HMI 06 (2nd part, week two)

So now's the end of week two. Let me look back and see what happened.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Allan Pasqua's improv class on Monday was awesome, he taught Giant Steps in the class. He designated some practising schemes, such as playing the changes in 14 bars, which means cut down the last two bars to lessen the feeling of settling down. This is for practising your skills of knowing where you are in the changes. Pretty tough, especially when he asked the students to trade 8 with the drummer, pengsan! They would all go back to 16 bars so easily, haha!

Nothing much to say about this week except Laurence Rosenthal came in to conduct us playing his Miracle Worker score, man... that was some deep ass music he was making man. If the same music goes to any other conductor, it would turn into another cheesy Hollywood music. Then Johnny Mandel came in to conduct his songs "A Time For Love" and "Emily" as well. Man, I can't help but be deeply touched by the music. And I totally salute to Mr Mandel because he is already 80 over years old like Larry, but he is still so clear about EVERY SINGLE note that we play. He could HEAR EVERY WRONG NOTE people did. He could hardly move his arms, but sure as hell his brain could move!!

Then it was the Big Band concert, pretty kick ass with Christian McBride. It was awesome! There was big party after that, threw by the string section, but sorry lah, I didn't contribute any beer, I only consume them, haha!! I even did a beer bong with two beers inside, crazy... And we were hugging each other so lovingly after we were all "gone", especially A and H! Haha! That was fun.

The film concert on the next day was awesome! People loved it, and we loved it too! I thought Richard Kaufman did a great job in conduct Austin Powers and Spiderman with the big screen behind us. Everything was DEAD ON the cues!!! My god... How could he possibly do that?!!

Post-concert party was another thing worth mentioning is that I jammed, for the first time in the post-concert party, with the real jazz cats, and the audiences and sponsors that came were all there. That was a bold move, I know... But at least that gained myself a little respect rather than hiding myself in a corner. String players who improvise should have more balls and stand out and say something with their horns!!! (See the video, although you can't see me, but you can hear very well for sure! )



After the concert, I found myself breaking up with HP... Might be a good thing though. But I'm sure she's feeling very very bad. I'm sorry HP, but this is a decision I have to make. I hope you will find someone that loves you back as much as you love him. Dont' find that asshole back again... promise?

Updates on HMI 2006 (first part, week 2)

So I wrote the first concert is over, pretty good.

Had some fun in the post-concert party, man, them jazz players tore it up!!!

Talked to Su a little, she's a fun person, especially when we use Manglish to talk, WOOHOO!!! What a rush!!!

The next day we went to Warner Bros., but since we were all so fucked up (we had ANOTHER party the night before right after the post-concert party ---- folks, that's HMI!), we woke up like zombies at 7 in the morning. And hell, the fuckin' bus didn't show up till late...sigh*, should've slept longer...

The Indiana Jones session in the Clint Eastwood Recording Stage in Warner Bros. wasn't as good as last year, I have to confess. The brass players this year, I dunno why, they kept cracking their notes up! We had to take so many takes until we didn't have time to look at the final result!

After the session, I followed Russ and his friend, Micah, to Universal Studio that's just around the corner to watch Superman Returns in IMAX version. Saw the movie before, so the whole point there is just to watch the three 3D scenes, yes, I said THREE. ONLY THREE. Luckily it's not so bad.

That night we went to Ken's place to eat Bak Kut Teh, yummy! HP made some chicken too. That was something! Then Nick came to let HP try his Izuka viola and fetched us back to the dorm.

* * * * * * * * * *

Rest of the week up till now is all about playing. Orchestra in the morning, 9.30am ---- which sucks. This week we're performing film music with a big screen behind. But not as good as last year cuz we almost don't have any other film composers to conduct us, except Pat and Larry Rosenthal. PLUS, no Paul Chihara! :( I miss him, hope he will show up eventually.

String band is going alright, more systematic this time. What I like is we only play one piece in the combine string band, which saves the havoc from last year.

