Analytical Thinkers are reserved, quiet persons. They like to get to the bottom of things - curiosity is one of their strongest motives. They want to know what holds the world together deep down inside. They do not really need much more to be happy because they are modest persons. Many mathematicians, philosophers and scientists belong to this type. Analytical Thinkers loathe contradictions and illogicalness; with their sharp intellect, they quickly and comprehensively grasp patterns, principles and structures. They are particularly interested in the fundamental nature of things and theoretical findings; for them, it is not necessarily a question of translating these into practical acts or in sharing their considerations with others. Analytical Thinkers like to work alone; their ability to concentrate is more marked than that of all other personality types. They are open for and interested in new information.

Analytical Thinkers have little interest in everyday concerns - they are always a little like an “absent-minded professor” whose home and workplace are chaotic and who only concerns himself with banalities such as bodily needs when it becomes absolutely unavoidable. The acknowledgement of their work by others does not play a great role for them; in general,they are quite independent of social relationships and very self-reliant. Analytical Thinkers therefore often give others the impression that they are arrogant or snobby - especially because they do not hesitate to speak their mind with their often harsh (even if justified) criticism and their imperturbable self-confidence. Incompetent contemporaries do not have it easy with them. But whoever succeeds in winning their respect and interest has a witty and very intelligent person to talk to. A partner who amazes one with his excellent powers of observation and his very dry humour.

It takes some time before Analytical Thinkers make friends, but then they are mostly friends for life. They only need very few people around them. Their most important ability is to be a match for them and thus give them inspiration. Constant social obligations quickly get on their nerves; they need a lot of time alone and often withdraw from others. Their partner must respect this and understand that this is not due to the lack of affection. Once they have decided in favour of a person, Analytical Thinkers are loyal and reliable partners. However, one cannot expect romance and effusive expressions of feelings from them and they will definitely forget their wedding anniversary. But they are always up to a night spent with stimulating discussions and a good glass of wine!

It's been very very long since I last update here. Well, life's been hard and busy.

Although I wasn't that busy, I fell into sickness. Dengue. Fevers, sore throat, ulcers, headache, dizziness, anemia and rashes. It's all over now. Everything back to normal for me.

Next semester is coming up next week, there goes my holidays. However, I think I did spend my holiday well with making a few music. Music like...
Ruminated
Cold Scream remix
I Would Like to Take You to a Walk

Inspiration, inspirations...

Max is doing fine too. Studying.

I don't know is it me or I'm feeling that a lot of things just passed. Felt like it been through a long journey, and now I'm going for another journey next. It certainly feels weird. Hmm...

It's the 2nd week of February. Now, I'm really concern about those negative energy flowing around here. Some lonely, some sad.

I can't do anything else except wish that you all have your problems solved. If you want a talk, I'm free for it. I'm absolutely available when I'm online. (Well, nobody talks to me anyway.)

Not going talk about my relationships. My new policy in blogging, I dont want to cause problems for anyone, including me.

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2 days ago, I watched Grammy Award from 8tv. Highlights would be...

-Alicia Keys with piano + Frank Sinatra in Video + Big Band
-Funky Umbrella
-Percussion Folk song?
-Kanye West + Daft Punk's surprise show up (Cool sampling!)
-Lang Lang + Herbie Hancock + Orchestra + Rhapsody in Blue

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Gotta sleep. See ya.

FoonG, Lemon Over Villainy Egg.

Yes, it's Chinese New Year. But,I'm not happy. I won't say why and I won't tell. Happy Chinese New Year.

Have a nice new year.

Ok, this a recorded radio show I found. RadioLab

It's very fun to listen to it. It have 3 sections.

First, with Diana Deutsch, discussing the relationship of language and music. With her looped phrase became a music and the study on tone language that might effected perfect pitch.

Next, Music as a Touch. Why does it touches us so deeply? From a study of a universal language that we all heard of when we were babies, to what exactly happened in our brain when we listen, to an historical moment of the start of Modernism, with Stravinsky's Rite of Spring riot as an example.

