This weekend the sky is absolutely beautiful with the sun, after a few days of rain. Refreshing smell of clean air, colourful flowers on the ground, beautiful singing from the birds ... awww ... spledid creation from God! Praise Him!
"You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away."
God is our sunshine. Only He will make us happy when we walk through dark ages. Hopefully we'll all love Him forever, for without Him, the Sunshine, we can accomplish nothing.
My wish to everyone!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Congrats ...
Congratulations to Sonni and Carol for their marriage, and Big Philip and Victoria for their engagement!!! Praise the Lord!
Many more weddings to come ...
Many more weddings to come ...
Thesis Submitted!
Slammed my thesis (which is really just the recordings of my recitals) on the reception table at the Faculty of Graduate Studies office this afternoon. Now I just have to wait for the graduationg ceremony and I'll be done my master's degree officially!
That doesn't mean I'm completely done with work - I still have to play in AI's recital, plus filling out a bunch of forms for my future studies.
But anyhow, praise the Lord for what I have accomplished. Glory and honour be to Him. Amen!
That doesn't mean I'm completely done with work - I still have to play in AI's recital, plus filling out a bunch of forms for my future studies.
But anyhow, praise the Lord for what I have accomplished. Glory and honour be to Him. Amen!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Happy Birthday Daddy!!!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday toooooo DADDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Happy birthday toooooooooooooo YYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday toooooo DADDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Happy birthday toooooooooooooo YYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!
Pictures
A few pictures from my recital ... once I collect more I'll put them on webshots. But meanwhile:
Percussionists from UBC (almost all of them are here)
Three sisters: Iris, Quennie, Annabelle
Percussionists from UBC (almost all of them are here)
Dan, Vern, Mike, Nick, Quennie, Eric, Brian, Annabelle
Three sisters: Iris, Quennie, Annabelle
Happily smiling after the recital (though my tired eyes showed that I had been working quite hard)
Vern (my teacher) and me
P.S.
A few things to add to my previous entry:
This year the dress rehearsal to my recital was the longest and the most meticulous. 6 hours straight! And it happened the day before Easter! Well, given my recital happened the day after Easter Monday. I actually mapped out a precise plan to my rehearsal and ran the show from top to bottom as if it was the actual night. Thanks all my partners, for they were so accommodating with the schedule. Some stayed for the entire six hours to help; some bailed out of work early to get to the rehearsal as soon as they could. Hai~ no choice - I really wanted things to go well, and the dress rehearsal gave me an idea of what to expect.
Another thing: this year I received the most curtain calls from the audience. I don't know how many times I bowed at the end of the recital, but it was many, and I eventually played the encore that I prepared before hand. Thanks guys for your support, and once again, Praise the Almighty Father.
This year the dress rehearsal to my recital was the longest and the most meticulous. 6 hours straight! And it happened the day before Easter! Well, given my recital happened the day after Easter Monday. I actually mapped out a precise plan to my rehearsal and ran the show from top to bottom as if it was the actual night. Thanks all my partners, for they were so accommodating with the schedule. Some stayed for the entire six hours to help; some bailed out of work early to get to the rehearsal as soon as they could. Hai~ no choice - I really wanted things to go well, and the dress rehearsal gave me an idea of what to expect.
Another thing: this year I received the most curtain calls from the audience. I don't know how many times I bowed at the end of the recital, but it was many, and I eventually played the encore that I prepared before hand. Thanks guys for your support, and once again, Praise the Almighty Father.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
談感受
So, besides thanking a bunch of people for helping with my recital 之外，都要談一談真正的感受ga。今次呢個recital真係有史以來最長、最多功夫、最多partner、又最seriously treated的一個，I can't believe I pulled that off. Therefore, really, truly, sincerely, wholeheartedly thank God.
