Funny ;)

Here's an e-mail full of jokes forwarded to me by one of my piano students. It is soooo funny that I thought I would share it. ;)

The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, 'Please wake me at 5:00 AM ' He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM .. Wake up.' Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.


WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?'
'Yep,' the wife replied , 'in-laws'


WOMEN'S REVENGE
'Cash, check or charge?' I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.
As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
'So, do you always carry your TV remote?' I asked.
'No,' she replied, ' but my husband refused to come shopping with me,
and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.'

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN
(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.

W O R D S
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...
30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, 'What?'

CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, 'I don't know how you can be
so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. ' The wife responded, 'Allow me to explain.
God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;
God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!

WHO DOES WHAT
A christian man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it, because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.'
The husband said, ' You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible
that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........'HEBREWS'

God may have created man before woman,
but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! :)

Just want to wish all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! :) I hope everyone's having a good and relaxing holiday season! :) I intend to practice lots, read, simply relax, and hang out with friends this holiday. I look forward to having a week of schedule-less days, doing anything and everything that inspires me at the moment! ;) I feel the festivity, although I am currently not in crowded Orchard Road. I was teaching in the Orchard area on Monday, and got home as soon as I could after a quick dinner, and it was simply too crowded and crazy....everywhere. There was also a traffic jam, and getting home was rather slow and stressful. A friend invited me to go feel the festive atmosphere at the Esplanade today, and I declined. Somehow, it might be weird, but I simply cannot feel the festivity when it is very crowded; it just makes me feel very stressed out. Perhaps I am not very tall [though not short ;)], but I simply cannot see what's in front of me, most of the time, in a crowd....nor breathe....haha ;) Yes, I agree that the lights and activities must be very attractive and fun though. ;) In any case, I thought Christmas is about family and home anyway, but then again, I am not Christian, so I do not know the correct answer. Perhaps it's anything you want it to be. ;) Any reason to celebrate is always very good!! ;) So, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all! :) May the new year bring lots of beautiful surprises and lots of happiness for all!! ;)

More Christmas Presents from Students

Today, Tuesday 23 December, is my last piano teaching day for the year 2008. :) Below are more Christmas presents from my dear students. Thank you very much!! :)

Yummy cookies carefully baked and wrapped by Ee Meng herself. This looks so professional. ;) Thank you Ee Meng! :)




Belgian chocolates and card from Connie. The card is very sweet & thoughtful, and I love good chocolates anytime. ;) Thank you Connie! :)



This beautiful Jim Thompson hot-pink photo-frame is from William and Samuel. Yup, they are the most adorable pair of twins I have met! I would love to have twins, someday, if it happens, hopefully? ;) I love the card they drew. It's so sweet!! That's our piano space that they drew. They even drew the two photo frames on the wall, the door details, and yes, I usually sit on the left. Children are simply amazing! ;) According to Mrs. Jolene, they chose the present for me....children are very perceptive & naturally intuitive, ya? I love the colour, design and all....perfect photo-frame in Sherina's world. Perhaps the elephants will help my memory somewhat too. ;) hee hee ;) Thank you William and Samuel! :)

Thank you lots&lots all of you again! :) I feel so warm, fuzzy, and loved. ;) I appreciate it a whole lot! :) Hugzzz ;)

Ending 2008

The year of 2008 is coming to an end! :) I will be having a one-week year-end teaching break starting next Wednesday, 24 December,2008 to Thursday, 1 January, 2009. I will be seeing all my dear piano students again starting Friday, 2 January, 2009. Time does fly when you are having fun. It's always very rewarding for me to see my piano students improving with time and effort, and to see the smiles on their faces and feel the enthusiasm, despite the hard work they have to put into consistent practicing! Yes, yes I might be demanding musically and in discipline, but I believe not unkindly so. ;) A little break from teaching is always good for the soul. ;) However, I do look forward very much to 2009! :)

Below are pictures of Christmas presents and travel souvenirs from my students & their parents, in order of appearance. Thank you very much! :) I truly appreciate and feel the sweet thoughts and efforts! :) Thank you too to all my students & their parents who have been showing kind, warm concern and understanding over my recent heart issues ;) I feel so very lucky to have such warm relationships with my students&parents, as well as such wonderful, caring students&parents. I am sure the upcoming little mending break will make it all better. Yes, yes I am very much human and very feeling. And actually I believe that my playing and interpretations of pieces reflect that aspect of me as well. Thank you to all my students & their parents!!