Lastly, musics that was composed by a computer after analyzing the works from famous composer like Mahler, Beethoven, Chopin and Bach. What surprised me is that, it sounded like it's written by the composer, but it's not genuine. Impressive, but what happened to our respects to the composers?

Enjoy!! I really enjoyed the Rite of Spring part.

I had a class, a talk with my tutor and some music listening. Last class, I was told to listen to Thomas Tallis and Olivier Messiaen. The class this week, he showed me some of Messiaen, Britten and Steve Reich.

Thomas Tallis (16th century, before J.S.Bach) did a 8 choir, 5 voices each, which is in total 40 voices counterpoint. It is titled "Spem in Alium". An amazing work. Just think about writing 40 different melody lines, that have to be melodious, at the same time harmonized with other melodies at the same time. Very peaceful and calm.


Olivier Messiaen (Modern period), a composer that believes birds are the earliest musicians in our world. He traveled around the world, collecting bird songs, and what he do to these bird songs, is implied in his works. Below is Oiseaux Exotiques. Oiseaux means Birds in French. It really does sounds like birds. (Surprised that he have the same birthday with me, just 80 years earlier)

Oiseaux Exotiques



I personally like his "The Joy of the Blood of the Stars", which is the 5th movement of his Turangalila Symphony.


Now to Benjamin Britten. I'll just talk about his "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" op.34. A description of it's movements are explained here.
What interesting about it is the variation of the theme from classical to romantic and get more and more far away from the main theme but with a hint of the theme itself. After all the variations, there's a Fugue (which is a kind of counterpoint, with one instrument lead then another instrument repeat the fugue theme while the earlier instrument have its own line going against it). After the fugue of the all the section, then the main theme come back again in Brasses with all the fugue playing behind it.



Let's move on to more modern period. Steve Reich is known for his Minimalism movement. While everything in music (and art) is going for more complex and more complex, he strives for changes in really small movements, using limited resources. This is Piano Phase. Using same repeating melody line, played by 2 piano, repeating until a certain point, 1 of the piano plays faster than the other one, slowly phase into another section. Ok, the first changes in the video below come in 1:20. Definitely a VERY HARD piece to be played. The First part has the full circle of the phase in 3/4, then starts with 4/4 phase in the end.

Wow, the phase is visualized. (clearly shown in the overlapping shadows)Enjoy!


Ok, this is getting interesting. Piano Phase in Vocaloid.


Other than PianoPhase, there are Violin Phase too. Another interesting Composition by Steve Reich is Different Trains.

That's all for this time. What a long post!
P/S: If you want the some of the above recordings, please contact me personally.

Choir class, where all the music students gather and sings. Well, not all of them. It shall be the same old place for us to practice the songs all together.

However, it's not quite the situation now. The big choir group have been split to 2 group. 1 is Chamber choir, where all the Voice major and voice minor students would join; 1 is the others, excluded with the Chamber choir members.

Now these 2 groups are given different songs to work on. For me, in the original group, have 3 songs to work on. Namely "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Old Black Joe" and "I Bought Me A Cat".

After the elections for presidents and all that. We go on to our group sectional practice. Because of the small group of us Bass section after all the crucial singers gone, I became the pianist for the session. Well, now I got something practice with, with a purpose! I'm quite happy with this, although I made mistakes for my 1st session. I shall be practice more!

About the counterpoint assignment, I am not satisfied with my progress. I'm doing it too slow. Gotta catch up!

On the next episode... 1st day of minor instruments studies~

As usual, the school of music did an Academic Briefing in this first Friday of the Semester. Another reason of me to go to school today is to arrange time schedule for my classes.

The Briefing was the same, just with a twist in the end. Introducing new lecturers, new students, concerns for the Course Selections Etc. The difference this time, is that all the student that encounters jury exams need to get at least 50% mark of the repertoire performance, leaving the Sight-reading and Techniques became not a alternative way to pass the exam. I guess, more student will fail since now.

Now, the twist of the briefing. All the Classical students were told to leave the hall. Now, the syllabus for the contemporary music students. The exam performance will be counted in minutes, not the number for pieces played. Transpose at sight-reading plus improvisations. At least 1 of the repertoire need to be an ensemble. That's a lot of changes, but I would expect more changes next semester. Well, changes need a start too, right?

