day before.

Last autograph session and many fond memories to follow.

Ipoh, July 28

Just thought I should try and complete the summer postings:

Every year when I visit my hometown and the surrounding areas, I am struck by the beauty of the limestone hills here. This year I made very sure to take pictures around Ipoh and I will post some of them here too. Ipoh is the capital city of Perak, and about 40 mins north of Kampar. Famous for limestone hills, pomeloes and their chicken noodles, Ipoh is where I had my first job as a ballet accompanist, joined a good choir & performed in public, took piano and voice lessons, and attended classical concerts. I love this city and have enjoyed its flavor.

Pictures showing the limestone hills surrounding Ipoh.

It is nice to play a recital here and the piano for this concert was made in Ipoh. C Steinberg has a factory here and Ipoh is actually the piano capital for Malaysia. There are lots of factories here. Ticket sales were a little sluggish because there were other concerts before and after ours. We had a hall (more like a barn) that doubles as an indoor badminton court. (Tangent: Badminton is a world-class sport & Malaysia performs fairly well). It was really echoey so I didn't need to pedal too much.

I had a really good lunch on the day of the recital, went to one of the famous established local restaurants and pigged out. I don't do this in the USA. Can't afford it and there's nothing really to pig out on!

The audience was made up primarily by my home church members, Chinese church members, lots of friends from Kampar and Ipoh and a whole bunch of students. We offered student tickets and also transport to the concert venue. The concert went well and the Tamil Methodist Church hosted the concert. Their youth group did a fundraiser too by selling refreshments at the intermissions. Hence the pop cans opening during my festive Chinese "Flower Drum" piece. I didn't mind so long as the kiddos were having a good time.

Ipoh planning committee who worked really hard.

Our Ipoh audience.

Here was where the James Bond jokes were. And I pity the next group of performers now that Mr T didn't use a mike. The rest will now be compared to him whether they like it or not. At least, I have the honors of being the local girl and escaped scrutiny. :)

Tangent: Random Stuff at UA

1. It's crazy taking 2 history classes and a theory class in one semester. All that on top of a doctoral recital. I just can't keep track of what's due when.
2. Teaching the same two MUS 121 music appreciation sections. Poor kiddos had to deal with faculty changes three times in a matter of 7 days.
3. I didn't know I give killer tests until one test came back with blood on it! Dr. H at WSU would be proud and amused. Less than 10% flunked :)
4. Trying also to get the contra dance group to get off the ground and I will probably invest in dance shoes pretty soon.
5. Learning to sell football tickets and my precious junk by posting flyers. I don't think I've given out my cellphone no so randomly before.
6. There's one more piece of paperwork for me as a teacher this semester. Hopefully this increase is only one a semester.. so I'll look forward to 3 more pieces. What's the redtape all about?
7. Health insurance is paid for starting this year, so that means a pay raise of about $1000.
8. Facebook is like the official unofficial notice board. I hate it!
9. Moving is no fun but a good way to trim junk.
10. I now actually do sleep with my computer and my piano library. They're all in the bedroom... nightmarish huh?

The Malaysian Review Part II

Here are the ones about me & the Chinese etudes:
"We thought you were playing four instruments up there."
"I never thought the piano could sound like that... so many instruments."
"We've not heard pieces like that before and seen the piano treated this way."

I'm glad I accomplished what I wanted to communicate to the audience. Those were the remarks I was hoping to hear. Maybe there is a chance for the piano to be loved in Malaysia, not just played for exams.

Going to the Taiping Zoo

Now, now.. yes.. I've not been to this zoo since I was five. And for good reason too, the last time I was there, a monkey attacked me. Funny, yeah yeah!!

Sheri: Going to the zoo with you guys is like walking into a grocery store. How many things do you guys eat? (Yes, we did point at all the animals and plants that we'd eat given the chance and given a chef.)

Highlights at the zoo include:
1. Annoying a king cobra so much that it flared its hood. No one likes to be woken up rudely!
2. Being approached by a lovely deer, begging for some attention. Bright eyes and a lovely coat. This was some Bambi!
3. The sun bear showed us how well it could balance itself by pacing to and fro .. maybe about only 6" wide before it'd fall into the little moat in its enclosure.
4. Orang utans are smart animals. One of them put on a great show for us, by waving a leaf and then getting her partner to join her.

