do you, or did you ever take violin lessons? ??
I take violin lessons yes
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I have a quick question, because it sort if confuses me. why do you sometimes dress normally, but sometimes you dress really formally?
The short answer? I dress according to how I feel - sometimes I'm tired and I'm a slob while during other times I feel bold and dress with audacity. Regardless of what I'm wearing, I dress to make a sub-conscious statement.
The explanation?
We as human beings often express ourselves through the way we dress, but that may not always be the case. Yes, clothing can reflect our personality, circumstances and even mood sometimes. But what people tend to forget that it is not accurate to judge people based on their appearances, because looks can also be deceiving. This confusion you are experiencing, anon, is the exact reaction I want to trigger. I want to make people stop and think, just what kind of person is he? Can we really know without getting to know him personally?
It also goes to show that we should have the freedom to wear what we want and not feel pressured to dress according to what everyone expects us to look like - If I pull on some sweatpants and a hoodie I'm a jock; If I toss on a T-shirt and jeans I'm "normal"; if I wear a nice collared shirt with/without a tie and put on a blazer I'm "classy" or "formal" or even "overdressed"; if I mix formal wear with casual wear and add on some accessories of designer value I become a "hipster". Regardless of what we put on, there will always be labels placed upon us based on our attires - I sometimes use this to my advantage and plan my outfits carefully to evoke certain pre-conceived feelings. I dress not to impress but to break free from this silent cycle of confinement and open the eyes of the people who look upon me to show them that you really can't just judge a book by its cover.
The explanation?
We as human beings often express ourselves through the way we dress, but that may not always be the case. Yes, clothing can reflect our personality, circumstances and even mood sometimes. But what people tend to forget that it is not accurate to judge people based on their appearances, because looks can also be deceiving. This confusion you are experiencing, anon, is the exact reaction I want to trigger. I want to make people stop and think, just what kind of person is he? Can we really know without getting to know him personally?
It also goes to show that we should have the freedom to wear what we want and not feel pressured to dress according to what everyone expects us to look like - If I pull on some sweatpants and a hoodie I'm a jock; If I toss on a T-shirt and jeans I'm "normal"; if I wear a nice collared shirt with/without a tie and put on a blazer I'm "classy" or "formal" or even "overdressed"; if I mix formal wear with casual wear and add on some accessories of designer value I become a "hipster". Regardless of what we put on, there will always be labels placed upon us based on our attires - I sometimes use this to my advantage and plan my outfits carefully to evoke certain pre-conceived feelings. I dress not to impress but to break free from this silent cycle of confinement and open the eyes of the people who look upon me to show them that you really can't just judge a book by its cover.
they'll still be some good violinists next year, right? and I think the 1 good oboe player is only in grade. 10. but percussion is probably in trouble lol. the only good percussionists are in grade 12 and the guy in sr. jazz band. all of the other ones (not that are many left) seem pretty bad.
For sure! We may be a dying breed but we're not extinct - there will always be that ONE violinist who plays like no other that rises to represent us. Without doubt, there's still talent and dedication within the music department - so the potential to fill these future gaps is there. Whether or not those people want to carry on the legacy and maintain the standards that we set is another thing. Give it time, and those who are meant to fill these voids will do so eventually :) I just hope our generation has inspired the rest of you guys to never drop music from your lives- because it truly is a wonderful thing.
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did you go to frost? ?
Yes, I did haha
Why are you changing classes??
All the mentor groups switch classes as a rotation routine
Is your class annoying or are they ok?
They're alright :) changing classes for term 2 though
do you like being a collab mentor?
I do! Giving back to the school and helping younger ones make me feel good
true. you've already got one foot in the grave :3 but there are barely any percussionists or oboe players, and most of them switched from other instruments because they had too :p
It is detrimental to the species of decent violinists at Burnaby South for me to step down. We're already an endangered and dying breed.
darn. I bet you could be the best oboe/percussion person at bby south ^-^
Too late to start hahaha
percussion looks fun ^-^ oboe looks semi hard to play. you should ask someone teach you lol. I bet anyone would help you xD
No time for any more music than I'm taking on now qq
if you had to learn another instrument, would it be guitar, flute, percussion, oboe, or clarinet? ??
Percussion or Oboe. I feel like all percussionists don't get enough credit for all the things that they do, and I want to be able to better understand all the suffering they go through. The oboe has such a beautiful tone, when played properly, and I think it'd be my instrument of choice should I happen to be a woodwind player!
what's the quintessence???