This Chinese fan is from Ruiyee, who got it for me in her recent school trip to Suzhou/Hangzhou. I miss Shanghai/Suzhou. Thank you Ruiyee! :)




This box of chocolates is from Michelle and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Hong Kong. Michelle looked so very happy and refreshed after her trip. :) Hong Kong seems to be a very popular destination for my students this year. Thank you Michelle! :)




This cuttlefish snack is from Yue Xin and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Taiwan. It's a specialty snack from the place they visited in Taiwan. Thank you Yue Xin! :)


This beautiful embroidered silk bag is from Connie and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Myanmar. Connie's mum has elegant taste, and she says that this bag will be useful for me during Christmas and Chinese New Year. Mrs. Lin is very thoughtful. I would love to visit Myanmar someday! Thank you Connie! :)



This perfume is from Helena and her parents. They are currently having a family holiday in India, and Helena says in her e-mail today that she has ridden a camel, and it's, quote, "FREAKY-FUN"! That's an interesting way to describe the experience, with alliteration device thrown in as well. ;) I would love to visit India someday too. Thank you Helena! :)




These calming incense are from Kelly and her parents. Calmness is always a virtue. ;) Thank you Kelly! :)

These dainty, quaver, Moshi Moshi earrings are from Wende and my friend, Yee Jiun. These must be every piano teacher's dream earrings, with all the blink-blink included. ;) Thank you Wende and Yee Jiun! :)





These soft towels and cute cupid are from Ling Kee and his parents. The cupid reminds me of one of my friends, Thomas Manhart and his recent post on Facebook...hee hee ;) Thank you Ling Kee! :)


Thank you very much once again to all my wonderful students & their parents! :) I very much appreciate all the sweet thoughts, love and concern. :) I love you all! :) Thanks lotsy ;)

Monday & Memories

Yesterday Monday, 1 December 2008, was such a beautiful warm day! :) Bright and sunny! :) I woke up to crickets chirping, and I teach a old colonial house at Nassim on Mondays where there are a lot of trees and fresh air (no air-conditioning :)) , and the crickets were chirping there too that day. ;)

I like the sound so much because it reminds me of my childhood in Beijing, where my father was sent to work. So I spent a good part of my childhood in Beijing. We used to live outside the city, in the countryside, where it was more peaceful, and the air was cleaner....although at that time the air in Beijing was pretty polluted too, but mainly because of coal-burning, industry, and sand-winds from the North. One of my favourite memories of Beijing were the tall trees that had leaves shimmering and rustling in the winds during summer, accompanied by the crickets chirping, under the glorious golden warm sun. The leaves really do shimmer....I do not know what species of trees they are, but I haven't seen them in Singapore. The rustling sounds they make were really beautiful too. Throughout Monday I kept thinking how I miss those childhood days.....

Back Teaching

Yup! I am back in Singapore after my one week break in Solo, Indonesia. Time passes too fast ;) There were so many e-mails to catch up on etc. :) I tuned my YUS5 piano last Thursday too, so it is more in tuned now. :) I hear that pianos start to go right out-of-tune immediately after it's tuned....it's just less out-of-tune.....Reminds me of what I learnt as a child about Brownian motion and how order tends towards disorder, and energy must be put into the system to reverse disorder into some order etc....haha ;) Funny, I have a image memory of that particular page still......the weird things that I remember, and all the things that I wish I can remember but I cannot seem to, and all the things that I wish I do not remember........ ;) Memory/life works in magical ways which no one can fully understand perhaps..... ;)

Surakarta, Indonesia

I will be in Surakarta, Indonesia from 25 October 2008 to 1 November 2008 for a one-week gamelan study/performance trip! I am very excited! :) It will be a nice short break from my cyclical, full teaching schedule, and I am sure I will come back refreshed.....and hopefully so will my students after a one-week break!...hee hee ;) Since Singapore is rather small, I believe that it is always refreshing to travel out of Singapore once in a while to "see the world" ;) Yippee~~

