well, i've been in canada for 4 and a half years by now to be exact.
My mom and dad decided that we would move because my little brother has ADHD and autism and partly because I was very weak academically and could'nt cope with school over there.
so we moved. All along pretty much I had wanted to come because I heard that a really good/well known singaporean teacher and concert pianist was here and she as teaching my cousins and I wanted to have a chance to study under her.
After moving here for about a month or so and settling into the school routine here I decided to tag along to my cousin's lesson and see whether she would be interested in taking me as her student. After my cousin's lesson, she talked to me for a while, asked me some questions and then asked me to play something for her. Without any hesitation, I went to the piano and started to play "Fur Elise". I never turned around to see how she reacted while I was playing as instantly I was drawn in to the music. I knew that it was the only piece that I had really mastered so I had to do it. After I was done she asked whether it was a piece that I had played for my exam, I said no. Whatever it was, I impressed her and she took me as her student right away although there were many others on her wait list. She also did ear test with me on the 1st lesson and was very pleased that I had perfect pitch.
I got a fright out of it though after going to her for my 1st lesson as she corrected so many things, technique, fingering, my touch etc. the only thing that she was very happy with was my ear tests, appegios and musicality, everything else was trash, she did'nt say that directly but I knew it at that point. I went home so disheartened and started crying. However my mom insisted that she would'nt let me try another teacher and she would cut off my lessons if I did'nt try my best with this teacher. My uncle symphatised with me, knowing what I had gone through and knowing how hard it would be to correct so much but told me gently that maybe something positive would come out off it.
So I practised, had my next lesson and before I knew it I did'nt want a new teacher anymore. Yes, I went to lessons, often got scolded for being irresponsible etc. but actually it was because I never knew how to practise. My mom not understanding the situation always prodded and got me into even more trouble.
It carried on like that for about 1 and a half years more, till one day I went for my lesson and my teacher yelled at me till she did'nt know what to do anymore and I had completely shut her out. At this point her tone changed, she looked right into my face and asked me what was bordering me. I just did'nt answer as I still did not trust her and was confused. She than asked me the same question again and told me that she would'nt carry on with the lesson until I replied.
Out of a sudden, I told her everything. After that she looked at me and just said that I could tell her anything and she would try to understand me. She carried on with the lesson but this time, she seemed so different, so kind and understanding.
After this things changed alot, I loved practised and enjoyed lessons. I did get a scolding every 3 weeks or so as sometimes I would forget and there would be a backslide but the manner of which my teacher and I interacted was very different. Sometimes, that problem would reaccure but after some prodding I would open up to her and I begun to trust her.
On the side, school was in some ways going well but in some ways I struggled still. I often had alot of issues with time managment but always placed my piano practise as a priority. Ended up doing gr 12 for 2 years as i needed more time but I do not regret it at all.
During my final grade 12 yr, my teacher suggested that I should try auditioning for the Vancouver Academy of Music to enter the B.A piano performance degree. So we took the gamble, we both knew it was a 50% chance that I would get it and the audition was 1 month before my Grade 10 piano exam. Well, I did'nt get in so I asked my teacher for options and ended up out of school for a year. Enjoyed it so much and decided to do it for another year.
I'm currently doing my 2nd year of private studies with my teacher. Yes, I get very lonely occasionally and sometimes lack the social life that most people of my age have but overall, I feel that I have achieved so much, especially during the past year that I would'nt change anything.
Initially, I did struggle alot when I 1st switched from ABRSM to RCM as there were so many theory exams to completed and I failed my 1st 3. Since then though, I have not failed a single one and i'm proud to say that I've studied for the last few on my own and still passed.
One thing though that has made me extremely happy was that just the week before last, I overheard my piano teacher talking to my mom, for the 1st time she said: "I'm so proud of Amelia for what she has achieved especially for the past year. She has matured so much and the way she handles thing is so different and I can hardly believe that she's the same girl as when I 1st taught her. I can trust her to get her work done well and she knows what I expect. I don't care if she simply passed a few of her theory exams because she studied for them on her own and when she says that she will get something done I know that she will. She has made me more proud of her than any of my other students."
Well, my teacher must have known that I overheard because she told me so afterwards directly, in a different way but still, my teacher hardly ever praises he students and to have her tell me something like that at times can be unbelievable.
I took part in my 1st real piano competition last year in Nov. Won 3rd place with a overall mark of 84 and am very happy with it.
As for what i'm going to do next, I will be flying back to singapore next month to audition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. My teacher says that she will make sure that I get in and failure will not be an option. Will be taking part in my next competition this comming April, with a goal for 2nd place at least. Last music history exam in May and ARCT performer's in Aug before I move back to singapore.
you are probably curious about what i've learnt under my present teacher.
ok, these are the pieces that I have studied under her since I started with her about 4+yrs ago placed in order, i'm still working on the pieces that I have listed from the Bach Partita onwards ( have finished learning most of them)
Mozart: Sonata in B flat major K570 (1st movement)
Turina: Sacro-Monte op.55 no.5
Bach: Prelude & Fugue in G major BWV 884
Mozart: Sonata in B flat major K570 ( 2nd&3rd movements)
Chopin: Nocturne in e minor op.72 no.1
Debussy: Children's Corner no.1 Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
Berens: Study in a minor op.61 no.32
Bach: Prelude & Fugue in E Major BWV 854
Tsitsaros: Snow Games from Nine Tales
Heller: Prelude in c sharp minor op.81 no.10
Haydn: Sonata in D major Hob.XVI/33;L/34 (complete)
Chopin: Preludes op.28 nos.3,11,13,23
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G major op.32 no.5
Bach: Partita no.2 in c minor BWV 826 (Sinfonia)
Mozart: Sonata in c minor K457 (complete)
Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives op.22 no.3,5,8&10
Chopin: Etude in F major op.10 no.8
Haydn: Sonata in E flat major Hob.XVI/49;L/59 (complete)
Mendelssohn: Andante and Rondo Cappriccioso op.14
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in g sharp minor op.32 no.12
Chopin: Etude in G flat major op.10 no.5
Schumann: Piano Concerto in a minor op.54
Beethoven: Sonata in A major op.2 no.2
Chopin: Etude in c sharp minor op.10 no.4
Chopin: Etude in b minor op.25 no.10
Chopin: Etude in c sharp minor op.25 no.7
that's it for now, probably will get some new pieces soon again
Topic: studying music abroad