Bon Voyage

Just a brief update on what's been happening to me before I leave next week for a study tour to Hong Kong (28 August - 1 September) - fully (and generously) sponsored by SP School of Media & Info-Communications Technology as part of the scholarship I'm under.

My main performance this month was the Music Express 12 飞乐时空 National Song Writing Competition Finals on 18 August, held at Nanyang Auditorium. I played the keyboard for Kok Song, a university undergraduate who had written a Chinese love ballad entitled 滥好人. Our team also included a guitarist, a violinist, another singer, and two support "harmony" singers. Despite having only rehearsed together several times the week before, we clinched the Most Popular Song Award 最受欢迎歌曲 thanks to our large number of supporters that had come to support us. Congratulations Kok Song!

And I would have performed at two birthday parties of my musical friends this month - Jasper's on the 12th and Esther O's on the 27th. Happy birthday to both of you!

By the way, I had no exams (only several small tests) - my course is a In-Course Assessment-based (ICA-based) one. No holidays as usual - the only break's next week's trip (see it's a STUDY TOUR, not a HOLIDAY, though we go to Hong Kong Disneyland :D). After I return back to Singapore, it's one whole September month of intensive training camp for the upcoming SP Musical. It's going to be fun, but real tiring too as well (Monday "book in", Friday "book out"). Wake me up when September ends.

Well bon voyage (to myself :D) and see you in September after I return from Hong Kong!

Sound Machine OVERDRIVE

Ahhh... haven't blogged for like a month and a half! Been too caught up with my external keyboard performance commitments and involvement in the SP musical. So it's like I'm sleeping at past midnite every day and waking up early because I stay oh-so-far away from school (walk, feeder bus, MRT train, walk). The makings of a zombie...

Phew... I'm like a part-time keyboardist now... hope my studies don't get affected (too much). It's the exam period now with 3 tests coming up and several assignments due.

Let's see what I had this past month or so... there was SP's Graduation 2006 Performance on 5 July. Went rather smoothly though it was rather sad that the audience was not really appreciative. But considering the fact that we were sideline entertainment while they were enjoying the buffet spread, it was OK. Then there was the recent Charity Fiesta 2006 @ South West CDC from 28-30 July. Rehearsal on the 28th, and the main performances on 29th and 30th July. (Sensually Transmitted Music ROCKS!)

It was a tiring weekend; I must have played up to 20 songs - several of them perilously impromptu (we ran out of songs to perform for our 2-hour slot so we just on-the-spot picked some songs)! And just yesterday was SP's Singa Mania 2006 Competition Finals, on which I accompanied 5 finalists (4 of which were from the SP musical) on the songs First/An Jing, When You Told Me You Loved Me, A Whole New World, Open Arms, and I Will Survive. Congrats to Faliq, Siti, and Marina for the top 3 prizes respectively! And many thanks to the peeps from SP Musical, MIT Club, my classmates and the rest of you keyboard "fans" who showed me so much support!

Ahhh... there's still an NTU Music Express Songwriting Competition Finals on 18 August that I'm rehearsing for (I'm accompanying the singer; and it's not my song - I'm just a performer). Thereafter, I fly to Hong Kong for a study tour from 28 August to 1 September. Then there's the SP Musical feature performance in the President's Star Charity Show on 3 September - and a weekday camp from 4 Sep to 22 Sep - intensive training for the musical. The BIG DAY(S) - 6 & 7 October @ the NUS Cultural Centre - Superstar: The Pop Musical!

(I'm spelling out my organiser...) Then there's my Grade 5 ABRSM theory exam on 28 October, another performance for the SPSU Honours United Bazaar (some campus event) around 13-17 November, and some National Education Fest (and maybe my diploma course concert) in December.

Next year, hopefully... my semi-professional vocal ensemble group (vocalists + me as keyboardist) will be on track to perform at wedding gigs and stuff - but we'll leave that story to another day...