Thank you to Sze Wing, my student, for the hairpin....I still haven't figured out how to bun my hair yet.....I always love Sze Wing's beautiful and fashionable hairbuns.....Also, Congratulations Sze Wing on passing your ABRSM Grade 8!! :) Continue practicing hard for your Diploma! ;) Hee hee ;)

Tonight I will be attending Murray Perahia's piano concert after my piano teaching!! I am soooooo very excited!! :) However, I am a little stressed because I will have to wake up in the wee hours the next morning to catch my flight to Surakarta. I have finally finished packing though! :) Yes, a very stressful schedule, but I simply haaaavvveee to attend Murray Perahia's piano concert!! ;) Sooo excited! :)

The Meaning of Education???

A university student who has recently happily completed her ABRSM Grade 8 examinations was very excited to start on new repertoire to work towards her DipABRSM in two years. However, a week into her new start, she came to her piano lesson, saying to the effect that her university friends questioned the value of her practicing and attempting to progress towards her DipABRSM, stating that she will be graduating from NUS with a BA in a year, and thus they see not much of a point to investing so much time, effort, and money into getting a DipABRSM. The word used was that it is a "waste". I was simply absolutely shocked! Perhaps not having had the bulk of my education since young via the Singapore education system, I am not quite attuned to the meaning of education here. Moreover, this is not the only incident whereby the meaning of education in Singapore has surprised me and left me very puzzled.

Basically, in the incident mentioned above, education is equated specifically only to monetary value/opportunity/gain. My reply to the university student was that she has to make choices for herself, in that it is not compulsory at all to do DipABRSM. It is fair that different people have different goals, and some do obtain a Diploma for the sake of certification, which might have positive monetary consequences. For others, it is an opportunity that not everyone has in life to discover music and discover oneself/happiness through music, for the sake of knowledge/music, curiosity and to live a full, varied, enriching life that just does not focus solely on money or the obtaining of money.

I went on to say further that the value of any good education in any field is priceless. The value of a good education is not only to be a huge storage for a vast amount of information in the field that one chooses, or only to be an expert in a particular field (two-dimensional human being), but very importantly, a good education will bring out universal useful/positive life skills and hone critical/analytical thinking skills, which are universally applicable and transferable to whatever one may choose to pursue in life (three-dimensional human being). Life is a colorful, interesting journey, filled with potential discoveries. I believe that education is suppose to help the student understand/see the colors and potential. Sometimes in life, one might not end up specializing in what one studied, but with a good education, one should be empowered with positive life-skills to deal with the choices one has made in life.

I have piano students and parents that tell me that piano education is positive factor in their lives. Piano performance requires, thus cultivates patience, discipline, systematic/logical working-through of pieces, focus for long periods of time, calmness, confidence, among many other positive traits. Certainly, it takes commitment and treating piano lessons/practice seriously in order to bring out these positive traits in any individual. For example, an advanced adult student who has been with me for about two years now, keeps telling me that piano has helped her tremendously with her nervousness and anxiety, which affected her job, and basically her life. However, she is currently in her dream job with good prospects, coupled with greater confidence and much happiness. She has also long since graduated from ABRSM Grade 8, and is concurrently pursuing DipABRSM with her full-time job, which is not related to music. I am deeply very happy to see her very much transformed from since I met her two years ago. This brings me yet to another point.

I believe that the role of a teacher is not only to teach about the subject, but also to educate/mold the student as an individual, unique human being. For example, I currently have a student who has been stressed out about the upcoming "O" Levels for months. As a teacher, I truly care for my students, and I want the students to do well in whatever they pursue. This student has been regularly coming for piano lessons, even with his exams coming round the corner.

Firstly, it's great that he and his parents understand that life does not stop because of examinations. I cannot imagine a poor child doing nothing everyday, but sleep, eat, go to school, mug for months on end with the examination as the goal, with occasional time to play and explore. I seriously question its educational effectiveness and the psychological impact it has on a child.