Well, after all maybe the animals found us to be just as or more amusing. Silly humans!

Malacca, July 23

We arrived in the historic city of Malacca and were hosted by Dr. Francis Yip. We found out that the sanctuary in Malacca Wesley also had pretty good acoustics. We were visiting when it was also Youth Sunday so they were in charge of the worship service as far as all the music was concerned.
Our hotel was in the historic district and it was quite an experience to walk around that area. We saw an iguana swimming in the river and I guess, it probably thinks of the vehicles that pass by as its lunch cart. There was a night market in the next street and they sold some pretty interesting items.


Performing in the sanctuary.


Dinner party and informal performance at Dr. Yip's home.



Mr. & Mrs. Taylor presented with a painting by Malaysian artist, Jehan Chan. A gift from Francis and Gillian Yip.

We had an unfortunate event in Malacca. Our borrowed Merc had a window that was smashed and a document folder was taken. However, nothing of value was stolen and we had to deal with a slight inconvenience of replacing the window. Then, on the 24th we were off to Penang Island.

Travel Tips - NO Liquids allowed!

Alright.. it was awful to travel under those restrictions as it changed a week before I was supposed to come back to the USA. I had to do some repacking and figure out how to take care of myself for that 36-hr journey.

No toothpaste allowed? Bring this instead, Listerine Pocketpacks & toothbrush.

No gel deodorants? Solids are fine, talcum does the job too.

No facial cleansers/moisturizer? Ponds or Olay Daily Facials.. they are dry. Check to make sure it's alcohol-free if you have dry skin. I actually used a plain fragrance-free, dye-free lipbalm as a moisturizer. It worked!

No liquid lipgloss, that included Blistex & Carmex jars? Solid lipgloss.

No antiseptic or anti-itch creams? I was attacked by mosquitos as you can see in my earlier posting.. I found 24-hr anti-itch insect bite patches made by Hansaplast, Germany. Thank goodness for those, I survived my journey without scratching.

For the latest travel announcements & what you can and cannot bring, check out the TSA website. Here's to air travel of the 21st century!!

Only in Malaysia

Mosquitoes on stage and in the green room. It was rather comical for everyone to watch us slap them off on stage. Repellent was just as important as music and water.

Pop cans opening during "Flower Drum" kinda added to the festivity of the piece.

An intermission that never really was.

Muslim prayer call during the concert and Mr T singing without a mic, still audible to the audience.

Can a recital end at 10:30pm and the audience still wants an encore because the night is still young.

Kuala Lumpur July 21

A Chinese full-course banquet the night before the recital. Here are some of the lovely people that worked hard behind the scene (KL recital committee members).


After the dinner, with Dr. Sylvia Coats, James & Sheridan Taylor, my elder bro James and his wife Jasmine.


Performing at Kuala Lumpur Wesley, near Petaling Street. Nice acoustics and a good place to perform. Sleepy piano as it hasn't been broken in but a lovely voice and a nice concert instrument provided by YC Music.


The autograph signing... what fun!


All of us former students of Miss Wong Chiew Yoong. My sister and bro are in the picture. Also my piano duet partner from school is present in the picture. Great Kodak moment here!


With the KL committee after the autograph signing.

The Malaysian Review ..

Woman: "Gloria, Mr. T is SOoooo handsome!"
Gloria: Yes I know but he's married & his wife is here.
Woman: "But I'm also married and it was my husband that says he looks like James Bond"

"He sings without a mic!"

"AND he is going to sing without a mic"

"Sings like an angel and looks like James Bond"

"Not as fat as Pavarotti and younger and more handsome than Pavarotti"

"Wah.. he worked so hard and sang so many pieces! Without a microphone!!"

Do these statements explain why Mr. T was mobbed after every concert?

"Buy" One Get the Other Free

My younger brother and I went out to Kuala Lumpur yesterday. We had many things to do in the city but we had never driven in there by ourselves. It is very difficult to navigate this city. We found out that road signs were not to be trusted and polite drivers are a rarity.

