Dental Esp.2

Ok, went to dental yesterday for tooth fillings, and now today for band & bond. Just got braces, it feels like my teeth are coming out...but i dun feel any pain, for now...The dentist teach me how to brush my teeth in a whole new way and it is more troublesome!! Gonna carry that metal thing around for 2 yrs...Feels quite heavy but will get used to it. Now i shouldnt eat out coz i have to brush my teeth after every meal as food particles get stuck in it.

School is about to start and i havent get my textbook yet. The stupid KUANKO is teaching us again for maths. That joker better teach for decently this sem or else i sure put VERY BAD for the feedback form. My timetable now is so packed! They squeezed everything into 4 days and give me a free tuesday(which i dont mind..hehehe).

Beethoven Night

Just finish a concert tonight...Not too bad but managed alot of wrong notes and wrong bowings...No choice but to smoke thru. Hope they dun see me(hehe), anyway we played Fidelio Overture, Piano concerto no.3 and Symphony no.7. I think it is not bad for my first performace with braddell heights symphony orchestra! I especially like the last movt of the symphony no.7! Although my teacher thinks it is an amateur orchestra, i think it is about semi-pro standard coz there are alot of ppl that really can play well in there! I think i am one of the lousist(is there such word?) in there. Really looking forward to play there again!!

Well, hows my teeth doing? I say it hurts quite badly coz i cant chew!!! The rubber band inside(spacers) is pushing my teeth apart and it must have done its job pretty well. Looks like more soft diet for a few more days. I wonder how will i look after i have my braces...

Dental Esp.1

This Morning, i woke up feeling anxious about my teeth. It is an appointment with the dental surgeon! I know that i am gonna have 4 teeth pulled out(who is not scared of pulling their teeth out raise their hands!!!!), anyway the anticipation of extracting is worst that the procedure itself. I can remember that part where i choked several times on the numbing needle b4 i managed to start breathing from my nose. I feel that the numbing needle itself i more painful than the extraction, coz they used like 8 injections, causing whole mouth to feel sore and numb. 3 came out smoothly, where the last one feels slightly more painful coz of the curve root, but i must say it is not as pain as one expect it to be. They also put the spacer band in between my molars which feels quite awful now as i am writing this blog(Aww..) even though i took the painful already.

Pray hard not to develop dry socket, shaojun is returning from europe to singapore today. He bought a 4k italian violin, so i am gonna test it out!!Hahaha, see mine or his is better. Wonder how long this pain will last, feel tired now...

Band/Orchestra Audition Tips

1.The auditioners are probably a little too stuck on themselves to start with. It's best to put them in their place as soon as you walk into the room. Tell them that their clothes don't match or something. Do this with a disdainful look on your face. Intimidation is an important ally.

2.The auditioner has probably heard the required piece a couple dozen times by the time you walk in. You'd better do something to stand out. Tweak out the tempo...way too fast or too slow. Play the dynamics the opposite of what they are marked. Remember, the trick is to get them to remember you.

3.It's always a good idea to suck up a little. Get inside the auditioner's head. Find out what it is they want to hear, then give it to them. Every time they point at a marking and ask what it means, look at them intensely and ask, "What do YOU think it means?"

4.Never...NEVER admit defeat. If they criticize the way you play something, just snort and reply that your playing is a result of YOUR interpretation, and that they should not try to trample your creative flow. They will respect this.

5.Auditioners want to know that you can work under pressure. Make it seem like you came in after having the worst experience of your life. Wear torn, dirty clothing, hair messed. Wear an old, cracked pair of glasses if you have them. A couple of fake wounds will make it look like you just survived a street rumble. Any person who can audition after THAT deserves a spot in the orchestra.

6.Let them know your credentials. Make them up if you have to. Constantly mention who you teacher is, and how much more knowledgeable they are than the auditioner. This coincides with the intimidation element mentioned earlier.

7.Convince the auditioner of your vast knowledge and expertise with the standard repertoire. You may want to ignore the audition piece altogether and walk in with a completely different work, claiming that the audition excerpt was an inferior selection, and an insult to your abilities. Quickly follow this up with, "Oh...I'm sorry, did YOU pick this?"

8.String players should file their highest string down so that it will most likely break during the audition, forcing you to finish the event on the remaining three. This is a grand spectacle. It worked for Paganini.

9.In some cultures, the sharing of bodily fluids is a high complement and a gesture of respect. Brass players should empty their spit valves in the direction of, if not directly on, the auditioner, just to be safe.

10.Reed players should show the proper emphasis on reed selection and care. Buy 2 to 3 boxes of reeds, and prepare each one. Don't let the audition start until you've tried each one and found the most responsive. Another good way to show your sensitivity to reed condition is to change reeds every two minutes or so, claiming that each one has "lost its will to play," or "hmmm...the humidity in here must have dropped." Check them against the light; balance them on your finger. You can't be too picky.

11.Percussionists: show them you're a real man (even if you're female). Play everything with traditional grip on thick marching sticks...even the timpani, mallets and chimes.

12.Many auditions have gone south due to under-rested performers. Understandably, many people have trouble sleeping the night before a big audition. If this happens, a few cups of espresso should keep you wide-eyed and alert.

13.If you over-do suggestion #12, a good dose of muscle relaxants should even things out.

Jamming

Ahh...melodies of life, who will deny this piece of great work by nobuo uematsu? I went 2 days straight just to arrange this piece for violin, piano, guitar and clarinet. Well, the end result was not too bad but since like some parts are overkill coz it is quite hard to play. Violin has to reach insane position, some tremolo while piano has to play many many chords, so on...but we managed to play this piece nevertheless. Not too bad and not too good i would say(standard comment...). Wonder when i will be able to play together again; my violin fingerboard has some cracks(arggg!!) and might need some operation.

Nevermind, i will be going to attend BHSO(Braddell heights symphony orchestra) rehearsals and see how they fare, since i heard that they are an amateur orchestra. Tang quartet concert is also coming up, so is the braces thingy. It is going to be a busy sunday.

This scared the hell out of me

Yesterday went to dental clinic with my mum, coz she want me to put braces as my front tooth is protruded. And then the next moment, i was shocked coz the dentist said i have to PULL 4 teeth out from the side, 1 from each side coz it is too overcrowded...I was thinking why should i sacrifice 4 teeth for a better look? Is it worth it? Well after that i got a photo shot then a mould of my teeth, and then asked to take an X-ray at cairnhill for next appointment. Why braces are so extreme that they have to remove 4 healthy teeth!!??

Today, after my violin lesson, i went home to get my papers for the x-ray and head now to somerset. I reached there pretty late(4.30pm) as they close at 5pm, but it was all done in a few minutes. Then i do nothing much for the rest of the day, like visiting HMV and meeting some of my friends for dinner, and Tony has just returned from overseas, so might as well chat a while.

Am i Crazy?

Guess wad, i change the layout of my room, and add my bed in it. It wasnt there b4 but now i was inspired by some design when i was asleep on the train on my way home. Well my room now looks alot smaller but i get to sleep in my own room. I was YL's blog and he said he was selected for next phrase of training in WSS. I guess i am not in then, coz i havent receive any sms about Wss training...Phew no more committment to WSS anymore! But tomorrow is the release of results for my current semester...Feel quite worried about it...haiz.

I went to PS with with sam to buy keyboard in MP. Wanted to keep one in my room so can have accompaniment as well as learn some cadence and chords from the piano in preparation for my theory. My mum have been urging me to take braces coz my front teeth is protruded, Anyway braces only last 2 yrs while my teeth last for a lifetime so might as well. I am just worried about the cost, been spending alot lately.