Practical Exam on 1 Aug 2012!

Just received the confirmation of my Grade 5 piano exams from my teacher. It will be on 1 Aug 2012 morning at Parkway Centre. That is less than 4 weeks later. Oh gosh, I feel so unprepared and nervous! And it clashes with my month end closing! Oh dear!

But luckily, it is in the morning, so I can take the morning off for the exams, and when I go back office, it would definitely be a long day! But which also means that I need to take a few days off before that, so that I have more time to practice, while my kids are in the childcare! Yet coping with the tonnes of work in office!

Although I keep saying, I am happy enough to pass, but subconsciously, I still hope to do well. Aiya, it is me lah, the want-to-be-perfectionist kind of attitude, even when I have so many things on my plate. Maybe that is why, I am always so tired. Coz I am too greedy and I want everything!

Ok, I should get on to practice more vigorously now! Hope I can do well! Good Luck to myself =P.

Distinction for my Grade 5 Theory!

Yeah! I received my certificate from my teacher today and I got a distinction for my Grade 5 Theory. Happy! But not a full marks distinction, not like my Grade 2.

So I am focusing on my Grade 5 piano practical now, which will happen in Aug. The exact date of the exams is not confirmed. And I will be having weekly lessons now to better prepare for the exams and after which, I will take a break while Nancy goes on maternity leave. Or maybe I will start on my Grade 6 to 8 theory with Carol when Nancy is on maternity leave. Let's see how I cope first.

Postpone the theory learning

I haven't had the chance to go for my first music theory lesson as I had been really very busy with my work and family. Also, Carol had also been busy. 

Since I don't think I can make it in time for the theory paper in Oct plus the fact that I want to spend more time preparing for my practical exams which is coming in Aug, I decided to postpone the music theory for the time being.

I am really finding hard to find enough time to practice my piano nowadays, especially after I return back to work 3 months plus ago. 

My weekdays are also so packed with so much work and long hours to complete my work and head home to tackle the 2 kids, unpack their schoolbags, repack their bag for the next day, wash clothes, bathe them, feed them, put them to bed. And then is bedtime for me, I would be lucky if they can sleep through the night. And the day starts again. TIRED.

And weekends are packed with buying groceries, bringing the 2 kids out "gai gai", visit my mum, do housework. And because they are in childcare, they fall sick very often, so it means bringing them to see a doctor, waking up at night when they cry coz they feel uncomfortable, cannot go to childcare when they are having fever. SUPER TIRED.


Although my husband is very hands-on and he does a lot as well, I haven't been able to find enough time to play the piano.Maybe I am not ready to give up my sleep for the piano yet. And I am the kind who needs to sleep. Else, my brain will be very slow.


Hope I can pass with Merit this Aug. I don't think distinction is within reach with my current practice effort. =P


After the practical exam, I will re-assess to see when I want to start my theory lessons and whether I should continue to learn piano or wait.


Both my hubby and my workload has increased and will increase further. We also want to spend sufficient time with our children and I am not ready to give up my sleep nor my work, it seems I will have less and less "me time". Hope I can continue to maintain a balance.

Anyway, it is late now, I am tired. Goodnight. Hope they can sleep through the night. Sweet dreams.

New Books for Music Theory

I have just started my Grade 6 Music Theory learning journey. My first lesson with Carol will on 2 May as she is tied up with her personal matters in April. I am currently going through the books and exercises which she recommended before my official first lesson. It is not her intention for me to start on my own first. I actually requested for it coz I just can’t wait to start. This is also so that I have more time to learn and enjoy the learning process while preparing for the Grade 8 Theory Paper this coming October.

The recommended books which I am currently working on are:-
1. Guidelines on Harmony for Grade 6 to 8 by Lee Fee Khoon (one book for all 3 grades)
2. Workbook on Harmony for Grade 6 to 8 by Lee Fee Khoon (one book for each grade)
3. In Preparation for the Theory Examination Grade 6 to 8 by Lee Ching Ching (purple book)

They are available from the Yamaha Bookstore at Plaza Sing, which is open after 12pm on weekdays and whole day on weekends.

So far, I enjoy reading the guidelines and working through the exercises. Some "me" time and a nice relaxation from my work and babies. =)

Grand Mercure Roxy

On Saturday, I took my theory exam at Grand Mercure Roxy.