We checked out KL Wesley where the recital will be and the acoustics will be great for us. We also went and visited the pastor. We needled our way through Petaling Street and found roasted chestnuts for about $2 a pound. That was quite a treat!

We headed to the airport to pick up Dr. Coats. We missed the correct junction to the airport and ended up looping around the suburbs. Thankfully we didn't miss her and the wait was nice. When she came out, I saw that she had someone else with her. Dr. Paul Stewart, MTNA President was at the baggage claim area at the same time. So we had another person unexpectedly.

We managed to get Dr. Coats to Crown Plaza Hotel before traffic got crazy. Dr. Stewart wanted to try the KL Monorail and we ended up having to use the monorail to get to his hotel, the Dynasty. I was supposed to pick out my piano that afternoon but we wanted to get him settled into the hotel. Little did we know that the piano shop is about 5 blocks from his hotel. We didn't waste too much time and managed to get everything done.

Before dinner, Justin and I helped them settle all the technology questions. Almost like another orientation session. Dinner was an outdoor steamboat/grill buffet at a restaurant called Talipon (Telephone). James and Jasmine took us there. I liked what we got to try: lamb, steak, sting ray, mussels, fish, cuttlefish, different tofu, and the lot. Made dinner a hands-on, communal affair. Hopefully we didn't drag Dr. Coats and Dr. Stewart around too much, but making them stay up a little would have helped the jetlag.

(Here's a picture of the restaurant, taken by one of my classmates Yee Tong, whom I ran into there. Arthur was also there.. what a surprise!)

We sent Dr. Coats off with tissue paper and Dr. Stewart with drinking water. ;) It was lots of fun having Dr. Stewart as our freebie! Somehow I forgot my business cards today. We navigated around a traffic jam and got home at 2 am. More later..

The Countdown Begins

Here we go, it's about 6 days to the first recital. My home is so noisy that I have resorted to practicing at my physician's home. They are in the UK so I can feel free to use their piano.

I have selected my weapon for the Kuala Lumpur recital. It's easy to get imitation everything in Malaysia (imitation Guess, Prada, Gucci, Dunhill.. you name it). The grand piano I'll perform on is a Steinway copy made by Young Chang, under license from some German company. Rather funny! I am playing on an imitation Steinway.

It's been crazy trying to get the logistics of the hall and pianos. Also most of the pianos need some work before they would be up to performing standards. My piano technician has been showing me the different actions of the pianos. I have examined pins and felts, and every nook and cranny of a piano. Pretty interesting and amazing! What a contraption!

Ticket sales and publicity is going on full swing. I am not quite ready for all the attention but I guess it's coming. There may be a mini press conference sometime but I don't know when. Just want to be presentable, this shorter hairstyle needs work :)

Malaysia Recital Preparations

I have 6 more days before I leave for Malaysia. I have all the gifts and stuff for people packed and ready. Now I have to get my junk together. I have not really done recitals in Malaysia before and I dunno where to start with my packing. I'm not a procrastinator when it comes to that but this year I can't start.

Last I heard the production company was going to dress us, do the makeup and hair and such. Hmmm.. so long as they do not dye my hair, not permanent anyway... :) and I choose my own shoes! I know that a professional film crew will be there at the recital in KL. I can't decide on which formals to bring home. Well, I'm thankful I have plenty to choose from.

Can't decide whether to take original copies of my music home or not. Dunno how I'm going to carry all that plus my laptop for carry on baggage. I would not send them to cargo in case they get lost. I also really want to drag my orthopedic seat cushion back with me.

As far as Malaysia goes, the CDs are in production and the first run is 5000 copies. They are selling for RM 50 each and concert tickets are $50 each too. We are prepared to autograph CDs after each concert, and I have a stack of business cards. I am not sure what piano I'll be playing on in Kuala Lumpur, but I'll have to deal with a Petrof for Ipoh and Teluk Intan. Don't remember that piano very well. My piano tuner back home will take care of the piano and my brother is handling the logistics of the moving.

Will have to continue my thoughts in another blog. It's late and I should not be blogging when I'm in the nice practice room at UA. :) Goodnight T-town!