Now going back to the main issue...During his piano lessons, I sometimes spend part of the lesson discussing with him about his "O" Level Examinations/goals in life, giving him advice about the psychology of taking exams in general so as to perform better in the future, and to help him understand that yes, he has to study hard for his examinations, but one is not an absolute failure if one is not the brightest in every single subject in school, which seems to be the general perception/trend here. Different people are experts at different things in life. Everyone is unique. For example, if a child is not great at mathematics/science, but excellent in the humanities, the child should be considered as intelligent as one who is not great at humanities, but excellent in mathematics/science. (However, I am often told that the "science stream" is a privilege and only open to those considered capable, not necessarily to those who are simply interested/willing to seriously learn. If the child is excellent in and loves the humanities, and mediocre in mathematics/science, but "privileged" enough to enter the "science stream", then what happens?) If the child is excellent in all subjects, success in life or living a fulfilling life is not necessarily guaranteed either. Life is always filled with exam-like situations and discouraging moments, and one must have the courage to do what thinks is correct and very importantly persevere towards one's goals/beliefs. There will always be someone out there brighter/smarter than you, but what does it matter?

Some who has read this far might start to think that spending part of piano lesson talking about anything other than piano/music during piano lesson is a total waste of time! I strongly disagree, going back to the meaning of education and what it means to educate. I feel that the student feels more encouraged and more positive about his future and intelligence, after our discussions. He leaves with a lighter heart and a greater fighting spirit to do outdo himself in whatever he endeavors. I truly believe in this student's intelligence. It is evident in his attitude towards life & people and personality, something that an exam cannot evaluate. Certainly, he is not a straight A student, but he tries his best, and has strengths in many subjects. He always treats piano lessons seriously, tries his best at piano, and is talented at it as well. As a teacher, I care for the student as a whole, and I have tried to give what I believe to be truly meant by an education, in addition to musical knowledge.

Certainly it takes a lot of trust and effort between the student, student's parents and teacher to develop a student-teacher relationship as evidenced above. It takes years. However, I believe that the relationship and education that result are priceless.

During examination periods, I certainly would like the student to learn, but not be stressed out by their piano lessons. Also, because the above student and his parents are not after certification solely for the sake of certification, it is great that I have the opportunity to introduce, discuss, and listen to numerous piano pieces with the student during lessons, so that he better understands/comprehends the huge exciting, varied piano repertoire out there, waiting to be explored, as well as the various pianists & their styles. This activity is certainly not required by ABRSM examinations and it is a minute percentage of the aural component in ABRSM examinations, but I believe it to be a necessarily component of a music/piano education. It is what I call the "see the world tour" in piano music. ;)

Having said all these, I have also met parents who think that piano teachers can fix any child lacking in discipline during piano lessons. I believe this view to be erroneous. I believe that only the parents can truly instill discipline & respect for teachers in the child. Logically, if the child does not listen to his/her parents, it is highly unlikely that the child will listen to the teacher. If the child chooses not to do his/her homework or practice due to lack of discipline or respect for the teachers, piano teachers cannot, and should not, be expected to perform miracles either during the usual once-a-week lessons. However, the teacher can definitely successfully support the parents and work together with the parents in educating the child, by reinforcing the concept of discipline in a child during piano lessons.

Okay I better stop myself from writing a thesis about piano education........I have too much to say, but I think that's enough for now. ;)

Thank you! :)

I have been meaning to post this for a long time! ;) Thank you to Mrs. Wong and my student, Nicole for these yummy and pretty mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival! :) The flavours including sesame, durian and raspberry cheese are very interesting and innovative. ;) Nicole is very persistent when it comes to the piano. However, I am constantly amaze at how fast she can devour a story book! I hear that Nicole is an avid reader, and can stay up all night to read non-stop, finishing a thick story book in one weekend! ;) Wow! ;) Thank you Mrs. Wong and Nicole!! :) For this Mid-Autumn Festival I went with my parents to the Chinese Garden to watch the lighted-lantern-display. The entire garden was basically filled with Hello Kitty & Friends characters. I enjoyed the atmosphere...ramai sekali. :) However, I wished that the lanterns were more varied in design and more traditional. But the children out there must have loved it, especially the Hello Kitty fans! :)

