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"Freedom... Liberty..." ... ... ... ... bullshit... ... ... ... rehearsals are killing me now...
Someone kicks you down the cliff, then where you land, another person comes and kicks you off again. ¶ 5/30/2006 05:11:00 pm 1 comments
Compare and contrast... I told you McKellen has the looks to play Lenny in any film or documentary made about the composer/conductor/pianist/educator!
¶ 5/29/2006 05:22:00 pm 0 comments
"Contains spoilers"
The Da Vinci Code movie is essentially an adaptation of the novel – words brought to life with stunning visuals, a Lonely Planet of the book.
Essentially that's the only reason why I decided to watch it.
I read the novel last year. So vivid are the descriptions of the locations that I couldn't resist surfing the Internet for pictures of these places so that I can understand what Dan Brown is trying to tell us. I especially want to see the structures that represent the chalice and the blade at the end of the story, the Temple Church and its "sarcophaguses" (turns out they are just statues) as well as that interesting high-security bank vault where the machine picks out the safe deposit boxes and delivers them to the client using a conveyor system.
The movie is pretty fast-paced, but essentially ends when Teabing gets arrested. I'm a sucker for the speedy, I don't really like slow stuff. The last bit where they go to Roslin Church becomes a documentary about the place and its underground vaults. The dialogue is a drag, I'm better off reading the book.
But I must say: the ending is really stunning. Robert Langdon kneels down at the top of the inverted glass pyramid, representing the chalice. The camera pans down onto the upright pyramid and penetrates through it, goes down into the bowels of the earth, as if there is a vault containing the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene. In the book, the ending is ambiguous – it ends at the two pyramids in the Lourve and that is it.
If there is ever a documentary to be made about Leonard Bernstein today, I'd say Sir Ian McKellen fits the role, only that he has to look more portly as Bernstein ballooned towards the end of his life.
The air-conditioning at the Cathay Cineplex is very cold, so remember folks, bring a sweater when you go there.
Scene from THE RIVER CRIES. From left: Lina and Michelle Teo (Chorus members), Michelle Loh (composer and Renoa) and Hawk (partially hidden - as the Shaman)
Gavin, our director, thinking hard...
Me teaching Gary his part for FACES OF GOD, the huge ensemble number.
(Pictures courtesy of Darius, Shahdon and Hawk)
¶ 5/26/2006 02:25:00 pm 0 comments
Sometimes it is necessary to employ the full range of the keyboard, hence I do not record using my MIDI controller, which has only 61 keys. However I can still get a somewhat decent recording from my acoustic piano. Although it's not of the best studio quality, it suffices for rehearsal and record purposes.
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The first step is to block out environmental noises. Close all the doors, turn on the air-conditioner. The hum from the cooling unit shouldn't interfere.
Set up the equipment as shown in the picture above. You need a piano (of course, duh!), a laptop installed with some recording software - for me I'm using Cool Edit Pro, which is now known as Adobe Audition after it was bought over and a microphone. I'm using the cheap computer microphone - the white thin one with the long bent stick.
Closeup shot of the laptop and the microphone wire. I use the lamp as support for the wire.
Cliffhanger? It's the micrphone dangling freely. The eggshells really look like rocky surfaces of a cliff! That contraption improves the sound quality by minimising echoes - echoey sounds make you feel more tired and drives you to give up playing more easily. Stupid me always thought that sound rises like hot air, so I used to open the top of my piano for the sound to go through. Apparently that's rubbish! The best place to put the mike for an upright piano is the soundboard (that's what the soundboard is for! For the sound to go through!)
If you're looking for a rehearsal space, or a venue to hold a function, let me recommend this place, the rates are pretty reasonable. Another thing to add: there's a Yamaha U3 in the blackbox so it's makes it even more worth it for music rehearsals!
¶ 5/22/2006 06:03:00 pm 0 comments
HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches.
So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.
HAVE FEVER? EAT YOGHURT!
