Video games

I read an article named “Youth stuck on video games”. According to the statistic, young Singaporeans spend 27 hours a week playing games, which raises fears over impact. Lawrence Lee, sixteen years old, who addicted play the video games, said: “I slept and studied only when my parents forced me to, I even skipped brushing my teeth in the morning occasionally…It is the novelty, like getting to know a new girlfriend. You want to spend every minute with her.” The American study noted that if youth spend too many hours on play video games, it will cause many health problems and bad effects for youth.
I found many students in YST addicted to play the computer games. There was a period time, whenever I entered the computer lab in the school, there must be someone who is playing the computer game. They talked about the games all the time even they don’t play the computer game. I know there were some students who played computer games from night to 5am the next day in the morning. Not only in Singapore where I’m studying now, but also in my country China there are lots of youth who addicted to play the computer games. I remember there was a new I saw before which shocked me. One of Chinese student who play the computer game for three days without did any other things even eat. After three days, he just died.
There are more and more youth around world who addicted to play the video games. The harmful of playing computer becomes more serious problem nowadays. In order to make youth grow healthily and don’t put too much energy on the video games, I think there still have a lot of measures that government can take.

Baroque music

I didn’t enjoy Baroque music before. I thought Baroque music is far from now as if a kind of ancient voice. I have no idea how to play Baroque music because I just don’t understand the music at all. Therefore I didn’t want to play Baroque music, it’s boring. But everything is changed since I studied it again from last year. Baroque music is my favorite genre of music now, especially about Bach’s music.
Johann Sebastian Bach is the representative figure of Baroque music. There are many of Bach’s music become the repertoires for musicians today. Last year, Ms.Qian - my new major teacher asked me to play Bach’s sonata and partitas for solo violin during the whole year. It’s not difficult to just play the notes without any analysis about music structure or some musical things, which means the technique it’s not very difficult. I was confident when I played for Ms.Qian the first time. But after the lesson, I felt I have never knew how to play Bach! There are more things than you actually thought we need to learn about Bach’s music. There are four main dances in Bach’s partita - Allemanda, Corrente, Sarabande and Giga. Each dance has particular character like rhythm, phrase and sound. In order to grasp these characters, I listened many different version of each dance and looked up materials for internet. In Bach’s sonata, I like Fugue the most. The form of Fugue is complex. Fugue has Subject, Answer, Codetta, Stretto and so on. Those music patterns build up the whole piece. They might repeat many times in one piece. It’s very interesting if you can find out these repeated things by yourself. After I analyze carefully, I don’t think Bach’s music is boring anymore. Now, every time when I play his music I was drifted away to another world, I heard a kind of voice from heaven. His music makes your heart pure.
As a whole, I think Baroque music it’s not that boring. If you want to play Baroque music well, you must to research and analyze as more as you can.

What does music mean to me

From the first time I touched the violin at the age of four to now when I’m studying at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, the voice of the violin ringing in my ears has lasted almost 14 years. Music has been a partner with me every step of the way. What does music mean to me? It’s not an easy question to answer. Maybe music is the most essential thing for me.
Music means I chose a way how I going to live and how my life will be in the future. Because I chose to learn music, I met a lot of music friends in music school and various music summer camps, and even in the backstage during music competitions. I was sure most of my friends will be related to music. I didn’t say it’s a bad thing for me. I think I can learn a lot from my music friends. Because we all have the same sense of music, we can communicate with each other easily. Just like the friends I have, every thing around me all is related to music. The teacher whom I like the most is a music teacher. The most impressive thing for me is a violin competition I joined. Now, I have a dream to be an excellent violin teacher in the future. I feel so lucky that I chose to learn music, because music makes my life like a harmonious symphony.
On the other hand, music means both sunny and cloudy days for me. When I didn’t feel good about my practice or can not get the feeling of the piece after I try many times, I will fall into a really bad mood. On the contrary, if you find me very happy or active, the reason must be I did a good job on the violin. For me, it’s like there is a pretty nice sunny weather outside the door. In another words, music like an instrument which can reflect my emotion directly and accurately.
I enjoy music and I feel grateful about all the things music has given me.

Reflection

Hello guys! I’m so happy! This semester will finish soon! We don’t need to post in our blogs according to the compulsory time and topics. (please don’t be sad teacher…) But, it doesn’t mean I will not continue to post something in my blog. I think using blog is a very useful way to improve our writing. Because we can learn many things by looking through others blog and making comments to help each others. No matter those comments are correct or not, we can gain a lot by thinking and discussing it. I think my writing have improved by use blog. (don’t you think? Haha…just kidding) So, I will continue to blog in English, welcome to my blog! In the end, thank you for your teaching Chris! All the best to you!