Then, it's all jamming jamming and jamming. Jamming with any cats I would like to jam with. It's fun, it's great! I got better, I feel. And Jeremy and I came up with a new tune!

Music filled my life right now, I'm really really happy and satisfied. I don't think I have time for any other things, I really need my own space and my own time. I don't even know if having a girlfriend at this point is such a good idea anymore...

Ertinya "Malaysia Boleh"

The fanatical nationalists like to shout "Malaysia Boleh" before they think. Why shout "Malaysia Boleh" over those "longest, biggest, tallest, shortest, highest, youngest" records in the Guiness Book of Records?

Three nights ago, I shouted "Malaysia Boleh" in Los Angeles, CA. Not only out of patrioticism, but out of the bottom of my heart.

I saw Kamrul Hussin, directed such an excellent piece of music, that was used as the closing of the 2nd Salon of APPEX --- an Asian-Pacific cultural exchange programme held this year in LA.

I saw Joseph Gonzales, dancing away with his beautiful body movements, and choreographed such an excellent dance programme.

Pessimists like to say "Malaysia Tak Boleh", they think our culture and art is next to nothing.

But if they saw this, they have to admit they're wrong ---- Malaysia DOES have something to offer to the world!

Kamrul sung with such passion,"Maju seni, maju budaya!" Indeed, if the arts are advanced, the culture will grow.

That's what Malaysia need right now --- the growth of culture --- since our economy is so much better than a few decades ago.

I hope there are more people like Kamrul and Joseph, or even better ones, appearing in the art scene, I honestly hope so.

Good job Abang Kamrul, saya memang terharu!

Henry Mancini Institute 2006 (Week 1)

So I'm back here again, to HMI.

I took off from KL in the morning of 13th July, after a whole 3 weeks of craziness there.

Transit in Hong Kong was fun. I knew Julian was going home on the same day but I didn't know what time was his flight. I tried my luck by calling him with my cellphone. But there were some limitations going on there, I could only SMS him. Surprisingly, he called me back! Then he told me he was upstairs in the airport!

So I went up to meet him and Eddie. We took a couple pictures and they went to buy wine for people in KL. Then they told me about the whole Jackie Chan scandal in their gig with Jonathan Lee (李宗盛).

Anyway, I stayed on in the airport for one more hour after they took off.

Then I reached LA, my beloved city.

Waited in the special registration room for about an hour before I could come out as a free man. Then I waited for Ken and his woman to come fetch me at the airport. He told me there was big traffic along the way.

After I hopped on to his car, he drove me straight to see Pirates of Caribbean 2. I totally fell asleep in many parts of the movie. So I can't tell if the film is good or not, saw some nice effects, so I think it might be good...

Night time was drinking time with Ken, we went to buy sake and plum wine and had quite a lot, didn't get fucked up though, so it's fine. But whenever I get alcohol, I will always shit like mad the next day, haha! So you know what happened to me right?

So the next day we went to pick up HP, then checked in to HMI.

Many news faces, a few old ones. But it's cool, cuz my roommates are great people, including Jeremy my buddy, and Russ the viola principal of our 1st week, and Ben the bass trombonist who always seek for more jazz solo opportunities, haha!

* * * * * * * *

The funny thing about this time was, we started party in the first night! That, I guess, never happened before. At least we're not that crazy last year.

Anyway, in the placement audition, they asked me if I mind sitting in a principal chair again. I said I wanna do more of my own stuff, so the less responsibility the better. My wish was granted, I get NO principal chairs whatsoever, NO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! So this time I can sit in the audience and watch Gonzalo Rubalcaba perform!!!

Orchestra pieces this week are very nice this time, more depth, more artistic. The highlight of the program, I think, is Pat Williams' "August", a work he wrote after he had a health breakdown and went through a big operation. I guess life experience could change a person entirely. Pat looks different, not that his looks changed, but his whole attitude of talking and everything looks so unlike last year.

As for string band, I got put into Lesa Terry's band, which is cool. She is known to be very organized and systematic in teaching. I'm glad. A little disappointed that I don't get to play in Danny Seidenberg's band though... But oh well, others deserve an oppotunity.