This bouquet of pretty roses are from Jarryl for Belated Teachers' Day! :) I love the colour combination and the presentation...it is very sweet. The roses are not real, but a student who saw it displayed at the table beside the piano thought that they were and went to have a closer look, commenting on how pretty they were. Jarryl is a very intelligent child. Although he is only 6 years old, he understands concepts and ideas very quickly and has an instinctive approach at the piano. Recently, Jarryl has taken to practicing the piano everyday, with the wonderful support of his mother, and thus has become more patient/focused, improving a lot. I hope that this positive trend will continue. :) Jarryl is very sweet and enthusiastic. It is fun teaching him. :) Unfortunately, nowadays many children are distracted by computer games. The computer is certainly useful and fun, but as a piano teacher, I find that children who play a lot of computer games tend to have shorter attention spans and have less ability to focus for long periods of time. Perhaps it is because computer games provide a high level of stimulation and engagement regardless of the situation. Playing the piano requires accuracy, a high level of focus and long attention spans. It is like a sport in some ways. ;) However, understandably, computer games for children are unavoidable and are a sign of the times. ;) Thank you Mrs. Cheryl and Jarryl!! :)

This pretty can of Japanese tea is from Grace Ng. Grace is a working adult who is taking ABRSMDip piano lessons. She was sent by her company for a short overseas trip to Japan, and she got me this with other snacks, which I so quickly consumed that I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures of them....hee hee ;) Japanese snacks/foods tend to be delicious and really pretty ;) I love Sencha! :) I wonder how Grace knew ;) I even named my Fluff Friend Frog on Facebook "Sencha". ;) I wish I could be sent overseas in my job. It must be really exciting and fun. :) I love to travel. I find Grace amazing in that she is very disciplined, balancing work and piano. She is not at all anxious to just play through/learn the notes as quickly as possible. She is very patient, systematic and logical in her learning. She would patiently repeat sections several times with me correcting, in order to fully understand my corrections and suggestions, so that by the end of the lesson, although she had only worked on a section of the piece, she fully understands/remembers what she needs to do during her own practices. Grace would work through all her pieces that way, accumulating section by section of music, and although it might seem slow, it is actually a most fast and most effective, thorough way of learning. It is most enjoyable teaching Grace, and I believe that she has improved a lot in her understanding of her pieces. She practices seriously, takes her lessons seriously, and she is very musical, and she asks logical questions during lessons. It's great to work with a student who is concerned about the details in music. Details in music are highly important...music is not just a collection of notes. It is also great that Grace is unfazed by how difficult a piece might seem, choosing the pieces in the exam repertoire list that are not only technically achievable for her after much hard work, but also appeals to her. It always amazes me whenever I teach such a motivated and musical student, and further more a non-music major! It makes me happy to know that there are students out there who learn music for the sake of music, with the certificate as an added bonus, but not the only main focus. ;) If Grace is so disciplined and serious at the piano, I imagine she must be most excellent and wonderful in her job!! ;) Amazing....Thank you again Grace!! :)

Feb/March 2009 ABRSM Practical Exams

The ABRSM sign-up for Feb/March 2009 practical exams are currently ongoing. I have already signed up for the students in my studio. :)

Technically, parents can sign their children up for exams. However, as a responsible teacher, I strongly prefer to personally sign my students up for exams, personally handle the dates, issues if any etc, so that I fully understand/know/keep track of the timeline/situation for each student, and therefore I can easily plan appropriately for each student, working together with the student towards the exam goal. Usually, a group of students would sit for exams at the same place, on the same date, and at about the same time because the teacher will sign them up as a group. After the exam, a student will usually tell me that he/she saw this other student(s) from my studio who was also there to take his/her exam. I believe that it is comforting for the students when they see other students from my studio also taking exams. Perhaps it's a feeling of positive comradirie, which is nice. :) In addition, the teacher can easily remember and keep track of the student's progress through the years. :)

I take immense pride in, and I believe that I am very responsible in presenting my students for their exams. I will always notify/call the parents/students on the day when I get notices/results for exams because I believe that it is very important to do so. Also, I am always super-excited when I receive the results/certificates in my mail. I would read the exam comments several times to prepare in order to help my students understand them the next lesson, so that the comments and exams are helpful for them. :) In the July-September 2008 exam season, students did very well, and all of them passed. :) Good job to my students! :) Happy Sherina :)

Selamat Hari Raya & Happy Children's Day!

Selamat Hari Raya & Happy Children's Day! :) Today must be super-happy because the two celebrations fall on the same day in Singapore: October 1, 2008. It was difficult getting the candy for Children's Day this year for the children in my piano studio, due to the China milk scandal, which I find very, very sad and unscrupulous. :( One of my students told me that even the baby animals in China have kidney stones because they were fed the milk. :( Very sad.

