Post-concert

So the concert's here and gone. Really, time waits for no-one. If you like, you can read through how the last concert was here. In contrast, this round the concert wasn't so stressful, really because the pieces were much more manageable and we had a lot more time to practice. Not hell of a lot more time, but relatively more, comparing the difficulty of the piece and the amount of time given. For me this time round, I've played 2 out of the 6 percussion pieces before. Woah, tons of things to talk about. Alright, one thing at a time then.

1) I washed my hair. =D I should give an account of what went through my mind in chronological order.
10.30am: Took a shower.
11.00am: Rushed around to pack bag.
11.20am: Rushed out of house.
11.30am: Runs hand through hair to tidy up. When did I last wash my hair? Thinks. Shit, didn't wash last night, plus last night got show - hot and sweaty, didn't wash this morning. Now cannot go back, no choice.
11.31am: I'm feeling really dirty now. Wish I washed my hair this morning.
11.33am: Hair very dirty.
11.35am: Messaged Jieqi to ask some tickets stuff. Including "I can't stand it anymore. I never wash my hair this morning, feel very dirty."
11.45am: Train station. Perspired while walking here. This is so bad. Gross hair. Wish I washed my hair this morning.
11.55am: In train. Can I wash my hair at YMS?
12.03pm: Reached Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Can I buy mini-shampoo at PS?
12.10pm: In Plaza Singapura. Don't think they got sell mini-shampoo. Like very bo liao leh, buy shampoo because I feel dirty. Still have to buy towel to dry hair leh.
12.16pm: Saw Kim and YZ. "My hair very dirty! I need to wash! Very disgusting leh!"
12.45pm: Walking to YMS. Hairhairhairhairhair. Oily. *shudders*
Rehearsal: Hair.
45min before concert: Combing hair in toilet. Dirty.
End of concert: Yes! Finally can go home wash hair!

And THAT was the story of why I was elated that I washed my hair. =D

2) I trembled uncontrollably during rehearsal. Partly due to cold and partly due to nerves. Surprisingly, was hardly nervous during concert itself. Guess I exhausted my nerves during rehearsal. Resulted in me being able to control my playing.

3) Somehow lost my cool partly during rehearsal. Went to the toilet to get it back. No, I don't think it got flushed down the toilet bowl.

4) A person kept prank-calling me. Couple of days before started to call once per day. I picked up but nobody talked. First time I thought is accidentally dial or phone got problem. After a couple of times it just didn't seem likely anymore. While walking to YMS with the rest of them (Kim, YZ, Aisyah, Jiemin, Manshan), the guy called me like 5 times approximately and called YZ once. How come call her once only! So unfair =P Just kidding! Wouldn't want her to deal with this kind of thing either. At least I have free incoming. First time I picked up, the rest I hung up on him. Finally on the 5th call Kim took my phone, put it on loudspeaker mode and started scolding him. We threatened to go to the police, Kim insulted him, he scolded some bad words which I didn't hear. He was on the line for a full 12 minutes or more and Kim insulted him the whole time. She brought the phone into YMS auditorium where the whole of SPU was and after a while he finally hung up. Never called back again. Well, so far. That's my first prank caller. Irritating person. If you ask me, he's sick in the mind. If he does it again, I'm going to the police. Or Kim. She's a great deterrent =P Have to thank her again soon for her help.