"Quintessence" is the name of my string quartet. Our name is derived from the word "Quintet", with the prefix "Quin" meaning that there are 5 members in the group. We usually have 2 violins, 1 flute, 1 viola and 1 cello. However, with more members in training this year this may not always be the case. I've stepped down from being one of the players and taken more of a role as director this year, to better prepare my musicians for their future independent seasons. So really, it's more like a string ensemble haha. We make regular annual appearances at school / community events and concerts. Make sure to say hi next time!
why did you start playing violin?? why not any other instrument?
When I was young, I would awaken every Sunday morning to the sounds of orchestral strings from Taipei’s 99.7 fm radio station that my father liked to put on. The symphonies and sonatas made me happy and caused me to adore the violin. I vowed to play the wonderful instrument and hoped to one day bring to others the same happiness it brought upon me. I began at age nine, and continue to pursue this vision today.
Hi. :) How are you? sorry if I've been bugging you with all my "questions" lately, I just don't have anybody else to talk to.
Oh no, your questions don't bother me at all! It keeps my life interesting and I quite enjoy answering them haha. I'm doing okay, could use a little more sleep and time though...regardless you're always welcome to talk to me :)
what?? you mean you're not some super human who's amazing at violin and everything else?? <3
You're too kind, but I'm no more than human. I have as much fears, hopes, dreams, and faults as the next asian guy wearing glasses in the hallway. Drawing inspiration to motivate yourself is one thing, but I do not wish to be put on a pedestal and highly regarded in comparison to everyone else. I only wish to help people, not put them down by undermining their personal achievements with my own. I do what I love, and love what I do - nothing more. But thank you for the compliment though c:
A lot of people look up to you, more than you probably know ^-^ I just want you to know :)
Thanks for the encouragement, I hope I can live up to these examples I've set :s
Simon will try his best, but please be patient with him because Simon is only human. :)
Simon will try his best, but please be patient with him because Simon is only human. :)
I saw this yesterday at a show and i thought of you ^-^ http://i.imgur.com/HHdqclc.jpg?1 Isn't it cool????
It hasn't occurred to me that people think of me...I'm flattered but yes it is creative :)
:'( how are you so skinny tho?? like I exercise regularly and eat well and everything, but how am I overweight? ?? people keep calling me a pig and saying some pretty mean things about me, and they don't believe me when I say I do eat healthy and do exercise and stuff. what do I do??
Don't listen to them. What matters most is how you physically feel about your body. If you are just as in shape as the next person, you have nothing to worry about. You shouldn't be basing your self esteem on how your body appeals to other people because nobody can ever love your body as much as you can. Their mean comments are only made to ease their self-consciousness; putting you down makes them feel better about their own insecurities so just think of it as you taking pity on their lack of confidence by enduring their remarks. Or if you're too fed up for that, just straight out ignore them! You have better things to worry about and they're definitely not worth your time.
As for the me being skinny part ... I spent one week of my summer practicing the violin intensely for about 3-4 hours (sometimes even 5) each day in preparation for my RCM exam, and lost around 3 kg as a result. Since then, the stress and pressure of senior year has prevented me from fattening up again. My dedication to violin has reached the point where practicing has become a form of exercise haha. But I do exercise regularly too (I'm in PE and I run).
As for the me being skinny part ... I spent one week of my summer practicing the violin intensely for about 3-4 hours (sometimes even 5) each day in preparation for my RCM exam, and lost around 3 kg as a result. Since then, the stress and pressure of senior year has prevented me from fattening up again. My dedication to violin has reached the point where practicing has become a form of exercise haha. But I do exercise regularly too (I'm in PE and I run).
my instrument requires me to do a lot of solos in front of judges, and every single time I go up I freeze up. I play at least 5x better in practice than I do in my actual performance at the competition. I doubt this has happened to you, but what would you do??
Playing on your own and playing in front of an audience are two very different things. When you are by yourself, you play without the fear of judgement and consequently allow faults slide more easily. When you play in front of an audience you are presenting your music in a manner in which it is openly displayed for judgement. What you do with your piece and how you decide to play it is both a representation of you and a basis for how others will see you as a musician; and as a result you are more self conscious about you sound. This is when you start to realize what things you are doing wrong and what things you are doing right - you can easily tell by looking at what you things you manage to muster out during a performance despite the "freezing up" that occurs. In addition, you can use the feedback or comments from your audience members afterwards to help you determine your strengths. Having said this, performing for audiences often gives you more opportunities to evaluate your playing. Through these evaluations you will start to realize the importance of attention to detail during solitary practice time - your habits in the practice room make you the musician that you are!
