A Musical Launch

I am so happy! Finally I am about to embark on this life long journey of learning and playing music. Imagine what I always want to learn is music, much to chagrin and apathy of my parents who needed me to succeed in life meaning academic excellence.

I hated stuff like accounting, which was really boring no matter how NTU tried to market otherwise. Ya, imagine I went throught the 3 years of boring academic torture, thankfully with good friends and lots of coffee, shopping and karaoke, disco sessions and and graduated with a degree that is somewhere in one of the cabinets at home. Well, at least I understand financial statements, investing and budgeting though I always can't seem to balance any cheque book I own. Hahaha. My gifting is definitely NOT in number crunching and analysis.

Lord I really want to learn music
This has been my heart cry from ancient of days. My heart and mind are always quite keen on music and thank God, I had many musician friends in church, pianists, guitarists, drummers and singers and dancers. Ya, some of the really gifted ones compose but most compositions are so...so whether they boast of love or even exalt God much. I am talking about the musical aspect. Even the current church that we attend in a large shopping mall, well not all new compositions are really good, anointed and pleasing to the ear. Hee

After Rachel was born, and now that she is 2.5 years, the pressure and expectation for me to stop dreaming and start working is stronger. Whoever I spoke with, many would suggest, that I go find work, build a career and earn lots of money for my family. "What about your child's educational needs, retirement funds and your child's future retirement funds, you need to give them a headstart you know???" It may even sound selfish for me to pursue music, to spend money on instruments and lessons when there are other legitimate financial needs like getting a property and a car.

A common vision in marriage
Thankfully God is good. He bless me with a musician husband who had been through the same struggle. I think Yan would be so much more developed musically if he had simply refused his parents desire for him to study Architecture for 6 years when his passion for making and teaching music is so much stronger. Btw, he graduated and was on scholarship almost all his study life. So Clever!! Like I would encourage Rachel when she did right!! Any way nothing is wasted, he know more about ID, building and construction than most of us.

When I shared with him how I NEVER enjoy working life but would do well at work nevertheless, he understood. "We should always follow our heart, God wired each of us differently. We will only find true contentment when we do what we enjoy doing for a living."

Buying Musical Equipment
My first digital piano cost $2500. It came with powerful Yamaha reference speakers. This is a great asset that Yan practices late into the night with the headphones when baby and sometimes me too, had retired for the night. His latest day time TOY was the ipod which he immerses himself with really classical music when he commutes for work. He likes Horowitz, Glen Gould, Listz. and Opera I mean Mozart's opera like Le Nozzle De Figaro, Don Giovanni etc. many that I had also learnt to appreciate.

Yan's upright piano is a re-conditioned Yamaha that is more than 30 years old. The music school that he works with Harvest Music in Katong, well, they did the job so well, it looked as good as almost new and more importantly to a seasoned pianist, the quality of the sound and the touch or feel. I like it too, but I play with the soft pedal one, not wanting to disturb any neighbour with my feeble attempts.

Next year we will start serious lessons when Rachel goes to pre-nursery. Afterall, one can't play anything when she is around demanding that she be the one to tinker away. She has a cute way of imitating Daddy, playing with slow and sudden fast movements, fingers, clenched fists rotating wrists ????and all. I think she will do well musically too. Already she runs to the piano. or picks up her baby toy violin to "accompany" any music on TV, especially cartoons on Kid's central or her collection of more than 60 vcd cartoons.

Our Latest Musical Instrument
We bought a violin yesterday!! I love it. Well with limited budget, I had prayed earnestly that God would bless us with one that sounded good, had much potential that will see me through all the grades and must look good. I don't know why but i do not like red fiery wood or orangey wood. Rosewood? acadia wood??May be I had long associated it with pagan worhip altars.

My new violin teacher who also resides in the same estate, well she had grade 8 piano and graduates from Queensland Conservatory of Music with a bachelor in violin pedagogy. She is also part of a quartet that performs mostly for govermental meetings and dinners. She's only 30 I saw too that she was good with kids may be she may teach Rachel one day. Actually I prefer Rachel to start later, at her age now she need to change violin every year!! Although we can get used violins easily, we may end up house full of violins and cases. We could use them to decorate the walls of the new apartment when God blesses us with it., nevertheless! We are now asking God for a new place with enough rooms to be converted into sound proof studios that Yan can teach, rent piano studio for practice and we can each learn our craft.

Choosing my next life partner
Well, the staff at Gramercy including the boss helped me choose a violin. Its like choosing a life partner!! You need to love it, the design, and the voice. Come to think of it, I never liked men with too high voices, it irritates me and like wise, i prefer a more mellow violin sound. Its German hand made and imagine the wood was air dried 10 years before the violin was made in 2004. Being in the show room also mean that some had played it before, it matters as the voice opens up with years of regular playing. I learnt from the teacher to look out for tight grained, light weight violins. With God's favour and grace, all accessories, authenticity certificate was included at a good discount and way below our initial budget of $2500.

I love it. I can't wait for the lessons next week. When i go for the lessons in the neighbouring block Yan will play sand or water with the baby and hopefully she will grow more attached to Daddy. But more likely he will take her to the new Borders (opening in September) Parkway Parade or just play toys with her at Isetan toys department, while I practice another 30 min after lesson at home before I go meet them for lunch.

Life is good when God is in it, all the time!!

Thank you Lord Jesus!!