I have been told that children in general love squishy, chewy, bouncy candies. White Rabbit, which children loved though it was traditional, would have been the obvious choice previously, but not anymore. Definitely NO candies/foods from China from me! So this year, it's bouncy Yupi gummies manufactured in Indonesia, and the much-loved Chupa Chups Lollipops manufactured in Mexico. :)

Selamat Hari Raya & Happy Children's Day! :)

Fee Adjustment November 2008

I feel that it's been quite a while since my last post. Sorry about that. :) I was busy recently with the fee adjustment issue, which was difficult for me. If inflation did not exist, Sherina would not have had to deal with fee adjustment and money, which would have been great! But electricity and water is increasing by 20 to 21 percent, while transportation fees have basically doubled recently, not to mention the increase in the price of food, commodities etc....! Therefore, not surprisingly, some schools such as Yamaha decided to increase their fees by 10 to 15 percent starting October 2008. With all that, Sherina has decided that she cannot hold out any longer, and she has to increase her fees by 10 to 15 percent starting November 2008. It wasn't an easy decision, and I tried to be as fair as possible. I believe that the piano lesson fees are actually still very low and competitive, taking into account the high quality of education given.

The response to the fee adjustment has been positive so far. :) Parents and students expected the fee adjustment as a normal reaction to the recent steep price hike of everything in Singapore. Several parents/students/friends even commented that there is too big a fee difference between grade 7 & grade 8 because there is no difference in fees between grades 5 & 6, and a $5 (per month) difference between grades 6 & 7. That was my weird effort to keep the fees low.... Therefore, the suggestions have been that I increase grade 6 by $5 (per month) and increase grade 7 by $5 (per month), which will make the fee chart more normal....such nice parents/students/friends right?!? Sherina loves her students & studio and feels very lucky. :) I guess nowadays, $5 is equivalent to one meal at the hawker centre....I feel that the inflation this year in Singapore is just too high.....In any case, I will take the suggestions into serious consideration. Right now, I am happy with my chart, and will decide later. However, to be fair, no matter what happens, the existing students will certainly not be affected by this suggested change till they next up the grade next year. :) So don't worry. :) My perpetual obsession with fairness, but I am very glad that the fee adjustment is all over and done with. :)

A huge sigh of relief :)))

Music Education?

One of my university friends on Facebook asked me if I thought music education to be useful/good/educational, and why. I replied YES, most certainly! :) Here is a little of what I wrote her:

Education teaches you to think. It is supposed to be an experience, which you learn from. And music gives you a creative experience different from other learning experiences. Thus, it teaches you to think in a different ways, which can indirectly help you, even if you do not become a musician. Moreover, you can learn to appreciate music and culture, which are reflections of life, and thus learn to appreciate life.....


I certainly do not believe that any education is about how much information you can cram/store in your brain (especially for examination purposes), although I do agree that it is useful to have lots of information stored in your brain. Education is actually supposed to teach you how to intelligently use the information you have gathered. In other words it is supposed to teach you to think creatively for yourself!, and be a good, contributing member of society, while living life to the fullest. I guess I am an idealistic teacher/person, but I think it is better to work positively in that direction in life, then not try at all. ;)

Thank You for the Roses! Exams, Concerts

These roses were from my piano student Connie and her parents yesterday. Aren't they so pretty?!? Thank you!!! :) They were for belated Teachers' Day. Mr.&Mrs. Lin and Connie are from the United States and Connie attends the American International School, so they did not know that it was Singapore's Teachers' Day last Monday, until they read about it in the newspaper. It is very sweet of them to think about me and get me such beautiful roses! I appreciate the thought and sincerity a lot! I always really enjoy chatting with Mrs. Lin whenever I go teach Connie. She is a very warm lady with a very cheerful personality. It is also highly enjoyable to teach Connie because she is very interactive and attentive during lessons, and often has intelligent opinions/ideas of her own to share with me. I will definitely miss the family when they return to the States....