Eat lots of yoghurt before pollen season.
Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.
TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!
INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.
ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes.
ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)
UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach.
Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.
BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.
BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.
MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.
COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)
COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.
BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.
LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.
ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.
DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)
CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.
BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.
Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.
Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young.........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)
Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.
Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C & Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn uv rays)
Guava & Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation.
Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)
Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.
BOY: May I hold your hand?
GIRL: No thanks, it isn't heavy.
GIRL: Say you love me! Say you love me!
BOY: You love me...
GIRL: If we become engaged will you give me a ring?
BOY: Sure, what's your phone number?
GIRL: I think the poorest people are the happiest.
BOY: Then marry me and we'll be the happiest couple
GIRL: Darling, I want to dance like this forever.
BOY: Don't you ever want to improve?
BOY: I love you and I could die for you!
GIRL: How soon?
BOY: I would go to the end of the world for you!
GIRL: Yes, but would you stay there?
SHARON: Have you ever had a hot passionate, burning kiss?
TRACY: I did once. He'd forgotten to take the cigarette out of his mouth.
MAN: You remind me of the sea.
WOMAN: Because I'm wild, romantic and exciting?
MAN: NO, because you make me sick.
WIFE: You tell a man something; it goes in one ear and comes out of the other.
HUSBAND: You tell a woman something: It goes in both ears and comes out of the mouth.
MARY: John says I'm pretty. Andy says I'm ugly. What do you think? Peter?
PETER: A bit of both. I think you're pretty ugly.
Girlfriend: "...And are you sure you love me and no one else?"
Boyfriend: "Dead Sure! I checked the whole list again yesterday".
Teacher: "Which is more important to us, the sun or the moon?"
Pupil: "The moon".
Teacher: "Why?"
Pupil: "The moon gives us light at night when we need it but the Sun gives us light only in the day time when we don't need it".
Teacher: "What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?"
Pupil: "A teacher".
Waiter: "Would you like your coffee black?"
Customer: "What other colours do you have?"
My father is so old that when he was in school, history was called current affairs.
Teacher: "Sam, you talk a lot!"
Sam: "It's a family tradition".
Teacher: "What do you mean?"
Sam: "Sir, my grandpa was a street hawker, my father is a teacher".
Teacher: "What about your mother?"
Sam: "She's a woman".
Tom: "How should I convey the news to my father that I've failed?"
David: "You just send a telegram: Result declared, past years performance repeated".
Teacher: "Now, children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and stopped him, what virtue would I be showing?"
Student: "Brotherly love".
Teacher: "Now, Sam, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?"
Sam: "No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook".
Patient: "What are the chances of my recovering doctor?"
Doctor: "One hundred percent. Medical records show that nine out of ten people die of the disease you have. Yours is the tenth case I've treated. The others all died".
Teacher: "Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE?"
One Student: "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day and at the same time."
Teacher: "George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
One Student: "Because George still had the axe in is hand."
FIVE LESSONS TO MAKE YOU
THINK ABOUT THE WAY WE TREAT PEOPLE
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance, and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in our path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving when it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
Now you have 2 choices.
Most importantly.................. "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."
1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a website at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cellphone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line, before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.
Brought to you by the MUSICAL THEATRE SOCIETY (MTS) and the ESPLANDE CO.
9 June 2006, Esplanade Recital Studio
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CAST
VICTORIA: Chloe Andrina Lim
CLEO: Fadilah Hamzah
BECKY: Serene Tan
SUSANNE: Esther Yang
LETCHMI: Anjana Srinivasan
LEE: Luke Kwek
CHORUS: Carol Chan, Firdaus, Karin Fu, Trey Ho, Darius Lim, Eleine Ng, Sim Si Ying, Michelle Tan, Valane Tnee
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SYNOPSIS
Victoria, Becky, Susanne and Letchmi all have problems with their physical appearances. In comes Cleo, fashion writer for the magazine Vanity, who proclaims that they must change their outward appearances in order to please the men. These women thus become obsessed with their bodies and go through harm's way just to look the perfect women so that others will "accept" them. Hilarious and full of fun and energy, this musical eventually teaches a lesson that beauty of the inner self of a person is more important that the exterior façade.