Survived Camp Allegro

I survived Camp Allegro for the third time. I think now that I've finally figured some things out, I don't think I'll be teaching there anytime soon. This year's activities included: scavenger hunts, treasure hunts, visiting other barns, step-tag, musical versions of red light green light and Simon says. Liked that this year, the staff & volunteers were introduced at the beginning of the camp. I sure did not hear "who's my teacher?" as much.

Of my own camp experiences, I did come to realize at this camp that we don't have a camp theme song. I remembered to put in the suggestion before I left. I feel that since Camp Allegro has been in existence for the past 4 years, it's time to start a tradition that would unify the experience for all campers and staff. I will see what they come up with.

Summer Whirlwind

This summer is going to be quite a whirlwind. Finally, I can eat, live, breath piano which I have sorely missed. There have been some setbacks with an accidental cut, tetanus shot and then inflamming a nerve because I didn't wait to fully recover from the shot.

I am going to try to record some pieces tomorrow on the piano even though my hand is not quite fully recovered. I have been in a wrist brace for the past 3 days and it has helped immensely. Will keep my fingers crossed :) although I am not a recording artist.

If all things are in place, I should be back in Kansas for a much deserved break. I look forward to teaching piano again and I miss that so much. It is good to find out that it is so much a part of me.

Coming back to Alabama end of June to maybe a few recitals here. Then I'll cross the Pacific and go home to Malaysia to perform there. This will be my first formal recital in Malaysia and I am excited. I can see that there are many of my high school friends are sitting in the planning committee. It is certainly time for resolution and reconciliation.

Lost in Translation

I attended a Korean friend's wedding last Saturday. The wedding ceremony was at a church and being somewhat familiar with Asian church weddings, I wasn't too surprised. Hmmm.. there is no PDA as expected, but they bowed to each other. That's sweet! There was no interpreter for the wedding sermon, so we were left to be amused by inflection and facial expressions of the pastor. At times, I knew it was a joke by the laughter and as infectious as it is, you laugh even though you've no idea what you're laughing at. As I'm returning for another 'performance tour' in Malaysia, this reminded me of the Keynotes & Praise Band trip in 2000 to my hometown.

Daniel Miller was to give the sermon (which he was also caught off-guard .. when you've worked with Martin Rude, you know!) and he was informed there would be a translator. Everything went smoothly as far as the worship and our singing. Then the most interesting part of the evening came. Daniel chose the Old Testament story of Gideon and the Midianites (Judges 7).

He began to preach, and Mr. Wong would translate from English to Cantonese after a few lines. As the sermon went on, the congregation would burst into laughter after Mr. Wong each time. Z and I were at first trying to be really polite, but we ended up holding our sides. The rest of team also started laughing even though they had no idea of what was being said. Daniel did ask us whether he was really translating the sermon, and he was. I don't think Daniel intended the sermon to be so entertaining.

There was one slip of tongue by Mr. Wong which brought guffaws. Instead of the saying one of the many -ites (Amorites, Amalekites, etc), he translated one of them as Gideon defeating the Indians. My Indian nanny understands Cantonese perfectly and she found that absolutely hilarious. The poor people from the Tamil Methodist Church. They weren't insulted but laughed just as much knowing it was a genuine mistake.

All in all, it was a great evening. People hanging on the window sills to watch us. Eight people accepted Christ. Wonderful cool weather, it had poured that afternoon. The next day they visited my alma mater and the kids loved us. A great Keynotes memory!

Electronic Music in China

I received this weblink today and perhaps would be of interest to 20th/21st C music fans. Traces a background of electronic and computer music in China beginning in the 1980s to current.

Electronic Music in China

The 12 Girls Band

For those of you that attended my lecture on Chinese music, here is the link to the 12 Girls album containing the version of "Reel Around the Sun". The group plays essentially Western music using Chinese traditional instruments. Check them out!

Chinese Music - Recommendations

Some books to read:
Jonathan Stock - Musical Creativity in 20th Century China
Life of Abing, the folk musician.
Richard Kraus - Pianos and Politics in China
Written by a sociologist about the turmoil during the Cultural Revolution.
Sheila Melvin & JinDong Cai - Rhapsody in Red
A colorful history of how Western Classical music became Chinese.
Liang Mingyue - Music of the Billion: An Introduction to Chinese Musical Culture
Socio-historic background, instrument descriptions, instrumental & vocal music including the Chinese opera.