It was not near to Sengkang and it took me about 1 hour to get there by bus. It was not feasible to take MRT either, coz there is no direct train there. Changing from NEL to Circle Line, then a bus, might take longer than taking 43 which will bring me to the doorstep. Moreover, I dare not take the chance as the train system does not seems very reliable these days. Maybe I should ask my piano teacher to choose Central area in future, instead of East. I think getting to Town area from Sengkang is faster than getting to Marine Parade area.

As expected, there were many young children and they were very cute. When I saw a lady, who look like in her 40s, I feel glad. I am not the oldest there =) I thought to myself, if I were to take higher theory grades exams in future, I would blend it better since it would be different session from the lower grades. =)

The exam was ok, I think I should be able to pass with at least a Merit. I finished the paper in less than 1 hour, checked through and there was nothing I could do, so I left the exam hall after 1 hour 15 mins. Sigh, there was one question that I really didn't know and made the wrong guess and it is the meaning of "Alla marcia". Ok, that was 2 marks. So, the damage is not that bad. =)

I don't know why, but after I sit for the paper, I felt happy. Well, I enjoyed the process. And it was stress free. I feel satisfied.

Yes, now I have a better understanding of chords, cadences. And I begin to read more on Grade 6 theory and play some Chinese pop songs, I begin to understand and appreciate the "derivation" of the chords. But Grade 6 theory is filled with rules, 'can' and 'cannot', which makes it not so interesting. =P But spending time to understand why cannot makes it interesting.

Anyway, I think I will continue to do higher theory grades, coz I think they are generally interesting and it helps me to understand and appreciate music better. But I don't plan to rush through it. I prefer to take it slowly and give myself time to internalize the theory and appreciate it.

Also, my piano teacher had registered me for the Grade 5 practical exams this August. Very excited! Time to practice and have fun! =)

Performance Directions

Notes for my reference...

• Larghissimo — very, very slow (20 bpm and below)
• Grave — slow and solemn (20–40 bpm)
• Lento — slowly (40–60 bpm)
• Largo — broadly (40–60 bpm)
• Larghetto — rather broadly (60–66 bpm)
• Adagio — slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (66–76 bpm)
• Adagietto — rather slow (70–80 bpm)
• Andante moderato — a bit slower than andante
• Andante — at a walking pace (76–108 bpm)
• Andantino – slightly faster than andante (although in some cases it can be taken to mean slightly slower than andante)
• Moderato — moderately (108–120 bpm)
• Allegretto — moderately fast (but less so than allegro)
• Allegro moderato — moderately quick (112–124 bpm)
• Allegro — fast, quickly and bright (120–168 bpm)
• Vivace — lively and fast (≈140 bpm) (quicker than allegro)
• Vivacissimo — very fast and lively
• Allegrissimo — very fast
• Presto — very fast (168–200 bpm)
• Prestissimo — extremely fast (more than 200bpm)

Grade 8 Music Theory?

This is something that I am considering. Should I proceed to continue to learn the Music Theory after my Mar exams? My piano teacher is not teaching Music Theory from Grade 6 and above. So, I will need to find another teacher to learn from if I wish to continue. And then the question is, I learn until Grade 8 for what?

The higher Music Theory Grades seems to be more on composition for different instruments in an orchestra to create harmony and identifying the composer and the period of a given piece, which seems interesting to me but very intimidating. And is not as if I will be really composing a piece for an orchestra. Would I be even able to hear my composed piece played by an orchestra? Is there a software where I can load the scores and they play it out for me to hear? Haha. It is then will I know if the piece I compose sounds horrible or not. Hahaha.

I went to check out the rates to learn the higher Music Theory. They don't come cheap. I mean, a rough estimation is about $3k+ just to learn from Grade 6 to 8. And that is provided I am "talented". If I stupid stupid, the amount might be more if I insist that I want to pass the Grade 8 exams.

Anyway, a teacher offered to teach me during my lunch time on weekdays, which means I don't need to think of ways to settle my 2 kids while I go for lessons, since they will be in the childcare from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. And she claims that she can cover Grade 6 to 8 syllabus and prepare me for the Grade 8 theory exams in 7 months, which works out to be about $1.2k in total. Should I just give it a try and see how?