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CITY OF THE GODS
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LOVE IS IN THE AIR
JULIAN SUEZ: Ghazali M Sufrain
You will then be complete
Seeing things as they are
That's the Power of Now ¶ 5/12/2006 12:19:00 am 0 comments
I've just been engaged for a few projects:
1. The Project Superstar thing is coming up with some new album, so my friend Mike is doing the arrangements for one of the songs - a Thai song, I'll be playing the piano part. Woo-hoo! I'm sort of considered playing for a Superstar finalist!
2. One of Kenny's (Tan, the film-maker) friends called me, asking me to do arrangements for some school song. Going to find out soon what school that is.
3. BF Youth is asking me to do arrangements for some pop songs, including a minus one for some Chinese R&B song.
Thankfully I have less to do now for The Next Wave of Musicals III. I'm going to play live on the piano for LOVE IS IN THE AIR, which wasted my efforts and time put into the minus one but solves a lot of my problems as I don't have to spend MORE time hackling on the music tracks; for VANITY VICTORIOUS, VIRTUE VANQUISHED, I'm almost done with the minus ones, I make it an excuse to play live for the last song I composed just because there is dialogue in the middle of the song; for CITY OF THE GODS, same case - less than five songs require minus ones, the rest will be played live.
So much work reduced! So happy...
All I have to do now is to practice, practice, practice. Heard that it's an upright piano at the Esplande Recital Studio, not a grand d'la grande Steinway - pray it's a U5, love the huge music stand to death - composers' dream.
And the height of my prospective piano (131cm) effectively shields me from audience view, provided the soundboard of the piano will be facing the folks.
¶ 5/11/2006 10:46:00 am 0 comments
Yours truly at the keys in OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART - Vesak Special musical (photo by Yi Lin) ¶ 5/10/2006 01:17:00 pm 0 comments
GROUP PHOTO after a successful run! With us are Ajahn Brahm and MP Mr Chan Soo Sen. Shane and I seem to be making obsence gestures, but we're only beckoning Malcolm who's coming down the aisle to hurry up so that he can get into the photo with all of us! ¶ 5/09/2006 11:57:00 pm 0 comments
BACKSTAGE BOYS: the crew whom you the audience don't notice are the quintessentials of a show. They handle the cast, props, sets, lights... everything down to our meals. We are very grateful to these people who are the backbone of the show. Our gratitude! ¶ 5/09/2006 11:53:00 pm 0 comments
MEN OF MUSIC - the guys from Soracco. From left: Alvin, Wai Hong, Thay Aun & Yi Lin (photo by Yi Lin) ¶ 5/09/2006 11:50:00 pm 0 comments
Ajahn Brahm! It is an honour to meet him! He's the author of the book OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART, and a very inspiring speaker, I always enjoy the stories that he tells!
¶ 5/09/2006 11:35:00 pm 0 comments
SORACCO MUSICAL GROUP
Just before the finale (we were goofing around behind closed curtains).
I'm halfway through the orchestrations for FACES OF GOD today. I cheat by not having a completely traditional orchestra playing as I have done for LOVE OF THE CENTURY and CITY OF THE GODS - I have added a heavy guitar to give oomph to the bass.
***
Dr Mary Ann Tsao, advisor to the Musical Theatre Society, attended OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART last night and loved it. Wow! This is so encouraging for all of us involved!
***
I leave the house earlier than usual. Apparently a reporter from Life! is coming down to interview some of us and take photographs. Publicity for the show. Besides, we musicians are rehearsing HOME with Alvin. We haven't quite gotten the feel for the last two nights. Alvin let us listen to the mp3 - it is my first time ever listening to it! - and today we decide to try it out before the show.