Some websites:
For sound samples on Chinese instruments, visit http://www.chineseculture.net/ Enter the “Music Store”. Excellent resource for Chinese sheet music although overpriced so buy those from China Sprout!

According to Tickle ... I am a

Bernese Mountain Dog

No bones about it, you're a good-hearted, people-loving Bernese Mountain Dog. Down-to-earth and loyal, no one works or plays harder than you do. You put your nose to the grindstone when it really counts, but you never neglect your social calendar. Simultaneously strong and sweet, you're very tuned-in to the feelings and needs of the other dogs you run with. Without having to be asked, you always have a helping paw to lend and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. "Communication" is your middle name, and when that's paired with your unswerving devotion, you get a breed that everyone respects and trusts. Woof!

Aww.. I gotta say how sweet to be complimented by a computer! In case, you want to take the test too. Click here!

Teaching MUS 121 Intro to Listening .. Things I learned

1. I miss and REALLY miss teaching piano.
2. I'm glad I'm not a musicology major.
3. How come I have not heard these pieces before?
4. Why do I own so few CDs?
5. Why does the UA library have such a small video collection?
6. I am teaching study and test-taking skills more than music itself.
7. Open book tests: give at your own risk! Students don't know how to take them.
8. Attendance: I'm not their mom and I'd rather not have to take note.
9. I want to be out of class just as badly at times ... I'd rather be at home practicing or shopping!
10. What would happen if I overslept the day I'm supposed to give the final? Students would be really happy, that's for sure!
11. So many composers had syphillis, tuberculosis ... it's crazy!
12. I'm really interested in the history of jazz and popular music.
13. I don't know as much about Chinese music as I should and want to.
14. I can handle the media cart. I'm not technologically challenged.
15. Power Point can be your friend.
16. SAVE! backup. SAVE! print! and never lose your USB drive!!

A few more hats

Florist - that I didn't know
Vocal coach - yeah, I coach a 12 yr old
Seasoned traveler - I think I earned the title after being stuck in O'Hare again! Ditched my original routing, requested to be flown to Memphis, spent the night, got a free ticket for volunteering to take later flight to Memphis, had to beg a rental car company to rent me a car, drove 4 hrs to Birmingham, found out luggage missing, had to be picked up from Birmingham. Didn't recognize Tuscaloosa when I got back! Got my luggage about 3 days later.

Setting More Tests & Grade Inflation

I have given the third test in my music appreciation classes. I have in fact tested myself on whether I can prepare a test and expect the outcome.

The first test I gave was a multiple choice "killer" in which 10% would earn A, 10% would fail. Indeed the test results came back as I expected. The second test was alright, I wanted to make it easy enough that the majority would fall into the A & B category. I again succeeded. I remembered one of my undergraduate professor that allowed us to bring a 3X5" notecard with anything our handwriting would fit in. I allowed my class to do the same and found many of them do not know how to measure. Have they heard of rulers and that you can cut a 4X6" notecard to a 3X5"?

The third test was planned as a closed book but before I began the test review I chnaged my mind. As I expected, nobody had really read the assigned texts. I gracefully set it as an open book test. On the day of the test, to my horror, some of my students have no test-taking strategies. I had warned them there would not be enough time to look up the answers to every question . Of course, some tried to find them in the order they were presented and ran out of time. They did not scan the whole test paper and answer those that they knew.

Conclusion: they don't know what they are asking for! Perhaps teacher knows best right? I haven't decided what to allow for the final. I wish I wasn't buried in paper and not contributing towards grade inflation. That's for another blog another time. Beethoven class....

I Wear Many Hats

Child of God!
Daughter, and sister. Soon to be bridesmaid. :) :)
Student: University of Alabama
Teacher: Music Appreciation & private piano students
Pianist & accompanist, perhaps a performer now and then.
President & amateur dancer: UA Contradance Society
Secretary and Assistant: My Dad and Mrs Penick
Liason, Fundraiser: Between USA and Malaysia for Kampar Wesley
Event Manager-in-training: Dr. Trechak's upcoming recitals in Singapore and Malaysia leading to Tour Guide.
Christmas Elf: The Hendrixs
Driver: Elwira (until she gets her car which we are shopping for)
Alumna: Southwestern College & Wichita State University
The Answer and Homework Tutor: Atonal Theory class
Miss Have-it-all (salt, sugar, tape, scissors, chocolate etc etc): GTA office
Friend to many I hope.