5) Concert itself wasn't too bad. Friends gave good comments, especially on the 2nd half. Audience was waving and clapping and singing. The good thing about these small auditoriums is that it is very cosy and comfortable. Not unlike being invited to somebody's house to sit around and chat.
First half of the concert was purely percussion. Think as what Kaiyun said, a lot of them don't have percussion/music background so they don't really relate to it. Ceremonium wasn't perfect but at least we didn't screw up big time. There were the usual glitches in the first piece because of nerves. Yes, I was slightly nervous in the first piece, never could control my hands for soft parts and this time it wasn't an exception. And darn, I keep thinking of the slow part which I screwed up slightly, never watch him properly. Agree that it could have been better but given the conditions, it was alright.
Harmony was fine all the way from top to the Indian song, until at the repeat of the Indian song melody (we) got lost. I just lost my notes and came in on the second time of the repeat instead. That was the only one that was really screwed up. I think Damien was staring at us during that section, according to YZ.
Omens of love think one of the keyboards or something was muted so that Kim was holding that section all by herself on the marimba. Alex's solo was great as usual. The audience really appreciated that - clapped real loudly. I screwed up the same section again. Don't know why brain keeps saying "Don't want to read notes. Can't read," to the notes, and "Go away," to my hands when they are trying to send a signal up there that they need to play.
William Tell Overture, Mel conducted. Several strands of YZ's hairy mallet got stuck in the marimba at the beginning just when I came in. I thought she got lost and stopped playing or something. According to her, Manshan got lost and screwed up her part completely. I lost my notes a little in the beginning, caught that crucial section and lost more notes at the back. Shucks, I realize I lost a lot of notes along the way during the concert. The caretaker of YMS must be really busy sweeping after we left.
Burong Kakak Tua, an angklung piece. Thanks to Damien, I was tasked to play the xylophone during the one piece that I could rest. They pulled the audience up to play the angklungs and Pearlin purposely aimed my sister. Olivia refused to come up though, hugging Ah Bear tightly, so in the end my mom came up.
Proclamation, Mel conducted again. Something was missing, something bassy. It might have been the timpani but I'm not quite sure. Even during rehearsal there was something missing.

Second half of the concert was purely keyboard ensemble and vocals. The audience found this section more interesting, I guess, which is true.
Rasa Sayang. We started off by singing the chorus. Heard that it turned out quite weak. Then Damien came out all of a sudden, started rapping and got the audience high.
River of Life. Alex sung. Audience gave her a lot of support. Don't know is Kaiyun or my father say that the first song she sung wasn't that good, probably because she was nervous. I remember my father said that she didn't sing that well. Bleh. I thought she was great! =P I played bass keyboard and I always screw it up at the end, playing the wrong bass notes.
Home. Damien's show. We just went backstage.
Dreams. Damien sang again. I couldn't do the guitar thing properly. Damn.
My Island Home. Alex sung again. By the way, this entire piece was arranged by Alex herself. I say she has a great voice and is a great talent. Mel said this piece was the best in the entire concert. YZ said that that's so sad, because it is the simplest piece (for the 2 of us) in the entire concert.
They wanted an encore from Alex, so we played My Island Home again. Those SPU members who were not playing sat with the audience and threw balloons to the audience at the encore. The audience hit the balloons forward. Unfortunately, because there aren't a lot of seats between the last row of audience and the stage, one balloon got onto the stage and several were flying towards Alex. Didn't hit her, but it kind of spoilt the mood for me. Think the audience realized that too and stopped hitting the balloons towards the stage. Or perhaps they ran out of balloons to hit. Was reminded of XMS concert where the band members threw their glow in the dark hand bands at the audience. I say "at" and not "to" because the action wasn't planned, it was done on impulse and most importantly, there was no warning to the audience that these plastic bands would come flying their way. It could have hurt somebody.

It wasn't full house, though. Sadly, my friend pulled out last minute because she had to meet a deadline, I think for a project. Eng Wen and Kai Qin turned up, for which I was very grateful. I wonder if PK turned up. Forgot to look out for her and she didn't come looking for me either. I have a feeling that she didn't turn up. Darn. Coincidentally KQ sat behind my family. I forgot all about Eng Wen until the last song when I saw him near the stage. After concert went looking for him to thank him, but turned out he left first. Feel quite guilty. Shucks, this means that on the whole I sold only 4 tickets. This is not good.

6) Cleaned up real fast, packed and left for home. Left everything to Uncle David to handle. Now left the accounts to handle, then it's officially closed.

7) X-Windz performance coming up on 3rd August. Frankly, I don't look forward to it.

8) Yes, there was nothing from him. I'm really starting to wish that I never initiated anything.

9) KQ sent me an sms inviting me to go audition for NUSSO, which he is in. I am really flattered that he thinks I am up to it and it's really a compliment. I thanked him and told him that I'll consider, but I don't think I can play that well and after thinking about it (for a night) I don't really want to join either. However, it is still a compliment and I sincerely thank him for that. Hope my head don't get big, although I don't wear caps.

10) Went home with YZ. Walked past CATHAY CINEPLEX. Looks wonderful. Haven't been there before. Shall go and look there soon. Movie?

11) I had a horrible dream last night and woke up on the verge of crying. My bolster comforted me.