This Saturday will be an audition day for us violinists to choose a soloist for Stardust, a piece arranged by Pat. There are some open solo changes that I need to work on. Ray Pizzi, my father figure in improvisation helped me for a whole one half hours yesterday. I'm soooo grateful about that! Thanks Ray! I will remember all the scales you taught me.

Tonight was another fun night, it's the SIMPSONS READING SESSION!!! Alf Clausen, the composer himself, came to conduct us as usual, and told us some nice and funny stories. It was great.

One thing I need to mention is the jams I had since I came in this year. I never had that much jamming last year, because of the business I had. So this time I got to jam a lot with Jeremy, and also the "real deals" in HMI. It was scary in the official jam session on Monday, seeing all them great players burning their solos like nobody's business. I played really really badly that night.

But just now after the Simpsons, somebody started a jam session, and I watched for a long time, wondering if I should join in, cuz I was nervous, plus I dunno those tunes. At last, they said, "Let's play a last one, All Blues in 11!" So immediately took out my horn (it's actually my violin) and joined in. It was fun, I thought I played well.

I guess I just have to keep on playing with other people, jamming without thinking what others might think of me. To be totally fluent in jazz is my goal, I think I can do it, it only takes time. So I will spend a lot of time digging into it, learning everything I can learn to be a pro. I don't think I have time for any other thing in this case I guess, but it's OK, if I can get it. What else matters?

Time to think...

So it is time to sit down and think
Should still be playing a solo recital
Should I? Or should I not?

I always feel so much relaxed and comfortable playing with my friends in a chamber group.
Be it a duo, a trio or a quartet.
But SOLO...

Sigh...

Sometimes I think classical music simply gives me a lot pressure
Pressure and pressure
Scared to get things wrong
Scared to play one wrong note
Scared to go out of tune
Scared of how people think I suck...

So it's time to sit down and think over
Should I do a recital anymore???

Chamber makes me feel much comfy
Why not just chamber?
And all other stuff
Like jazz, rock, experimental...........
Maybe I was born for those things, not for being a solo musician
I'm just not into that shit

Stereotyping musicians...

Most people that I know (not to mention those that I don't), have a stereotypical image of musicians.

They think musicians' life is easy, and they're poor, can't make enough money to eat, dreaming all the time about flower fragrance, praising the sun and serenading the moon... etc.

And all you people who think like that, please remember this phrase of mine: This idea is disgusting!!!

First of all, we musicians, like anybody else, need to eat and sleep and shit. We make money out of our hardwork. "How do you guys work hard?? I thought you only need to play music?"

HELLO????? ONLY play music did you say?!! Bitch you're too ignorant.

If we ONLY play music, why do we have to go through all those hazzle to find a good teacher, to go overseas and study?? You think playing music is easy ah? Try learning Tai Chi for a month then you will see how difficult playing music is! It's exactly how it feels like!

Then I've even came across some people that think that a musician can't fix their flat tyres, or wash toilet. COME TRY ME!!!

Basically, for them, musicians are bunch of sissies who drink the morning dew, serenading the lunar, chasing stars, surfing wind, diving in the safari, dance on the water, walk in the night sky... anything else you can think of?

In fact I'm tired of this shit, that's why I wrote this.

Eh, please lah, before you say such things think again lah! We are also human, flesh and bones like you OK?

Lunch at TP's

Big face lah me and KC, makanning TP's own cooking at her place!

Walauweh...

At first we said 8pm, but later TP changed time and we didn't know.

But luckily Yayasan is available for practice. So it's fine.

TP's cooking is mmmm mmmmm..... SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!

Nasi lemak I had two, her rendang~~~ OH MY GOD~~~ SYURGA nie!

Then Mama Mon made a vodka orange for me to drink, so good...

Then I met Camelia, the famous Malay singer... didn't take a pic....apalah me...

We couldn't move eventually, too full, even dinner also I didn't take. You can see how full I am.

But it's great to have that great meal! The bestest so far since I got back!

Thanks TP! You the man!!