New business plan

Being in the 'line' for two years already, how ever much I love working with children, I do not believe in pushing expectations on children since young age. Working in this position, it shows me how many parents expect children from the age of 4, be signing up for lessons, after lessons; and be expected to deliver excellence. 

I believe children learn the most out of play time. That was how I learn, how I was raised when I was young. So many examples who are grown up men and women now, proves that children learn on their own, children are self-taught geniuses, they learn by simply living, observing, watching, listening, playing masak-masak, inventing their own game. By the time you know it, they can understand and speak 3 languages just by watching the television.

Besides that, I am being annoyed by the idea of having awkward dinner with colleagues while working in any ordinary company, or profit company; the hypocrite behavior of being an adult; the idea of "we HAVE to socialize", be all smiley in front of your bos and colleagues. Doing that last night, I realize that if I will be joining the society, working in these places where there will be more awkward dinners, that is not what I want. You might say that is the reality, everyone is like that in order to survive in "adult world". But, I though to myself, is there any way, we can change that.

I had many dreams, 

"being part of an orchestra"

"to get tertiary education in music studies"

"to open a music school in the future"

to be exact,

"to open a music school, who will be also a platform for many people to spend time for their hobby in music"

"to have and be part of student societies of music"

are some of them. 

So, I though of a new plan for my future music school. Let's start with the concept. Initially, this will be a project, rather than a place, an office. The project will provide a platform for people to play music as a hobby or passion. 

In the name of "love for music", rather than "music for result", I will have students, specifically college students, as the target audience. This group is the ones who will have difficulty finding a suitable platform to continue their extra curricular programs after leaving secondary school. Before stepping into the working environment, and loosing touch with their interest, the project aims to sustain the healthy lifestyle of having a hobby to pursue, rather than only having studies or work for life.

The role of 'us', the organizer, will be, to provide a platform for that music interest, to continue, to gather, to be execute. We will be providing venue, teachers (if they don't have one), a platform to gather people from different places, according to interest or classes.

For hobby, people will be expecting free-of-charge, therefore, I am thinking of having a team of volunteers, to sustain this project, rather than the company idea. Therefore, the team will (hopefully) have like-minded and sincere people. With that, I wish to create a close team, genuine to the job, expelling the idea of "adult world".

We play music, because we love it. By targeting college students, with less restriction by parents, target audiences will be free to explore their passion, starting from cheap, or maybe experimental musical instruments. Exciting musical projects, and experience, will change the way of music courses in Malaysia, starting from this project.

Interesting!

And hey! Lately, I have been looking into Trinty Guildhall's diploma ATCL syllabus, planning to look for some pieces that I like, that I may choose for myself, to be played in the exam. This piece has interest me the first time I heard it from a CD. Now, seeking for a free score of it so that I can learn it of course. Anyone who sees this, if only anyone reads my blog, do inform, will be delighted to get my hand on this master piece.

Diploma diary

How do they do it? What's more to be done? What can I do to improve?

The last time I am like this was around Grade 6 to Grade 7. For that, I had the discipline to practice everyday, in order for me to break through my previous standard to reach a pass in Grade 7. And I wasn't perfect for that exam; if I am not mistaken, my first piece was either quite slow or I stop at the middle of the song.

After a few month of break from my regular violin lessons, I am back now with my previous teacher, preparing to take on Diploma ATCL level from Trinity Guildhall syllabus. Well, I have 6 pieces so far, for the exam, and the 'Spring' Sonata in F, op. 24 by Beethoven is nothing near easy. Besides, I'm also practicing Legende by Wieniawski; this one has a lot of double stops, which are really challenging, I can't seem to have a smooth movement with my fingers. A new and rather short pieces, Chanson Russe by Igor Stravinsky, that I'm learning now, is slightly easier compared to the other five. My teacher said this piece, is easy, yet it is in the syllabus, because they need to see the expression with this song.

