Exams had been manageable for me, though I realised that if you keep yourself up with the pace of the lectures, prepare for lectures and tutorials, it will definitely help in your revision. It's always good to start revising early. I thought I started the semester well, with regular revision and read up on lectures, but somehow loses steam towards the end of the semester, when the assignments come in. Fortunately for me, I had one week break between the 2 'big' papers (and therefore able to catch up on the 2nd 'big' paper- psychology.
Practical exam went well I guess. I was quite happy with the technical exam although made some slips, but i think it doesnt affect the entire performance. This exam, I would say is one of my best performance after many years under exam situation. For the first time, I could play a piece labelled "Presto" in an etude continuously without breaking down and major slips. Caroline gives good advice indeed.
There are some important lessons learnt while preparing for this technical exams (prior to the exam itself):
1) if you have wobbly fingers (during the warm up before exam), dont panic. Do a slow practice, accenting each notes accurately. Warm up isnt the time to get panicky. For fast repertoire, do ultra slow practice. I would like to highlight the word 'ultra', as our heartbeats will beat faster during exams. Psychologically, we might think we are playing at the normal speed we usually practice during exams, but in fact, we usually speed up. Hence, the necessity to practice slowly before the exams.
2) Exam warm ups should be meant to get your heart beats in place, keep calm, curb any wobbly fingers caused by nervousness (not due to technical problems).
3) Doing it with accents is good because, it helps to regain the strength needed to play the actual exam piano (some piano keys are harder than the one you do warm up on) and so by accenting on the warm up piano, we will ensure that our fingers are also accustomed to the exam piano (if the exam piano is a hard one)
Celebrate the end of exams with an emotional farewell dinner for Siew Li and Miranda with the rest of my BMus course mates. Although I just got to know them for half a year, but I guess, friendships will always stay, especially in university. THe more you need to treasure the people around you. Both of them are discontinuing their course next year.
And of course, celebrated the end of Semester with COSDU's graduation mass, celebrated by Fr Robin and went to a pub for dinner. It's sad that many people are graduating and many ppl are flying back to their respective home country so soon, compared to mine. :(
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So what are my plans this week:
Main thing to do: Clean up my apartment and do some packing, and daily practising of piano, will aim to complete learning the notes of 3rd movement of Mozart's Sonata in A minor and shaping up of Ginastera 1st Dance from Danzas Argentinas.
Monday: Lunch with Richard Liman
Tues: Watch the year 4 recitals. I think it's a good way to kill time.
Wed: Nothing planned at the moment
Thurs: Mass in School, choir practice
Friday: Nothing planned at the moment, May go for St Francis for novena and mass and do some shopping at Vic market.
Sat: Nothing planned.
Sunday: Mass at St Francis.
Help! I am so bored!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, the Holy Trinity Children's Choir have been invited to sing with the Seraphim Choir on 13 and 14 December. Tickets are sold at $2, and all proceeds will be used to raise funds for Church of Divine Mercy.
I am asked to conduct the children's choir for this concert for their 2 individual items as Denise will be away, so in a way, it will be my first agenda when I arrived in Singapore.
No comments:
Post a Comment