I thought I would post an introduction since ive been coming here for a while now
I live near Perth, West Australia. Lived here all my life, although my mother comes from Germany(Bremen) and my father from Johor Baru(Malaysia) which is sorta on the border of Singapore/Malaysia. My grandmother was an opera singer when she was younger, my father was taught by jazz musicians that worked at my grandfathers restaraunts. Dad was entirly taught by ear, he cant read music. I should post a recording of him playing, its pretty special stuff in my opinion, not only because hes my father, but his choice of notes are competely instinct, if I ask him to explain what he does he can't. A piece is always played differently each time he plays it.
My piano teaching for many years was from him. I learnt to play music by ear, I learn huge amounts from listenign to CDs and neglecting sheetmusic, which was bad in a way because my reading skills suffered. But i was much more interested in classical music, Beethoven Sonata's mostly. From 8-13ish i worked on Beethoven sonata's not even really having a concept for difficulty because i just enjoyed the music so much. It was only when i had my first real teacher at 13 that she explained what beethoven was really about. Of course i had many other teachers before her, but they where not really professional teachers, more like teach you the basics and teach you from books.
During my highschool years I really focused on my academic achievement instead of music, although i did do constant practice every day, squeezed it in, even to the despair of my family who sometimes had to listen to it (not without a fight) at 10pm.
I wanted to be a doctor, then a lawyer, then an astronomer, a dentist (which i quickly changed my mind about after 2 week work experience), then came to the decision that an engineer was the best choice. So i applied for engineering, and while i was in holiday in Germany with my mother (celebrating the end of my schooling years) my hotel phone got a call 2am in th emorning and my dad said, you got your first prefference. Which meant i was going to study engineering.
yay, all the hard work paid off and my holidays wouldnt be ruined. Returned to australia and then got into study for my engineering degree. 3 years passed, then i decided i wanted to do music. Threw away my studies and dove into all sorts of music lots of Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Debussy, Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Albeniz, Lecuonna, De Falla. Met up with Roger Woodward who hosted a master class and played for him. Played Liszt's Hungarian Raphsody no 17. Was offered to study with him after playing it for him which i was suprised.
He moved to San Fransisco 2 years later and i didn't follow. So then ive been still studying music myself, teaching weekly my students and doing yearly concerts to keep my repetoire sharp and generate some extra income. Music is really my life now. I have a spiritual side to myself as well, I believe there must be a reason for everything, never believe no order in chaos and random things happen to people. Believe you cannot both understand and disagree with someone. What else... mmm. oh yeah i have a american pitt bull her name is Tilly. I have a Pink and Grey Australian Galah called Furfy(i didnt name it thast just its name) i got him for free out of the newspaper. He can say a tonn of things, he doesnt shut up and his word salad is just bizzare sometimes.
Love sports, tennis and squash. Played squash competitively when i was younger and won quite a few times. Anyone want a game? eheh.
Topic: Introduction