As you can tell, I am completely worried with my limited ability in techniques at this advance level. Besides from technicality, my teacher is also talking about having an image playing in your head when you listen to the piece. Hearing that, I knew I have to dig deeper. Just like studying Degree in Design; by looking at images, I have to know their influence? What's the message behind it? Why the artist made it that way? I knew I have to know the meaning behind this music, the background of the composer, period and scenario when this piece was made.

Because I am not studying a proper classical diploma course, like in a college, I am not really learning any Music History, piece interpreting, I do not have access to a library packed with resource I need to interpret my exam pieces. Oh I wish I could have those. From Grade 1 til now, I have not been taught to have an interpretation for a song, unless with lyrics. For every piece that I've played, I only have feelings, simple expression, like sad, happy, intensity... Now that I'm starting to really listen for an image, I find it hard because they have no words, and most of the time, I just feel NOTHING. Most of the time, they are foreign composers, I have no idea of their country's history, what I imagine is mostly far or the opposite of their meaning.

Clearly there's a lot more room for me to learn in order to reach diploma standard. And I barely have any reliable resource or reference for that, except my teacher, Mr. Hong, and my boss, Amy. Everything on the Internet is just for the beginner or average grade standard of violin. I really do feel that I need to read books about music, since I am at this stage, to advance my understanding of music.

Anyway, I am lucky to have found violin and be a violinist, and most of all, have it for the rest of my life, as a career. Not many have that luck to find something they love, having it as a purpose or goal of our life is a blessing. It's always funny to think that, even though I'm the last in the family to be exposed to actual music education, at the end, I am the one who bites it and not planning of letting it go, EVER.

We'll see

Suddenly having the though to start blogging seriously, about classical music.
It is difficult to even make music sound nice and smooth at this level, everything is difficult. It is as if I'm listening to my Great 1 student playing violin.

Therefore, I've made a decision to read more, and I found out that the real thing (actual music education overseas) are done with more understanding and interpretation. So, I went searching info about the real education, but not much. I am curious what people are studying for undergraduate course in music, it sounds helpful. Really wish there's someone who can tell me what I need to understand about the theory part, the personal part when playing a violin.

From now on, I'll need to listen closer, understand and analyse more in one song/piece. I have downloaded a reading list from ABRSM, hope I'll carry on this fire in my heart now to keep up the momentum. I am hardly practicing violin these days.
Need more pictures here. Maybe I can draw stuff and put them here. Ha!

-We'll see, Wan Lee

17/12/2011

James Mak- he's doing good with theory, at least he's learning something. I cant remember his progress in practical. bad positioning on stickers. try observing his posture next time. need 1/2 size violin, schedule for fitting. needs to start reading notes on stave.

Nick Yoo- he seriously doesn't like violin classes. talks a lot to avoid the learning process. He managed to learned and play a little. I will not require him to do any good stuff any more. he will only play for fun. Well, I will not give up for that, he will have a good posture one day. bad bow hand, bad left hand also, bad posture. needs to familiarizing notes on stave. Focus on sight reading rather than posture.

Christopher- Still feeling stress out of his disabilities. A little bit of improvement in intonation, it's just the bow problem. If that is improve he'll be able to produce nice tone quality. Had ask him to practice 30 minutes everyday, expected to improve his patience, intonation, listening skills and posture too. Will be needing a 3/4 violin, schedule for fitting.

Amirul- finally comes back, and had pay for his lesson fees. Still maintains his good sight reading skills. Upgrade planning: register for grade 2... or grade 1 next year. Will need, scales book, exam pieces, and sight reading practice book. Should proceed in theory too.

Yong Chew Ming- The best attitude among all the junior students. Slow respond on playing a score. Will be changing to new book. Needs to start reading notes on stave, as soon as possible.

Chuah Xue Ying- Teaching her bowing techniques. Hopefully reaching grade 1 standard by next year. To revise theory intensively, (plan) taking Grade 2 theory next year.

