You Were There

This is the current hit song in my choir (SMU Chamber Choir).

You Were There by Libera.

I hope I’m not the only person that thinks the video is cheese sandwich. I mean, ugh. It’s like somebody just took their pictures and tinkered around with iMovie or the likes (Windows Movie Maker? Eeks).

But it IS a really beautiful song, kudos to Takatsugu Muramatsu. I just think that the song (at least in the mp3 I got) got too much enhancement, echo and stuff, that it lost some of its magic. Also, the strings. Ugh, the strings. The piano was fine, but the strings was downright “ordinary” for the amazing song.

By the way, this song is actually a soundtrack of a Japanese movie called “Dare mo mamotte kurenai” which seems to be a very interesting movie. This is the plot summary (from Eigapedia)

When the older brother of junior high school student Saori is arrested for murder she is separated from her family for her own protection. She ends up living with a police detective named Katsuura and his family. Katsuura has to get information from her without making her already-troubled mental state any worse.

Can’t seem to find the trailer with English subtitles, but I think the movie (trailer) is powerful enough without subtitles.

Intriguing, eh? I wonder where can I watch this movie…

Btw I found another video.. I believe this was the opening of the movie?

BTW, I totally have a crush on You Were There’s soloist. Hehe! His name is Tom Cully.

(something like) Spelling Bee in My English Exam

So if you guys follow me on Twitter/@sylvdoanx, you should have seen my public breakdown over my then impending grade 8 piano exam.

I know it’s not a school exam or something, but let me tell you, piano exam is much much worse than school exam. Because unlike in written exam when you can try hard to access your memory, practical piano exam is a one-off, now-or-never thing. Once you slip when doing something – that’s it. That is it. From passing with distinction to passing with merit in just one slip.

A little more technical here, one thing I hated the most (because I’m no good at it – simple, right?) was the 6th apart scale. Just for you laymen, basically you have to play a scale (something like doremifasolatido-dotilasofamiredo), but your hands/fingers start on different notes (6 steps apart). And you have to play it 4 octaves up and down (simply saying, you play it 4 times continuously).

Wait, what? So difficult?

Oh, yes, apparently. Now, I understand the importance of playing scales in order to play piano well – it’s all about balancing the power and making the lines as smooth as possible (if you don’t get this, don’t worry, not important), yet I don’t understand making it compulsory to test these freaking scales on piano exam. At the end of the day, playing these scales requires more brain-teasing work instead of paying close attention to how I play my piano correctly. It’s more like they’re trying to test my brain, or muscle memory, instead of my musicality.

As per my title, it’s just like they ask you to do a spelling bee or a tongue twister and you’ll be graded for it in your English exam. It’s not how you can use English or how you can play piano anymore!

I know, I know. Maybe I’m just bitter coz I didn’t do well on my 6th apart (and my 3rd apart) scales. Whatever. I hope the examiner is nice enough not to let me repeat this hellish grade 8 exam. Ugh.

Image by myself! Press on Deviantart

Are you what you listen?

We’ve heard a lot of cliches around this : you are what you eat, you are what you wear, you are what you do, etc etc. But are you really what you listen? And do you define what you listen by how you define yourself?

I’m pondering about this since my choir (visit SMU Chamber Choir Fan Page if you’d like to) was visited by a vocal coach from Philippines. He did technical stuff like breathing, posture, sound production that I would not go into detail else I’ll bore a lot of you out. Not that there’s a lot of you in the first place.

After all technical stuff, before he left he said that the way to improve our singing is to listen to more choral works. He then went on to recommend some people, or rather groups, to listen to. And I just couldn’t stop pondering.

You see, if you have followed my blog from the beginning, you would know that I don’t only listen to choral or classical stuff. Review my music category. I listen to some pop, some rock, some electronica, some lounge music, and every other thing as I feel like it. In fact, I think my choral music collection is like… 5% of my whole collection?

Do we really have to listen to music that defines who we are? Do they have to match?

I don’t think we should choose a music, or any interest, first then decide how we should act. If I like emo songs (I do like some), do I have to sport the over-one-eye hair cut and write sad poems? If I like rock songs, do I have to sport studs and funky hair? If I like classical songs, do I have to act all nerdy? Do I really have to fulfill all those stereotypes only because I like a type of music? And is it fair to judge a person just based on what music they listen to? (or based on their interests?)

All I’m saying – sometimes people identify a group, and then identify themselves. Isn’t this backwards? I think we should identify ourselves first and then join a group.

But then again, this is only a personal opinion. But I’ll stand true – I don’t want to listen to choral music just because I sing in a choir. I don’t want to limit my choices – there is a lot of great music of any genres out there.

What do you think? Do you think you define yourself by your music – or does your music define you?

Somewhere deep inside, we’re all musicians.

I can’t help to share this. Usually this is not my style to just post a video or a link on a go. But I just really want to post this up.

Check this out: Bobby McFerrin (ahem, I bet you know “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, right?) “hacks” your brain.

He gives 2 or 3 starting notes, and then voila! Like magic, the audience sang together with him. Confused? Not clear? Just check out the video

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Perhaps somewhere deep inside, we’re really all musicians. After all it’s one of the oldest form of entertainment isn’t it?