講開長，今次recital成個半鐘，真係少D耐力都唔得。初時我choose pieces我成日以為會唔夠長，但it ended up to be more than the required time。知道夠長之後，就開始驚唔夠耐力，尤其是Rite of Passage─全首歌15分鐘都係得兩個bars of rest，仲要係playing marimba against three percussionists，點頂呀？而且去年我打Ilijas時我真係死頂到最後，所以今年有D驚。But wow, God truly strengthens me this year，而且如果唔係神的恩典，盼且我都唔會突然間有咁多力。神的能力真係無可限量。
講功夫，今次真係用了不少。淨係Cold Pressed個set up都攪左我幾日─搵instruments，make adjustments，build up個rack for cowbells and crotales，cut and paste music，making combo sticks (I actually bussed around town to find the right material to wrap the butt of my sticks)，etc. 跟住D人成日要拆我set up so I often need to resemble it。練rhythm又練到我死下死下。其他pieces我就一日到黑要換mallet (for the sake of sound)，淨係testing out mallets都用左不少時間，跟住又借又買，練technique又練到D mallets爛晒，仲手指起繭、頸梗膊痛。仲有，要每首練得好，就要一日到黑咁練。近呢個月我真係一起身就練到夜晚十一二點，仲要食野食唔停，因為percussionist又要用腦又要用身。感謝主我捱得過。
今年有5個人同我合作─Colgrass有FH，Piano Phase有AI，Rite of Passage有NJ、MM同BN。Recruitment都唔係大問題，雖然一開頭都唔係個個應承，但schedule rehearsal就真係大劑。首先除左呢D rehearsals，我仲有其他ensemble and church rehearsals；有時攪到一個禮拜十幾個rehearsals，每個rehearsal幾個鐘。之後，所有人都忙到死，淨係每次compare schedules都take up起碼15分鐘。同ROP D男仔set up rehearsal仲攪笑，我係逐個禮拜叫佢地send schedule over，but it always turned out that there was only one time slot when everybody was available. Set up schedule難，搵地方練仲難，Colgrass同Piano Phase都flexible D，but ROP就麻煩，book房book到D receptionists熟晒我，又有時book唔到大房要逼入細D既房，用唔齊樂器又逼到暈。But they were quite accommodating, and everyone worked hard. 搬搬抬抬就不用多講。Thank God, even though things seemed quite difficult, I know they could have been a lot worse.
買了上年的教訓，再加上我真是想做好，所以我今次一早選好歌﹝有幾首summer已選了﹞，而且meticulous D去take care of stuff。之前mention過關於練習既野，it's part of my serious treatment of this recital。而且所有"things to do" (a big list too) regarding my recital我都write down in my daybook since I know I can be very forgetful. My daybook was a mess these two months, and each page was COMPLETELY filled with words . I guess my effort paid off - I do believe this is by far the best recital I've put together. My teacher really liked the program I picked, and he was happy with my progress. Praise the Lord.
I am not trying to boast (at least I hope I am not trying to). I just want to state that being a musician, particularly a percussionist, is not easy. But since God chooses me to become a percussionist, I shall be a good one. Plus, thank God for taking me through the process.
I love what I'm doing though.
Praise the Lord for absolutely EVERYTHING. May all the glory and honour be to Him. Hallelujah!
講開長，今次recital成個半鐘，真係少D耐力都唔得。初時我choose pieces我成日以為會唔夠長，但it ended up to be more than the required time。知道夠長之後，就開始驚唔夠耐力，尤其是Rite of Passage─全首歌15分鐘都係得兩個bars of rest，仲要係playing marimba against three percussionists，點頂呀？而且去年我打Ilijas時我真係死頂到最後，所以今年有D驚。But wow, God truly strengthens me this year，而且如果唔係神的恩典，盼且我都唔會突然間有咁多力。神的能力真係無可限量。
講功夫，今次真係用了不少。淨係Cold Pressed個set up都攪左我幾日─搵instruments，make adjustments，build up個rack for cowbells and crotales，cut and paste music，making combo sticks (I actually bussed around town to find the right material to wrap the butt of my sticks)，etc. 跟住D人成日要拆我set up so I often need to resemble it。練rhythm又練到我死下死下。其他pieces我就一日到黑要換mallet (for the sake of sound)，淨係testing out mallets都用左不少時間，跟住又借又買，練technique又練到D mallets爛晒，仲手指起繭、頸梗膊痛。仲有，要每首練得好，就要一日到黑咁練。近呢個月我真係一起身就練到夜晚十一二點，仲要食野食唔停，因為percussionist又要用腦又要用身。感謝主我捱得過。
今年有5個人同我合作─Colgrass有FH，Piano Phase有AI，Rite of Passage有NJ、MM同BN。Recruitment都唔係大問題，雖然一開頭都唔係個個應承，但schedule rehearsal就真係大劑。首先除左呢D rehearsals，我仲有其他ensemble and church rehearsals；有時攪到一個禮拜十幾個rehearsals，每個rehearsal幾個鐘。之後，所有人都忙到死，淨係每次compare schedules都take up起碼15分鐘。同ROP D男仔set up rehearsal仲攪笑，我係逐個禮拜叫佢地send schedule over，but it always turned out that there was only one time slot when everybody was available. Set up schedule難，搵地方練仲難，Colgrass同Piano Phase都flexible D，but ROP就麻煩，book房book到D receptionists熟晒我，又有時book唔到大房要逼入細D既房，用唔齊樂器又逼到暈。But they were quite accommodating, and everyone worked hard. 搬搬抬抬就不用多講。Thank God, even though things seemed quite difficult, I know they could have been a lot worse.
