Today, I attended the Sunway University Open Day. It was my first time at a university for an open day. I hitched a ride with Hui Yan along with Jun Ren after our class photo taking session at school. It was an enlightening experience. Recently, I was interested in taking up actuarial science so I had some research to do and what pathways that Sunway Uni offered. When Hui Yan, Jun Ren and I reach the entrance of the new building. We were greeted by student ambassadors that lead Jun Ren to the talks and workshop regarding his interests while Hui Yan and I got to talk to a counsellor about ACCA and ICAEW.
I attended the jobs in financial services talk which started at 11 in the morning with Hui Yan, Kai Ning (even though she was not interested), Hao Zhe and Jia Yong. Jia Yinn also showed up with her parents. I found the idea of taking the course and job prospects interesting but I still have my doubts about selling my soul to actuarial science.
After that talk, Kai Ning went for her science talk about neuroscience and bio med while the rest of us took a campus tour. We went to the IT labs and took a career personality test which determined our interests. I found out I may be more interested in Arts than any other thing. Sometimes I wonder whether I seem like a artsy creative student. I still had the heart to be take up graphic design. Next, we visited the physics labs and explored the animal exhibition. We saw Ariff there and his pet iguana. We saw the different types of snake, geckos, hamsters, an adorable rabbit and a green frog that jumped onto Kai Ning's leg.
Then we got on our way to visit the art labs as I was interested. The rest of them tagged along and we pretty interested in the building models made by the interior design students. Sadly, we missed the talk at 1pm and grabbed a little bit of lunch before we parted our ways. We rushed off to the 2pm talks as we were already late. At first, I wanted to attend the ACCA and ICAEW talk but that little voice in my heart whispered to me and managed to convince me to attend the other talk. I made a rash decision and made my way to the communications talk without realising it was for mass comm and other forms of communication.
I was so embarrassed when I picked up my things and left the talk after a good 10 minutes. I ran back to the Sunway college building for the think differently art and design workshop. I missed pretty much the first half of the workshop. All I can remember was the speaker talking about how parents think there is no market in the artistic industry. Then he told us to design a logo of our future business. All I could think of was that logo I did two years ago for Art Class. It was the logo of a tea cup made of "C"s of different shapes and sizes in multiple orientations. The design was an improved version of the previous one. I knew it was a logo where minimal colours were to be used. Simple and interesting but still told a message.
I thought the girl who thought of the sheer black "Mash" fashion store logo would win the small challenge. Surprisingly, I did. I laughed at myself in my head. Fate really brings nice surprises sometimes. I won a Sunway art and design department t-shirt. Gladly they had an S size which I could fit into. I was proud of myself but I did not really learn much other than learning from the other participants there.
I got to know Hui Ting. She is from Subang Utama and I met some of the girls from that school earlier this year during the INTI Science Quiz. She was a nice girl. She also left the communications talk and made her way to this one. I walked back to the new building. I found my mother talking to Jun Ren. Then the rest of them found us and they went off on their own. I stayed with mother and we managed to see counsellors for the Foundation in Arts for Pre-University studies. We also got the chance to speak to the head of the art department, Mr. Augustine Wong. It was nice to speak to a professional about it.
Today was a great experience but I still have not gotten to the decision of the lifetime. No matter what decision is I shall make the best of it. With passion, you can excel in what you love.
Saturday, 27 June 2015
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Catholic High Choir Exchange
Last week, this week, next week and one month after that! Choir events here and there have filled up my schedule. Yesterday, the participating choir members gathered in the school canteen at 8 in the morning. I chewed on some freshly prepared kaya and margarine bread as I walked to school. The cars on the roads scarce. Barely a soul seen on the roads. Inside school grounds, it was a different story. A whole group of the purple clothed choir kids were in the canteen. Mickeymitez had already began their practice and the basketball team had began perspiring under the warm morning sun.
We made our way to the hall for a short practice before we boarded the bus and departed for Catholic High. When we reached, we were greeted by two ushers near the gate that lead us to their Dewan Kuliah. We were pleasantly welcomed by a group of students from Catholic High choir. It was quite a nice surprise. There was a red carpet and confetti poppers too. When we entered the hall, the two others BUD4 and Bukit Bintang were already there. The rest of Catholic High was waiting for us inside the hall.
