Inspired by Peter Diamandis’ quote (below) and Seth Godin’s daily blogging, I’ve decided to combine the two and write down a crazy idea that I have everyday in hopes that one or some of them will 1. get developed 2. … Continue reading
Meeting up with some friends who used to blog a lot about their lives, and with them encouraging me to continue that venture, here goes!
It’ll be short and sweet. Nothing too extravagant unless I feel like it. I’m more the type of person who prefers to journal privately. But I’ll give this a decent shot.
I finally came to the great realisation that this Summer or just summers in general are EXCELLENT opportunities for me to learn new repertoire – not simply to learn and perfect, but to go through and play through the notes of many others – just so it’ll be easier to learn when the semester starts and I don’t have to begin from scratch. It’s a little late of a realisation but a good one nonetheless.
My current repertoire in progress:
Brahms Op. 118
Chopin Nocturne Op. 62 No. 1
Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
Other projects that I want to learn:
Beethoven Op. 101
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2
Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit
Some dream works:
Schumann Davidsbundlertanze
Schubert Wanderer Fantasy
Brahms Handel Variations
Chopin Barcarolle
Mozart Piano Concertos K466 and K491
We shall see…
I was watching the Oscars a few nights ago on one of my nights of binge watching and I was really inspired by Matthew McConaughey’s Acceptance Speech, saying there are 3 things in the world important to him.
Someone to look up to, People to look after, and Someone to chase after.
For him, God was who he looked up to. For him, his family and wife were the people he would look after. And to chase after..well, it was none other than himself in 10 years. And the thing is, it’s perfect because you always want to better yourself. And it’s the same for me.
I’m craving to play more Schumann, more Brahms especially his Concertos, all the Beethoven Piano Concertos, all his Sonatas, more Chopin like his Concertos. And I want to improve my technique and play exceptionally well. I want to conduct, and teach, and perform, and play chamber music. It’s a dream and I hope that by pursuing that ‘me’ in 10 years, that eventual ‘me’ will be better and better. Who knows?
May this be my motivation. I’ll keep
you in touch on how it all goes.
For now I leave you with a photo of the desserts my wonderful friends and I had at Eastwood. It’s my new little favourite place there. It’ll serve to remind me of this post and what I hope to achieve. 🙂
Early in my musical life before I discovered the wonders of Chopin, Schumann and Beethoven, I was heavily influenced by a Taiwanese pop artist by the name of Jay Chou. In hindsight, it’s almost a little embarrassing to admit this, but he was integral in forming what I understood of melody and how to make a good tune. I have to admit, despite what I may think of his music now, he knew how to make a good melody – catchy, musical and with good feeling too.Â
This is one of his songs, which I sang with one of my best friends Feng at a karaoke/hot pot restaurant during Chinese New Year. I also know that my parents love Jay Chou’s songs and this is a tribute to that too. I was going for a slight oriental feel in this piece. I hope it comes out okay!
A little while ago I had a really bad dream. I dreamed that one of my closest friends was on their deathbed.
For some reason they had gotten very ill and I was in hospital, kneeling beside them. My friend asked me to sing for her Twinkle Twinkle Little Star before she was to close her eyes forever. And I willingly obliged. I never got to finish the last repeat before she passed on.
Later on, I remember telling another friend of how she had passed away and I woke up with tears streaming down my face. I wept at the thought of the loss of my friend and at the tune that was associated with it.
Since then, there’s been a slightly more personal attachment to this tune than usual.
And so I’ve worked on two improvisations.
I’ve linked Take Two. This was especially inspired after the Andras Schiff Concert, where his Bach Goldberg Variations, Beethoven Diabelli Variations and the last movement of Beethoven Op. 111 completely changed my musical life forever. I felt suspended in space during the Op. 111. It was a spiritual experience.
Uploading an improvisation I did on a theme that I have fallen in love with (and you will probably hear much more of in the future). Was getting a little lost in my own world when renown pianist and teacher Marc Durand knocks on my door. I was in a room where he had kept some of his belongings and he wanted to access it to retrieve it. You’ll hear us chat for a bit in the audio.
I’ve decided to name this little improv by this chance encounter. enjoy 🙂
It’s not everyday you hear a Chopin Barcarolle interpretation that you never seem to get enough of. Dinu Lipatti’s recording was my childhood favourite – and this, well, it is simply exquisite.
He never takes too much time, it’s always so tasteful. And his colours are out of this world. Boy I wish he was still alive.
Chris (Ka Long) Au 