Nicole, you once said life is like juggling. I didn't know I'm juggling that many right now. :)

Setting My First Test (after taking so many)

Boy, it is hard work setting tests! I spent more time preparing the test questions than the time I usually spend studying for tests. I think deciding which questions to include took sometime and then of course typing them. Since my classroom is really small for the no of students I have, there needs to be multiple versions of the test. So we have the printing and the whole nine yards to finish up tomorrow. Hopefully no one will attempt any academic misconduct, but I know about that all too well. Maybe they will remember that a pencil will be needed.

;) Let's see how things go!

Conviction or spite?

I have had an interesting experience and observation last semester. A student I accompany had decided on some interpretation of his song in a certain manner. I do not fully disagree with those choices but I really felt the motivation behind them was to be questioned.

I had a rough day during juries because the voice and piano juries were scheduled on the same day (afternoon). I must have been worried subconsciously and I clenched my teeth the whole night causing excruciating pain in one side of my jaw and face. Not to mention, one side of my body was so tensed, it hurt to walk. I played an okay jury, not my best but not my worst either. I don't really recall much of my playing as I took a good amount of painkillers.

Running low on adrenaline, my patience & self-control was really tested. I couldn't stand this student boasting about how he was going to make someone mad because of the way he was going to perform his song. I asked him, "Why are you doing that?" He told me it was to make someone mad, and I repeated my question, "You didn't answer my question, why are you doing that? What is your musical reasoning and backing?" I told him that I wouldn't perform a piece a certain way if I had no conviction musically, historically and personally. I certainly would not perform it out of spite as that is besides the point. If someone gets upset at me for performing something a certain way, I'll be glad to hear him/her out but I had no intentions of making somebody mad. I did say it is rather foolish to get involved or to be used in someone's agenda. I said to him firmly that I will not be involved in the politics of the dept and I want no part in it (perhaps he should find another accompanist).

During his jury, I was not surprised that the little slips occured where he was only doing what he was told. There is no confidence where there is no conviction. Later that evening, I went to the contradance and shared this with someone else. He mentioned that Abe Lincoln said the same thing. Never do something out of spite. This peacemaking business is hard. I hope in some ways I am peacemaking instead of rousing more trouble. I wish people would just learn to get along and to put aside petty differences.

Teaching Music Appreciation

I am now teaching instead of accompanying at the University of Alabama. The news was somewhat expected but I was relieved and overjoyed when it was confirmed. I have two sections of MUS 121 Introduction to Listening with around 130 students in each class. Many of my friends think I'll be less stressed about teaching, but my straightforward answer is no. This is a different kind of stress but it is positive.

I guess I again make the transition to be faculty-in-training from being an accompanist. I have to learn the registration system because of student requests and also I hope to learn to use the web/technology resources available to me. It is definitely going to be a learning experience in handling a lecture-style class and also with so many students.

I am glad I am a somewhat organized person and managed to get my syllabus to the copy center in time. My set of textbook and CDs did not get to me until the day before classes started. My pack rat nature landed me a previous edition of the textbook a few years ago so I am familiar with the material. I look forward to sharing music history, pieces and other tidbits to my students. I'm sure some of them are not as enthusiastic as I am about this course, but I guess they are the ones on the losing end.

Settling into a schedule will be great! I already have to cancel one class because my classroom (the recital hall) will be used for the AMEA conference. I will later have to cancel another class because I have to get to the UK. We will have to see how the first actual day of teaching goes tomorrow. :) I'm excited!

Of grace

I am at UA because God was and is gracious.
I have friends here because God is gracious.
I play the piano because God gave me grace to do so.
I perform because God gave me the grace to do so.
I study because God gave me the grace to do so.
I teach because God gave me the grace to do so.
God grant me grace to accept myself & the things I cannot change :)