Thank you BoingBoing for the link. (and thank you, StumbleUpon! :P)

I’m gonna make wrinkles

…in the air.

I’m pretty sure some of my loyal readers (thank you for keep visiting my site even though I don’t update it hahaha ) will hate me now. After missing for so long (busy lah, sorry), now I’m back just to shamelessly PLUG PLUG PLUG my oncoming choir concert!!!

But actually it can’t be categorized as plugging since this blog is my own blog

Ok so here it is~

Yes darlings, I’m going to perform in a concert by SMU Chamber Choir.

Details:

Date/Time : Tuesday, 10 February 2009. 7.30 PM.
Venue : Esplanade Recital Studio
Ticket : free seating, each at $16

Yes the tickets are only at $16 and revenue from the tickets will be used to aid our fund to go to Russia! Wheeee! After Poland, now Russia!

If you want tickets, you can either contact me or email them at chamberchoir@smu.edu.sg.

What are the songs?

Ah yes, this is the question most people asked. So here’s the info. We’re going to sing songs from all over the world in so many languages. Basically, in the concert there will be small sections/themes and songs will fit that theme. We have songs from Latin America (Argentinian tango, Brazilian folk song), we also have gospel songs (in English), and we also have English and French folk songs. I shall say no more, that will be too much spoiler

So if you want to see me singing, if you want to see some cute girls/guys singing, or simply want to enjoy our musical journey, I look forward seeing you there! (please reserve a ticket first though ) 

I thank those blogger friends who are going

• Daphne Maia
• Hendri Budi
• Robert (Brokenshardz)
• Krisandro
• Nathalia (singingcoconut)
• Xiao Ling (secretss)

Jing!

Jing!

I was trying out this software called JingProject. Basically it’s a software to capture your screen. Not only image, it can also make video, capturing what you’re doing in your computer. And it’s totally free!

And here’s my first video called : How to Plurk!

Quick review:

I think it’s a great software! However the sharing option baffled me. I wanted to keep a copy of my capture in my hard disk and I also wanted to upload it into screencast.com. However, after saving a copy in my hard disk, I pressed the button to get it uploaded into screencast and it just refused to do so!

Another disadvantage is that the output file can only be in swf. Most of video sharing websites don’t support uploading swf.

So…

What do you think about Jing? Do you guys have any similar software to share?

I can haz Innov8?

This is not a pun. I WANT SAMSUNG INNOV8 RIGHT FREAKING NOW. NOW!!

Ahem.

Ok, so I was invited to the Samsung’s first blogger night (after shamelessly e-mailing Daniel from Samsung to be included. WAHAHAHA. Srsly!)

I arrived late because I had class until 7 PM. After class I hurriedly checked gothere.sg for directions hahaha!

Apparently Vivocity is quite big I spent quite some time trying to find the Samsung Flagship store.

I finally found it and quickly sat on a sofa beside Rinaz and listening to the presentation. Was quickly impressed by the specifications.

Photo courtesy of Nicole.

I mean, seriously, 8 megapixels? With smile shutter and blink shutter? I WANT. My current camera Sony DSC T70 has it, but then it will be great if my phone has it so I don’t need to bring 2 gadgets (heavy!).

And the great news is.. It uses Symbian S60! Woohoo! If there’s one thing that always makes me hesitant to “jump ship” from my current phone manufacturer, it’s the operating system. I’m so used to Symbian and I think it rocks. Plus, using Symbian means opportunity to add applications developed for Symbian. Yeay to Symbian!

So after the presentation, came the most exciting part : The Game! (and when you remember about it, you lose)

Photo courtesy of Nicole.

Anyway, we were supposed to take 3 pictures with our cameras (remember they asked us to bring camera in the invitation?) about the things that inspire us about Samsung Innov8.

The entries were then pasted together on this board..

Photo courtesy of Nadnut

Ok I forgot to take a picture of my own submission Nevertheless here it is, created by ScrapBlog. Haha. I RULZ.

And.. And…

I didn’t win. Sighness.

Anyway, it was a fun night. It has a relaxed atmosphere and I enjoyed myself. It was my first blogger event ever and well, what an event! It’s not big or extravagant and stuff but it was fun, to the point, and no fluff.

And before I sign off…

I CAN HAZ INNOV8????

If the Day is Done..

I’m currently singing this song for choir. The arrangement was composed and arranged by Vystautas Miskinis. (I apologize if I spelt that wrongly. Someone help me please).

The song was based on Rabindranath Tagore’s poem from “Gitanjali”.

The poem is very beautiful so I thought I would share this little literary gem to brighten up your day.
(translated poem found in School of Wisdom. Find more poems in “Gitanjali” in that link.)

If the day is done,

if birds sing no more,

if the wind has flagged tired,

then draw the veil of darkness thick upon me,

even as thou hast wrapt the earth with the coverlet of sleep

and tenderly closed the petals of the drooping lotus at dusk.

From the traveler,

whose sack of provisions is empty before the voyage is ended,

whose garment is torn and dust-laden,

whose strength is exhausted,

remove shame and poverty,

and renew his life like a flower under the cover of thy kindly night.

I hope my choir will learn this fast and I’ll be able to share our performance with you. It’s a very beautiful song