Just to side-track, the beautiful colour of the roses and the roses themselves remind me of the pretty Paul Smith rose perfume commercial I saw on TV Mobile. I find the perfume nice for a rose perfume, but a of friend of mine says that rose perfume reminds him of the Bandung Rose drink. That thought never occurred to me. It must be a Southeast Asian cultural thing. I didn't grow up drinking Bandung Rose drink, so to me, rose perfume smells like perfect roses. ;) Funny? Thank you Mr.&Mrs. Lin and Connie for the roses!!! I love them, and so does my mum! ;)

During my short break from piano teaching, I went to the ABRSM office to get exam information for the upcoming Feb/March 2009 practical exams. The sign-up date for that starts 29 September 2008. I will be distributing the 2009 ABRSM exam schedule to my students this week.

In addition, during the break, I also attended a Violin and Piano Recital at the Esplanade. I really enjoyed especially the performance of Allegrissimo from Sergei Prokofiev's sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in Fminor, opus 80. I love the sonata itself. It is however very sad. The performance was really well-received and the entire recital studio was filled. The duo was really together too! :) However, unfortunately, I think the colour of the piano was a little too muffled, which contrasted too greatly with the violin which had a much sharper, more vivid sound colour....haha....maybe I am biased because I play the piano ;)......but anyway, it couldn't be helped because pianists don't usually get to choose their pianos for performances! Anyway, it was certainly an enjoyable concert and enjoyable evening! :) The next concert I look forward to attend is the Murray Perahia concert happening on 24 October 2008! Go get the tickets now, if you haven't already!!! The tickets are really expensive though because Murray Perahia is really good, and the program which he will perform is really enjoyable and exciting too! :) I heard from a friend in Shanghai that he is actually also visiting Shanghai, and the tickets there are expensive, but not as expensive as Singapore! I wish I were in Shanghai! I love the Shanghai Concert Hall as well. It's very nice. ;) The piano concert I attended this year that blew me away was the one whereby Emmanuel Ax played Chopin's Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Ops. 21. Not only does Emmanuel Ax have a stable and reliable technique, he also has a really rich and varied sound colour palette on the piano. It was REALLY ABSOLUTELY magical how he coloured and phrased everything. And the most amazing part is that it sounded absolutely natural!! I so much do hope that I will get to attend another of his concerts! I hope he does come to Singapore again!

Fun Musical Fact I Just Learnt

"If you put on headphones, and listen to one tone in the left ear (say, 440 Hz) and a slightly different tone in the right ear (say, 446 Hz), then you will hear beating between the two tones, at (of course) 6 Hz -- the difference -- even though there's no actual physical interaction between the frequencies. It's all done in the gray matter."

Quoted from Darthmouth's Gamelan Listserve I subscribe to. :)

Music Book Shopping!

I went music book shopping for my students at Yamaha Plaza Singapura today, since I am having a short teaching break! New stocks just arrived, and I was grabbing the more popular ones that always run out of stock for my students. Somehow, Yamaha Plaza Singapura stock out their books every few months and one cannot pre-order the books. And everyone seems to know when Yamaha new book stock arrives too! For those higher grades and diploma students, go get your scores now when there is stock! :)

One laments the recent closure of Sweet Classics, which used to be run by my friend Joseph. It was sooooo conveniently located at Shaw Centre. It also had a huge selection of books, which is great especially for higher grades and diploma students. One could also pre-order books and know that they will arrive very soon.

Today, I finally got my two grade 7 students their aural practice books with CDs! :) I waited and waited for a few months for it to be in stock and kept checking and checking! There were only a few of those left on the shelf, although they had plenty of grade 8, and none of grade 6. Another popular and much loved book by children is Ng Ying Ying's colorful theory books....those are also usually out of stock. I think they complement the ABRSM theory books very well, especially for students who need extra practice on their theory. :) I also got Tuneful Studies and Leila Fletcher for some of my younger students, which are now in stock again. I am very happy! :) I do not enjoy lugging all the heavy books all the way home and sorting out the payment, which is way confusing for me, but by buying books for my students, I know exactly what books they have, and I can plan their musical progress exactly, and think about it carefully while selecting the books for them. And no, I do not stock books like some piano teachers do. I believe that each student is uniquely talented. :) But that means that I have to go music book shopping often and hunt the books down, which is a positive experience anyway. :)

Yippee! :) I feel so accomplished today! :)