買了上年的教訓，再加上我真是想做好，所以我今次一早選好歌﹝有幾首summer已選了﹞，而且meticulous D去take care of stuff。之前mention過關於練習既野，it's part of my serious treatment of this recital。而且所有"things to do" (a big list too) regarding my recital我都write down in my daybook since I know I can be very forgetful. My daybook was a mess these two months, and each page was COMPLETELY filled with words . I guess my effort paid off - I do believe this is by far the best recital I've put together. My teacher really liked the program I picked, and he was happy with my progress. Praise the Lord.
I am not trying to boast (at least I hope I am not trying to). I just want to state that being a musician, particularly a percussionist, is not easy. But since God chooses me to become a percussionist, I shall be a good one. Plus, thank God for taking me through the process.
I love what I'm doing though.
Praise the Lord for absolutely EVERYTHING. May all the glory and honour be to Him. Hallelujah!
Yay! Done!
PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Recital is finally done! YAY!!!
Many people I need to thank:
- Those who came - thanks for the flowers and gifts too!
- CB - for a yummy receptions
- AI - Piano Phase and stage management; unforgettable friendship
- NJ - ROP; boundless support and kindness; all the time spent together
- BN - ROP; taping of my recital
- MM - ROP
- FH - Colgrass (a million performances/rehearsals for this)
- VG - all the teaching/instructions/advice; dedication; support
Of course I can't forget to thank my parents again for supporting me remotely and endlessly, and definitely my Heavenly Father for His amazing grace.
Recital is finally done! YAY!!!
Many people I need to thank:
- Those who came - thanks for the flowers and gifts too!
- CB - for a yummy receptions
- AI - Piano Phase and stage management; unforgettable friendship
- NJ - ROP; boundless support and kindness; all the time spent together
- BN - ROP; taping of my recital
- MM - ROP
- FH - Colgrass (a million performances/rehearsals for this)
- VG - all the teaching/instructions/advice; dedication; support
Of course I can't forget to thank my parents again for supporting me remotely and endlessly, and definitely my Heavenly Father for His amazing grace.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Final Sprint to the Finish Line!
Figured I should write something since I haven't written for a while. For the past two weeks or three, I have been doing nothing other than:
Get up, Eat, practice/rehearse, eat, practice/rehearse, eat, practice alone until midnight, eat, sleep.
Okay, sometimes I go to class. Sometimes I teach lessons. In the weekend I go to church. But otherwise, I have been pretty lifeless. I am so stressed. I am going insane! Oh well, only eight more days and it will be okay.
So, what is it in 8 days? Here is a little advertisement:
Graduate Recital
Quennie Wong, percussion
Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 8pm
Recital Hall
School of Music
University of British Columbia
6361 Memorial Road, Vancouver
Performing Works By:
Michael Burritt, Michael Colgrass, David Hollinden, Steve Reich, Jesse Monkman
With Special Guests:
Felisa Hernandez, viola
Annabelle Ip, Nicholas Jacques, Michael McDiarmid, Brian Nesselroad, percussion
Hope to see you there!
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14, ESV)
Get up, Eat, practice/rehearse, eat, practice/rehearse, eat, practice alone until midnight, eat, sleep.
Okay, sometimes I go to class. Sometimes I teach lessons. In the weekend I go to church. But otherwise, I have been pretty lifeless. I am so stressed. I am going insane! Oh well, only eight more days and it will be okay.
So, what is it in 8 days? Here is a little advertisement:
Graduate Recital
Quennie Wong, percussion
Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 8pm
Recital Hall
School of Music
University of British Columbia
6361 Memorial Road, Vancouver
Performing Works By:
Michael Burritt, Michael Colgrass, David Hollinden, Steve Reich, Jesse Monkman
With Special Guests:
Felisa Hernandez, viola
Annabelle Ip, Nicholas Jacques, Michael McDiarmid, Brian Nesselroad, percussion
Hope to see you there!
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14, ESV)
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