Sarah Chang Plays Bruch

Yesterday was Friday, 26 March 10. I went to the Esplanade concert hall to enjoy a wonderful concert. Violinist Sarah Chang presented Bruch’s violin concerto No.1, accompanied by Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and conducted by Lan Shui.
Sarah Chang is recognized as most captivating and gifted violinist. She was born in Philadelphia, her parents are Korean. She started play the violin when she was four. She worked with many famous orchestras and conductors all over the world and she only record for EMI Classics. SSO is a premier Asian orchestra, it as a music bridge between the Asia and the West. The music director Lan Shui makes the orchestra reach a high level in the world.
Many friends as me, we all have high expectations for this concert. I watched her play when I was young although is not a live concert, I watched it in the TV program. Her play left me a deep impression. I think she is an enthusiasm violinist. I feel so excited that I can have this chance to enjoy her live concert. There were no empty seats in the Esplanade. When the lights turned down, Sarah Chang together with the conductor Lan Shui moved to the centre of the stage, the audience burst into applause. Sarah Chang going to present Bruch concerto tonight which she said is the first concerto she learned when she was five. Bruch’s violin concerto No.1 is well-known, because this piece’s success, his other 100 works were overshadows. This concerto was completed in 1864, after two years it was premiered. It’s not very successful until the version of the work in 1868. The first movement is Vorspiel (Allegro moderato). The dreamlike second movement is Adagio which shows violin’s lyrical qualities. The third movement is Allegro energico, there is perceptible pause throughout this movement, made this movement lively and powerful. The technique of this violin concerto is not difficult for Sarah Chang, so she played to her heart’s content during the concert. The sound she played can touch audience heart easily, because I found she has attractive vibrato. Although it’s not easy to vibrato in the high range of the violin, she makes the violin sing in each note. She has rich experience in the stage, you can found her action it’s very natural and degage. When the phrase finished on a forte note, she usually swings her bow with a perfect circle. You may feel her action is too exaggerated if the first time you saw about it. Also, she swings to and fro on the stage a lot during her play, because she was so excited or emotive to express her feeling about music. Watching her live concert, you can feel her confidence directly. I feel when she gets on the stage, the only thing she thinking about is how to deliver her musical feeling through her violin to the audience, and she believes herself can achieve that. I think it’s very important for a musician to get on the stage with such confidence.
I got her signature after the concert. That’s my nearest distance away from her. I really enjoy this concert.

Is he too young to conduct?

I watched Gustavo Dudamel conduct Sistema’s top youth orchestra. It’s very fantastic! I found both the orchestra and the conductor are so young!The music they played is not easy but they did it very well! I feel the music they played has much powerful enthusiasm, you totally be infected with them.
As one of the youngest excellent conductor in the world, I think Gustavo Dudamel is a very genius boy who just 29 years old. Some people might think, is he too young to conduct? If I didn’t watch this video, maybe I thought he can not conduct the orchestra well because he’s age, he doesn't have more musical experience compare with the other elder conductors in the word. After I watched the video, I found I’m wrong. When I watched him conducting the orchestra, I found he was very excited, I can feel he has very strong musical feeling in his heart. His conduct gesture is very clearly and decisive, so it’s easy for the orchestra to feel what the conductor wants them to do then they can get the ideas faster. I think the most worshipful spirit from Gustavo Dudamel is he can make the orchestra “dance” with him by using his baton. In the end of the video, the whole orchestra stood up and plays with conductor which is rarely to be seen. Even though Gustavo Dudamel only 29 years old, I don’t think it can be used as an excuse that he can not conduct well in his age. Whether how old the conductor is, he can be an excellent one if he can make the orchestra players feel his feeling about music simply. Then the audience can feel this kind of feeling too. In another word, I don't think we can judge whether a person can conduct or not by just look for his age.
At the end of the video when the last note done, the audience stood up and clap their hands for a long time which can improve how fantastic the concert is! The audience infected with the concert, they like the music the orchestra performed.
Now, do you still distrust Gustavo Dudamel is too young to conduct? I hope him can be better and better in the days ahead.

How does music make me feel

The music I chose is the Meditation from Thais. Thais is an opera composed by Massenet. Mediation is an intermezzo between the ACT I and ACT II of Thais. Although I am not familiar with this opera, but I have heard this piece of music when I was very young. I think many people have heard this piece before, it is a famous violin solo music for concerts. The Meditation is the representative work of Massenet’s as well.

The form of this piece is very simple, is the ABA form. The composer wrote “Andante religioso” in the front of the score. With the limpid Arpeggio are companied, the violin solo play the theme lyrically at the beginning. This famous theme appears many times in the opera. This melody is very peaceful and expressive, it gives a feeling like a young girl is praying religiously. The composer made the violin to play higher register in order to represent this kind of feeling. The dynamic of this theme is piano.
The second part is different from the first part. The key changed from major to minor and there are many unexpected notes. The violin plays more powerful sound than before, because the dynamic is not the piano any more so the emotion of this part is unstable. I imagine that the young girl is confusing about too many ideas that went through her mind.
The theme comes out again at the last third part, the feeling of music calm down after the second part. This time the theme needs to play even softer than the first time, the composer wrote “pp” on the score. This part just like something the young girl hoped comes true. The piece disappear gradually with violin play the overtone, audiences are entranced with such impressive music.
There is the link that Janine Jansen plays the Meditation. I really like the way she played
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MQROKUqMcE