It pours heavily. And then you realise how badly covered (pun unintended) the CBD is. From the Standard Chartered bank building there is no shelter to the next complex, which is the building housing the Bank of China. Let's not even talk about connectivity to the Fullerton... why are we talking about walkway shelters in the heartlands and they don't even bother to build them in the city? What, everybody owns a car? Excuse me, there are still lots of office workers who ride the MRT and the buses and you're expecting them to to catch their trains and buses damp?
The small umbrella that I am carrying is no match for the torrential downpour. My sleeves and shoes are drenched by the time I arrive at the foyer of Victoria Theatre. Jayson and Rong Hui are at the foyer - Rong Hui advises not to go in as we are wet and the auditorium is freaking cold. Hui Ling's mum arrives soon after, and she gets Buddhist Fellowship polo tees for us to wear - my gratitude to her! She is worried that we may catch the chills. We change at the foyer toilet, and then I remain behind and attempt to dry my black T-shirt which I will be wearing during the show later using the electric hand dryer. Not as comfortable as heating up my army uniform, because the cotton allows a great deal of heat to pass through and sing my hand.
***
I have to confer with Stella on the cue for Agnetta to sing IT'S A HEARTACHE, because Angie commented that we started too soon, while Stella was still speaking. As a result the audience couldn't catch the dialogue, and neither could they concentrate on the song too. "Okay, so it's 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I say for the third time.
"Yeah," replies Stella.
Then I'm off to brief Agnetta on the entrance. "Let's just play by ear," I tell her. "Worse comes to worse, I'll just fiddle around with the chords and only play the A-major chord (the song is in D-major) when I hear 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'."
Hope it works out. Fingers crossed.
***
Shit I screwed the Db/Eb chord towards the end of OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART. I play a pure D-flat chord, spoils the effect...
***
As usual people laugh at all the wrong places in THE MAN AND HIS FOUR WIVES. Talk about a tragic comedy.
I am always paranoid about the curtain screwing up.
***
The mikes cocked up in the second half.
First, Nick's mike was not turned on. So, while he and Ren Shang - as the devas - danced about, he deliberately danced off the stage into the wings where the tech guy quickly solved the problem, while Ren Shang continued prancing about solo, before Nick flew back onto stage to rejoin him.
Second, Stella's mike had problems during THE SEVEN SPINSTERS. I think they forgot to click her connection with the amps.
For a moment I thought Cat's mike was problematic as well, but turns out that she didn't speak her first lines loudly enough. Whew.
***
Break-time from playing. For the first time the musicians change into black long-sleeves and jeans. Smart casual, I like. I think I'm going to dress like this when I play for The Next Wave of New Musicals III in June. I'm going to miss jamming with a band, though. I'll be playing on a piano all alone...
No more people to talk cock with during the dialogues when music is not required.
***
Everybody is damn high today. Last performance, all the way! No more chance to do this again.
After that Mr Chan Soo Sen comes on stage. He wants to sing, so we play for him. Then photo-taking. Proceed to Singapore Cricket Club for the post-performance party.
I'm deliberating whether to return to camp tomorrow or not. Samuel calls me, asks if I want to switch duty with him, so that I only go back on Thursday. I'm on for it. So I head down to Actor's Pub with Mal, Chris, Shane and Leon after the party.
More about Actor's later.
- Vesak Special Musical -
It happens especially when the first night enjoys success, we get complacent, let our guard down and things start going wrong.
I play very cautiously today.
Angie changes the position of the song "Ehipassiko" to before the intermission. It is a great move. Last night's audience was virtually kept in the dark for ages while the kids playing the worms positioned themselves into the prop that signified the "pile of dung" Now we can take as long as we want to prepare for the worm story.
Turns out that tonight's performance is better than last's!
Being full of rubbish before the show... price of boredom and have to nitpick nerves ¶ 5/08/2006 11:24:00 pm 0 comments