The event started with grabbing a partner. I partnered up with my old primary school friend Pei Lin! It was a long time since we saw each other. I enjoyed the few hours we were able to talk and share our experiences. She is in a youth chamber choir called Singaholics. I am guessing they are the Subang Jaya Chamber Choir as they are under Young Choral Academy too. We played a few games then proceded to the sectionals. We separated to our respective rooms. After that was combined practice which was followed by the school tour.
I enjoyed the school tour because we got to see interesting places like the Harmonica and Guitar Band room. It was a room which was at the back of the hall and has a ladder leading up no the ceiling. We had a short performance from one of the band members. I also made a few friends. We made it back for the prize-giving, performances and combined song. Then we took a mountain pile of photos with the Catholic High Choir peeps.
In conclusion, the whole trip was very enjoyable. Even though there were some inconveniences, it was still a good experience. This was an event held by the students for the students. We had fun and everyone went home all smiles. We grabbed our lunch and piled back into the bus to go back to school. It was a great morning well spent singing with people who love music as much as I do.
We made our way to the hall for a short practice before we boarded the bus and departed for Catholic High. When we reached, we were greeted by two ushers near the gate that lead us to their Dewan Kuliah. We were pleasantly welcomed by a group of students from Catholic High choir. It was quite a nice surprise. There was a red carpet and confetti poppers too. When we entered the hall, the two others BUD4 and Bukit Bintang were already there. The rest of Catholic High was waiting for us inside the hall.
The event started with grabbing a partner. I partnered up with my old primary school friend Pei Lin! It was a long time since we saw each other. I enjoyed the few hours we were able to talk and share our experiences. She is in a youth chamber choir called Singaholics. I am guessing they are the Subang Jaya Chamber Choir as they are under Young Choral Academy too. We played a few games then proceded to the sectionals. We separated to our respective rooms. After that was combined practice which was followed by the school tour.
I enjoyed the school tour because we got to see interesting places like the Harmonica and Guitar Band room. It was a room which was at the back of the hall and has a ladder leading up no the ceiling. We had a short performance from one of the band members. I also made a few friends. We made it back for the prize-giving, performances and combined song. Then we took a mountain pile of photos with the Catholic High Choir peeps.
In conclusion, the whole trip was very enjoyable. Even though there were some inconveniences, it was still a good experience. This was an event held by the students for the students. We had fun and everyone went home all smiles. We grabbed our lunch and piled back into the bus to go back to school. It was a great morning well spent singing with people who love music as much as I do.
Sunday, 14 June 2015
13th Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod 2015
An eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance. For 13 years and running, Young Choral Academy has organized a choral eisteddfod in various parts of Malaysia. The event has an impressive history which consists of different festival lengths, different symposiums for children and youth choirs and many outstanding tutors and guest conductors that come from all over the world. This year, the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod(MCE) Youth Symposium was held at Sri Kuala Lumpur, Selangor on the 13th and 14th of June. It was a great way to end the mid year holidays with a bang.
The guest conductor this year was Timothy Cloeter, Associate Professor of Choral Conducting at Bowling Green University, Ohio, USA. He is a sensational conductor! He taught us about the hidden meanings of the songs we sang which are "If Music Be the Food of Love" and "Carry Your Heart with Me". I am speechless to how patient and interesting a conductor he can be. Even his warm ups were delightful. He taught us to use our hands during warm ups to help with our pitching and flow of notes. He also enlightened us about the nine notes scale. It can also be sang in canon.
We first learned the song within our parts during sectionals with the tutors on the first day. Then we had a combined session with Mr. Cloeter. It was very enjoyable to be able to work with him. He taught us countless things like manipulating tempo and volume to intensify a song. He made us stick to the markings on the score pretty strictly but also conducted in a free manner with an open heart and full of expression. He never once made us feel incompetent during the combined sessions.
After that, it was lunch! The meal every participant must have been waiting for. Everyone queued up in a long line for our chicken rice, roasted chicken, stir-fried bean sprouts, popiah and soup. It made up a very palatable meal after those few long hours of hard work. After lunch, we were then separated for the masterclass with the respective tutors. We got paired up with Tenby International School, Ipoh and our tutor was Miss Liu / Liew (it sounds something like that). She turns out to be Miss Tracy's best friend. She advised us and gave really good pointers after we sang "Let the River Run. I met some really nice people from Tenby like Emily, Nicole and Wan Wei.