Frequently, there are several difficult passages in a piece that spell "suicide" if not practiced properly. Yet these passages go unnoticed and becomes rather expected by the audience if played well, which is why I think musicians receive less credit than they deserve most of the time. Just remember that careful practicing will make you comfortable with your piece and boost your confidence during the performance. Anyhow, from the countless performances I've heard, I can safely conclude that the best technique is that of which is not noticed at all. Technicality is very important, and ideally it should not intervene with your musicality but rather support it. When I practice, I do so in front of a mirror to maintain good posture and see what I look like during a performance. Sometimes I close my eyes and picture myself on the last stage where I performed. This helps me get the over the overwhelming feeling of playing in a different setting ahead of time. The breakdown of my practicing rituals focus on very specific details of my repertoire as well as basic technical exercises. Once my muscles are warmed up and automatically execute techniques with ease, I am dynamic and thus able to play just about anything. This then allows me to focus on the musicality of my playing which creates an enjoyable listening experience for my audience.
I've gone through some pretty bad performances, some of which still give me nightmares to this day. But they've helped me realize, that at the end of the day if I do something well, or at least better than some others, I should take pride in it because that in itself is an achievement. In short, practice well and perform often - you learn from your mistakes and adjust your practices accordingly to become better than you were yesterday.
Frequently, there are several difficult passages in a piece that spell "suicide" if not practiced properly. Yet these passages go unnoticed and becomes rather expected by the audience if played well, which is why I think musicians receive less credit than they deserve most of the time. Just remember that careful practicing will make you comfortable with your piece and boost your confidence during the performance. Anyhow, from the countless performances I've heard, I can safely conclude that the best technique is that of which is not noticed at all. Technicality is very important, and ideally it should not intervene with your musicality but rather support it. When I practice, I do so in front of a mirror to maintain good posture and see what I look like during a performance. Sometimes I close my eyes and picture myself on the last stage where I performed. This helps me get the over the overwhelming feeling of playing in a different setting ahead of time. The breakdown of my practicing rituals focus on very specific details of my repertoire as well as basic technical exercises. Once my muscles are warmed up and automatically execute techniques with ease, I am dynamic and thus able to play just about anything. This then allows me to focus on the musicality of my playing which creates an enjoyable listening experience for my audience.
I've gone through some pretty bad performances, some of which still give me nightmares to this day. But they've helped me realize, that at the end of the day if I do something well, or at least better than some others, I should take pride in it because that in itself is an achievement. In short, practice well and perform often - you learn from your mistakes and adjust your practices accordingly to become better than you were yesterday.
How have you gotten so good at violin?? I've been playing my instrument for 6-7 years, and your skill level on violin is way better than the level of skill that I have. you're like amazing at violin btw. are you going to do rebel nations this year??? (hopefully)
Well for one thing, RCM exams make you improve a LOT. But I'd say I'm the violinist I am today mostly because of passion and inspiration. If I didn't really care about playing the violin, I would've dropped it already by now and moved on to pursue other things. The other reason is because I've been playing for 8-9 years? I like the violin so much that I have never found practicing dull. As a result, I practice obsessively, playing as if I had an addiction. Then there's the countless times I've put myself out there to gain performing experience from so many different places. It makes me happy to know that my music can make a difference, and that's ultimately why I strive to better than I was yesterday.
Thank you kind anon for your compliment; it's because of appreciation like this that I'm reminded to keep calm and play on. And yes, I will be doing Rebel Nations this year. It's kind of expected of me, after two consecutive appearances, isn't it?
Thank you kind anon for your compliment; it's because of appreciation like this that I'm reminded to keep calm and play on. And yes, I will be doing Rebel Nations this year. It's kind of expected of me, after two consecutive appearances, isn't it?
Are you going to San Francisco with the orchestra in may???
AP season. Most likely not.
Do you still have a girlfriend?
No, I don't
would you look down on someone, or not like someone as much if they were a bit overweight? :/
Despite our judgmental tendencies as human beings, I try not to look down on anyone because I believe that there is something I can learn from everyone. Yes, one appearance may be a reflection of one's physical habits and conditions, and apparel can suggest the personality one carries, but it is one's values, morals and actions that define who they are as a person. Why should a scale reading reflect one's self esteem or affect how I think of them? It doesn't make them any lower than others. After all, weight is merely the product of mass and the acceleration due to gravity. It's just a math equation! Surely we are all beyond the definitions of numbers.
what is your phone ringtone?
Classic phone ring / vibrate.
whats your chatous username
Don't have one
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