Thank You to My Dear Students! Love you all! :)

I want to thank all my dear piano students for their well-wishes, kind thoughts and lovely presents for this Teachers' Day. I appreciate it all a lot. You are all very sweet and thoughtful! Thank you very much! I will always try my best to be the best piano teacher/adviser/friend! :)

Below are the gifts I got this Teachers' Day, in addition to sweet well-wishes :), in order of appearance. :) Thank you So Very much for your thoughts and efforts! :)




This is from Mrs. Viena and her two boys, Ray and Russell. The two boys are fun, and Ray has recently developed an interesting sense of humour! Mrs. Viena too is a very understanding and fun mum to be around! :) Yummy! One of my favorite chocolates ever! And I love Mozart, the composer, not surprisingly! Thank you!! :)



Next, this is from Mrs. Michelle and her daughter Kelly, who are also my most wonderful neighbors! It's great to hear Kelly practice the piano so regularly! :) I simply love honey! (I am a little bear in disguise.) And this comes with a nice beautiful comb, which I find fun to eat! Plus, I love Eu Yan Sang. I even signed up for their free membership for teachers this Teachers' Day. Thank you!! :)

This cute mug is from my friend Yee Jiun and her son Mun Tat. Mun Tat is a most conscientious and fun student, with a highly supportive mother, who plays the piano really well herself! I adore the story "Guess How Much I Love You"! I once read it in a bookstore because it was one of the books highly-recommended by the bookstore, and I thought it is a really sweet story and it is very well-illustrated. Yee Jiun tells me that they now have the story in four new versions based on the four seasons! I have got to go check it out! I love you guys too! :) Thank you!! :)



This wonderful box of yellow custard kueh is from Mrs. Wong and her daughter Rui Yee, who recently passed her Grade 5 ABRSM Practical with a High Merit and encouraging comments. Rui Yee always has good ideas and questions, and it is really interesting working with her! Congratulations and Thank you!! :)

This miniature violin is from Celine, a most enthusiastic and hardworking adult piano student who recently passed her Grade 3 ABRSM Practical with Merit. She has been improving a lot and has come very far. For those lucky children who have the wonderful opportunity to learn the piano when young, do treasure it and practice!...The music, skills and memories will last a lifetime and will be appreciated later in life. The miniature violin is a beautiful accompaniment to my piano, and it will be permanently displayed on my piano. :) Congratulations Celine and Thank you!! :)

Lastly, the box of one of my favorite Japanese chocolates is from Mr.&Mrs. Ang and Ling Kee, who is one of my oldest student, a student who started with me since I started my teaching career in 2001. Ling Kee has a lot of potential, and can go very far in music with lots of practice. He is very musical, logical, calm and focused. However, I agree that "O" levels is very important, and I wish him the best of luck in that!! :) I look forward to Ling Kee learning Tchaikovsky's Dumka, when his "A" levels are done....hee hee :) It's a beautiful piece, and I am sure Ling Kee will play it very well with lots of practice. Mr.&Mrs. Ang are also one of the sweetest, nicest and most encouraging parents I have ever met, whom I believe truly appreciate the rewards of a good musical education. I appreciate their kindness, support and thoughtfulness always. Thank you!! :)


Thank you very, very much to all my wonderful students again! I truly appreciate all your thoughtfulness and kindness!! I am really touched and thus super-happy!! I love you all lots too!! :)

Testing and Thank you Mr.&Mrs.Lee&family :)

A few friends of mine have suggested that I set up a blog since eons ago. I have finally decided to try it. I am not sure how conscientious I am at keeping it up, but it seems fun trying. :) So here goes........Have fun reading! :)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. & Mrs. Lee and family for their support, and for their generous help and time in making and setting up my piano website . As you all know, I am very far from a computer/internet expert. The piano website could not even have existed without Mr. & Mrs. Lee, who suggested/initiated the idea, and then took time and effort to help me realize it, as well as upkeep it. Their generosity and kindness are greatly appreciated. I am very thankful, and I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!! I wish Yan Hui the best in his studies and his upcoming PSLE, and Jia Ying the best in her studies as well! :) I will go visit you guys after the busy PSLE season! Good luck! Miss you guys! Thank you lots and lots for your continuous support! :)