Sao Chyi- progressing good with learning techniques. Register for grade 2 next year. arrange for fitting, violin 3/4 violin.

abcent:
Ruvisha, Yu Hang, Zhe Xin, Katelynn, Ziqi

lesson: building good posture is the first thing on the list to teach a new student!

11/11/11

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. Now, the ABRSM exam's over, the concert's over and I am carrying on with drilling my students with techniques.

ABRSM exam for

Christopher: fail

Katelynn: Pass

Xue Ying: Prep

Ruvisha: Pass

Sao Chyi: Pass

well, this time I went to my own lesson, I realize how dependent I am as a violin teacher. Not like my own teacher, he plans for his students, what's going to be taught and to be achieved in every lesson by respective students is all in his head. This is something I have to learn if I'm going to take this serious.. Well, actually I am planning to do this for the rest of my life, to teach violin for a living.

I am getting tired and lazy from designing these days; at this point of life I think I've found what I love the most- music over design. It's really miserable when you are pushing your self to do something you do not like to do; whenever I am designing, I am lazy and it's hard to get me digging in. However I have to admit, I am learning a lot out of this course. I know I won't be learning this fast and massively in any other course. I am still hanging on to design, out of the attachment to my scholarship.

Anyway, here's what I should do now, revise the progress of each student, then, plan for next lesson. This job is not easy. I need to drill them with techniques, especially Katelynn.

Christopher:

bad intonation, bad bow technique. needs to improve listening skill

Katelynn: bad attitude; I need to be firm with her, not certain on keys to click. still not successful yet in practicing vibrato, check vibrato every week. needs drilling in basic intonation and listening skill

Ruvisha: not confident in using the bow and the violin. more sight readings, improve intonation

Xue Ying: not in tune. Needs practice in intonation, try out with grade 1 syllabus.

Sao Chyi: very good. may move on to Grade 2 level. search for techniques to play on new book. check on vibrato weekly.

James: bad attitude, bad intonation, low concentration in class. Identify James's problem. Focus on theory.

Nick: rebellious now. good skills. still bad intonation but at least he tries. improve intonation and basic bowing.

Zhe Xin: slow reaction, can't play a complete, non-pause song. use metronum and claps, then proceed to violin.

Yu Hang: ignoren. slow reaction, can't play a non-pause song. encourage playing with CD.

Ziqi: good technique, actually by far the best among all. Carry on with Grade 2 syllabus.

ps: from now on, spare 10 minutes for theory. Theory as in beginner, grade 1, and grade 2 only.

9/7/2011

James- absent

Ruvisha- haven't receive her recording from me. Her standard now, adequate. Pieces, checked. Scales, so so lo. Sight reading, not a clue... must pay attention on this section for the last few days

Nick- learns to read notes even with bow. progressing.

Tong Zhe Xin- not much of a progress. still on beginner mood. teaching straight bowing and bow hand's control, starting to understand.

Damia- taught her straight bowing today. also to differentiate, and control her bow hand's strength. Robot and a girl singing. promised her: 1 week theory, 1 week violin.

Amirul- progressing well. checking if he can be in grade 2 now.

amirul:

can read notes

know straight bowing (teaching)

good in sight reading

knows GDAE

knows slur

good sense of music, able to play in duo

coming up:

shifting him to Grade 1

scales of grade 1, grade 2

to play grade 1 exam pieces

complete grade 1 theory

Christopher: not confident at all. pieces: so so. sight reading: haven't touch at all. scales: C, F, A, G, Bflat, A, D, G minor, on the way. internal war now. so worried for his performance in the exam.

Xue Ying: luckily it's prep test. everything is so so. she can't remember all 3 the pieces.

Katelynn: doing good, looking good. sight reading, pieces, scales: all confident.

Chew Ming: did theory today. he did not understand what was taught before, causing him to not know what's going on today. I forced him to recognize and memorize symbols.

Ziqi: practicing straight bowing. not good at sight reading: in training now.

to do:

urgent: plan weeks to come to counter the exam

later: arrange concert piece