Next was the second combined session we had with Mr. Cloeter. He then worked on the specific rests he wanted us to focus on and utilized the parts with rallentendo(slowing down) in the songs. He also taught us the ending part of Loch Lomond. It was very fun. The guys and altos made up this bouncy tune while sopranos chirped the catchy melody of Loch Lomond. The announcements for tomorrow's closing concert was given and we gaily left the school.
The next morning was concert day! When we reached the school, everyone assembled in the hall and Mr. Cloeter conducted our warm ups once more. Then we were arranged on the stage and floor according to our voice parts. It was a packed stage with over 300 choristers crowding together. Shu Xie and I were trapped behind two rows of sopranos with our back to the piano. It was not the most comfortable position we could be in. During performance it was worse! We were packed like sardines and we felt highly ill at ease in that position. I, for one, have slight claustrophobia and it was horrendous to be squashed there.
The concert was amazing and I revel in the euphonious music we heard. The Sam Tet boys really knew how to put on a show. Their rendition of a Pentatonix song was stupendous. I was particularly fond of the songs that USJ 13 and Seafield sang. SMK Seafield's conductor, Gaya(that is what I call her) sang a solo with the choir supporting her. Their performance of an arrangement of "Hey, Soul Sister"(if not mistaken) and that solo was mellifluous. The concert ended with our combined songs and awarding of certificates. It was one of the most enjoyable festivals I have been to. I will never forget this year's MCE.
The guest conductor this year was Timothy Cloeter, Associate Professor of Choral Conducting at Bowling Green University, Ohio, USA. He is a sensational conductor! He taught us about the hidden meanings of the songs we sang which are "If Music Be the Food of Love" and "Carry Your Heart with Me". I am speechless to how patient and interesting a conductor he can be. Even his warm ups were delightful. He taught us to use our hands during warm ups to help with our pitching and flow of notes. He also enlightened us about the nine notes scale. It can also be sang in canon.
We first learned the song within our parts during sectionals with the tutors on the first day. Then we had a combined session with Mr. Cloeter. It was very enjoyable to be able to work with him. He taught us countless things like manipulating tempo and volume to intensify a song. He made us stick to the markings on the score pretty strictly but also conducted in a free manner with an open heart and full of expression. He never once made us feel incompetent during the combined sessions.
After that, it was lunch! The meal every participant must have been waiting for. Everyone queued up in a long line for our chicken rice, roasted chicken, stir-fried bean sprouts, popiah and soup. It made up a very palatable meal after those few long hours of hard work. After lunch, we were then separated for the masterclass with the respective tutors. We got paired up with Tenby International School, Ipoh and our tutor was Miss Liu / Liew (it sounds something like that). She turns out to be Miss Tracy's best friend. She advised us and gave really good pointers after we sang "Let the River Run. I met some really nice people from Tenby like Emily, Nicole and Wan Wei.
Next was the second combined session we had with Mr. Cloeter. He then worked on the specific rests he wanted us to focus on and utilized the parts with rallentendo(slowing down) in the songs. He also taught us the ending part of Loch Lomond. It was very fun. The guys and altos made up this bouncy tune while sopranos chirped the catchy melody of Loch Lomond. The announcements for tomorrow's closing concert was given and we gaily left the school.
The next morning was concert day! When we reached the school, everyone assembled in the hall and Mr. Cloeter conducted our warm ups once more. Then we were arranged on the stage and floor according to our voice parts. It was a packed stage with over 300 choristers crowding together. Shu Xie and I were trapped behind two rows of sopranos with our back to the piano. It was not the most comfortable position we could be in. During performance it was worse! We were packed like sardines and we felt highly ill at ease in that position. I, for one, have slight claustrophobia and it was horrendous to be squashed there.
The concert was amazing and I revel in the euphonious music we heard. The Sam Tet boys really knew how to put on a show. Their rendition of a Pentatonix song was stupendous. I was particularly fond of the songs that USJ 13 and Seafield sang. SMK Seafield's conductor, Gaya(that is what I call her) sang a solo with the choir supporting her. Their performance of an arrangement of "Hey, Soul Sister"(if not mistaken) and that solo was mellifluous. The concert ended with our combined songs and awarding of certificates. It was one of the most enjoyable festivals I have been to. I will never forget this year's MCE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
