So my problem of finding a voice teacher has been resolved. That music school called me up and asked if I would like to go under the teacher who replaced my former teacher. Returning students have their registration fees waived, as well as a discount for the first month.
The best thing is that she is able to cater to my timing perfectly. So I will be starting in May, since she needs to complete some of her classes first. Sometimes it is amazing how everything works out all by themselves.
My colleagues and I have been attending a crash course on drumming. We had to play the big round Chinese drums for the performance at my company’s dinner this Saturday, so we had to stay back on Wednesday, Thursday (earlier on just now) and Friday (later on today) to practice.
You really need to get the rhythm and beat right while playing drums, and everyone has to syncopate together, otherwise the whole sequence will be very messy. I never knew just how heavy drum sticks are! (And no, I am not referring to the chicken thigh here.)
But it is good fun, and good exercise for my upper arms. Hopefully my arms will get more toned after these few sessions. There is even a technique for making the drum go loud and soft. Beat the middle of the drum for loud and heavy sounds, and the other sides for softer sounds. I can still hear my ears drumming away!
My HR department is really nice. This dinner is a very big affair since we will be expecting foreign guests, so a professional drummer was called in to train us, then on the day itself, we will be provided with the costume top, and there will be makeup artists to do our hair and makeup. I was even given a big Benetton bag just for participating in the performance!
It seemed even better than my own choral performance, since I had to do my own makeup and hair even when we were performing at the Esplanade, and provide our own costumes for some of the performances, since the makeup artists were only exclusively for the main stars.
Talking about classes, my Salsa class has been postponed (yet again!) to April, because there are just too many on the waiting list. The studio better put me in the April class, since the class is about six weeks, because after that there will be a month of intensive rehearsals before the major performance in July, so I will not be able to do a lot of other things during that time.
I am also enjoying my studies more and more. I do not know whether it is because I am doing something I do not mind, or that I am older and probably more receptive to things. When my eldest cousin went to further her studies abroad after working for ten years, it was a tough struggle for her as her memory was not as good as those younger.
However, due to her working experience, she was able to see things from another angle and able to grasp concepts far better than those younger. Needless to say, she did very well for her course.
My mum did tell me before that it would be a better idea to experience the working life before one goes back to study, as there are things which we are exposed to in the working world that will enable us to learn and grow, and after that, studying becomes just a breeze, where in the past we may find it a struggle to even do well.
Perhaps that fact is true. I know of people who graduated with only average grades, but when they started on a second degree or post-graduate studies, they emerged as top students. Either they finally know what they want to do, or perhaps working really made them more sensible.
My mum used to tell me that the modern generation has it too easy when it comes to schooling. Even in university, lecturers provide lecture notes and tutorial handouts. Now for my course, those who missed lectures or tutorials need not even fret as all the comprehensive notes will be put up on the intranet to be downloaded, so they do not lose out at all.
When my mum was taking her Masters a few years back, she was surprised that the lecturer even provides notes. When my parents were in university, they had to copy all the notes while the lecturer just rattled on. Being non-English educated, they had to try to follow what the lecturer said.
It was a lot of self-studying and they had to go to the library and write down all the points in the reference books, since they could not even afford to photocopy. This probably explains why my mum could not understand that with all the spoon-feeding and all the photocopying of reference books, why we still could not do well.
But uploading of notes onto the intranet is a good idea. Students can just go in and download the notes at their own leisure, and they could read through them before going for classes.
Definitely much better than having long queues outside the photocopying room just to wait to collect the notes for the whole class, where sometimes one has to put up with the attitude of the photocopying lady when she was asked to hurry a little as people were running late for class.
P.S. Just realised today is my second ex's birthday. Shall I or shall I not message him a greeting?
The best thing is that she is able to cater to my timing perfectly. So I will be starting in May, since she needs to complete some of her classes first. Sometimes it is amazing how everything works out all by themselves.
My colleagues and I have been attending a crash course on drumming. We had to play the big round Chinese drums for the performance at my company’s dinner this Saturday, so we had to stay back on Wednesday, Thursday (earlier on just now) and Friday (later on today) to practice.
You really need to get the rhythm and beat right while playing drums, and everyone has to syncopate together, otherwise the whole sequence will be very messy. I never knew just how heavy drum sticks are! (And no, I am not referring to the chicken thigh here.)
But it is good fun, and good exercise for my upper arms. Hopefully my arms will get more toned after these few sessions. There is even a technique for making the drum go loud and soft. Beat the middle of the drum for loud and heavy sounds, and the other sides for softer sounds. I can still hear my ears drumming away!
My HR department is really nice. This dinner is a very big affair since we will be expecting foreign guests, so a professional drummer was called in to train us, then on the day itself, we will be provided with the costume top, and there will be makeup artists to do our hair and makeup. I was even given a big Benetton bag just for participating in the performance!
It seemed even better than my own choral performance, since I had to do my own makeup and hair even when we were performing at the Esplanade, and provide our own costumes for some of the performances, since the makeup artists were only exclusively for the main stars.
Talking about classes, my Salsa class has been postponed (yet again!) to April, because there are just too many on the waiting list. The studio better put me in the April class, since the class is about six weeks, because after that there will be a month of intensive rehearsals before the major performance in July, so I will not be able to do a lot of other things during that time.
I am also enjoying my studies more and more. I do not know whether it is because I am doing something I do not mind, or that I am older and probably more receptive to things. When my eldest cousin went to further her studies abroad after working for ten years, it was a tough struggle for her as her memory was not as good as those younger.
However, due to her working experience, she was able to see things from another angle and able to grasp concepts far better than those younger. Needless to say, she did very well for her course.
My mum did tell me before that it would be a better idea to experience the working life before one goes back to study, as there are things which we are exposed to in the working world that will enable us to learn and grow, and after that, studying becomes just a breeze, where in the past we may find it a struggle to even do well.
Perhaps that fact is true. I know of people who graduated with only average grades, but when they started on a second degree or post-graduate studies, they emerged as top students. Either they finally know what they want to do, or perhaps working really made them more sensible.
My mum used to tell me that the modern generation has it too easy when it comes to schooling. Even in university, lecturers provide lecture notes and tutorial handouts. Now for my course, those who missed lectures or tutorials need not even fret as all the comprehensive notes will be put up on the intranet to be downloaded, so they do not lose out at all.
When my mum was taking her Masters a few years back, she was surprised that the lecturer even provides notes. When my parents were in university, they had to copy all the notes while the lecturer just rattled on. Being non-English educated, they had to try to follow what the lecturer said.
It was a lot of self-studying and they had to go to the library and write down all the points in the reference books, since they could not even afford to photocopy. This probably explains why my mum could not understand that with all the spoon-feeding and all the photocopying of reference books, why we still could not do well.
But uploading of notes onto the intranet is a good idea. Students can just go in and download the notes at their own leisure, and they could read through them before going for classes.
Definitely much better than having long queues outside the photocopying room just to wait to collect the notes for the whole class, where sometimes one has to put up with the attitude of the photocopying lady when she was asked to hurry a little as people were running late for class.
P.S. Just realised today is my second ex's birthday. Shall I or shall I not message him a greeting?
3 comments:
I thought they put you to play a drumset.
Anyway, I was a "percussionist" for chinese orchestra, so I know some sticks myself :P
Really? So I presume you played the big drum?
A bit of everything actually.
From the biggest drums to the smallest bells...
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