After the briefing, J and me, together with another student, went down to the 1st floor to meet the new drum instructor. Woah! Curly long hair, Goatee... and surprisingly cheerful. E is going to be my new drum instructor. Laughter were everywhere in the room. His class is going start next Tuesday, then Friday. Gotta look forward to it.

I still couldn't get to register my course selection! Well, need to wait until next Monday I guess. In the mean time, I should study!

*Off*

My first class for the semester on my Composition Major, with my new tutor, JPZ, famous with his mean and strict attitude.

......

Before all that, here's some news. After arriving at the station, I got into My university's new bus! I enjoy the ride very much although I took something because of the new campus located at the different side of Taman Counaught. However, the bus driver only work in the early half session of the day, later on is back to Van. Too bad.

......

Okay, the class. I showed JPZ all my previous works, not including my outside works. He commented that I put too much emphasis on Chords, and often uses chords that I preferred. So, he wanted me to put aside those. He let me start with Counterpoint. "If you don't know Counterpoint, you don't know music!" he said.

Things are very interesting now. Having a different tutor that guide me in different way. Or at least, I need to focus on my writing skills. So, No previewing in piano Nor press 'play' in computer. All have to be in my brain and 'inner' ears. Not going to be easy, and I really need some ear training.

So, after the class, I went to the library, after a bit of chatters with old friends. So much research need to be done before I start to write the assignment of the week.

A Polyphonic Start of the New Journey.

[Start]

I failed. Yes, I failed!! For the first time in my learning in music, I FAILED! I couldn't believe it...

For my jury exam last semester, I know for sure I won't get a high mark, but I never thought that it will be a FAIL! After all the excitement and preparation for my degree year, and I got to know that I FAILED? I felt like falling down from a cliff, falling down endlessly...

Everything is going very badly, now my composition major instructor is Juan Pablo, famous for his strict attitude. I. Am. Doomed. I can't describe how I feel, it's a very deep grief...

1 more semester in the Foundation level... for the fifth semester... I really feel like breaking down now.

No more gaming for me, Not much onlining for me, for all it takes.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Today is the 1st day for school. Meet back the friends, hang out. It's good to have them support me after I've failed. Lot's of changes. Well... I don't feel like talking about it.

[end]

Well, for some practice and fun purpose, I did some arranging in my holiday. Here it is! Critiques and Comments are ENCOURAGED!

Christmas Medley in Orchestra
[Link] [File]

Gymnopedie in Rio de Janeiro
[Link] [File]

Happy New Year!! Next semester is going to be hectic!

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

Well, I guess, I'm water element, rather than air?

In Chinese believes, it is said that I need fire element in my life, resulting having my last Chinese word in my name have a fire in it.

Heh, superstitious, superstitious.

It's been long since I last update this blog. Well, life has been boring and hard. After Leonard's leaving, I guess a lot of things are up to myself I guess. I have been lazy.

Although it's holiday in this time, I have to claim back everything I lost. So, I'm tracking back to transcriptions. So far, I only did 1 song, which is Jazz Ballad. Now, I'm transcribing a Jazz fusion from Osamu Kubota. Half on the way.
Next week I should transcribe 2 songs, then 3 songs then so and so. Hope all the hard work will help me a lot.

Other than those... what else?... Yes, the music I'm listening to now. Due to some researches in Ambient music or Downtempo, I started to like Acid Jazz, TripHop, Nu Jazz and others. 4Hero, Zero7 and Jazzanova are nice. I personally like In The Waiting Line by Zero7, and Les Fluers by 4Hero. I'm listening to some IDM, Intelligent Dance Music which is normally un-dance-able... haha... Amon Tobin got my attention with all those effects.

Guess what, the longest Song Title I ever seen:
The Orb - A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld
Wow, how did he come out with a name like that? lol

Getting a Saxophone for my next semester is tough. Alto or Tenor, Alto or Tenor, alto or tenor????? I just cant find a second hand sax around here!

I guess, that's all folks!

My working space in my room, just that I use my laptop webcam to capture this so there's no laptop there.

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.