I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22

Happy, free, confused, and lonely, at the same time.

It's miserable and magical. 

I haven't written here in a while. Here are some updates filling in the gaps from the last 3 years:

1. I finished my Diploma in Music at LASALLE with a performance that I was proud of. Those 3 years were so full of conflicts but at the end of it, I'm grateful that I learnt so much. Not just on my musical practice, but also on how to differentiate true friends from the fake, the importance of being happy being alone, as well as how to find the bravery to share my stories with the world.



2. I referenced a family tragedy in one of the pieces I performed for that recital, and in a callback later that year, helped perform the monologue for my cousin's dance performance. That performance was very emotional and felt so important because of how much those words meant to her and how much it meant for us to perform together in that capacity.

3. I'm currently continuing at LASALLE in the BA Music programme, but this time majoring in composition and arranging instead of popular music performance.

4. I went out on dates for the first time.

5. I started working as a violin teacher and a primary school tutor.

6. I got to watch Bruno Mars, Halsey, Foster the People and Snarky Puppy live in concert.

7. I had a blast at F1 for the last 2 years, and I'm definitely going again this year. I've had so much fun, especially at the Singapore GP, in 2017 not just getting to see the cars and drivers up close, but also getting to watch OneRepublic, Lianne La Havas and Duran Duran live. And in 2018, finally getting to meet Lewis Hamilton, as well as making so many new friends at the track. More on that here. 

8. I actually walked around by myself to explore Sultanahmet, Istanbul in December. Something I would never have found the courage to do 2 years ago.

9. I was chosen to become part of the Daisie 100 via this performance.



10. I've been involved in recordings as a sessionist a couple of times, including one track for Krysta Joy's upcoming debut EP.

11. I performed at Esplanade Concert Hall for the first time earlier this year in February, with Malaysian reggae band Gerhana Skacinta for their 20th Anniversary Concert.

UP NEXT: I'll be performing at Marina Bay Sands next Thursday for the S3 final of

ASIA'S GOT TALENT!

How to Fall

{ 19th April 2017 }

I performed one of my pieces solo for this year's recital.

Told a story through loops and a monologue.

This is a transcript of that monologue.
Oh, the reason why I suddenly switched to Mandarin at the beginning was because the person this was about was there and I chickened out. Half of my mind started frantically translating the whole monologue to Mandarin before the other half of my mind took over, told me to breathe, and be brave.

Update: 18th June 2018
This was my submission for the Daisie 100, here's the synopsis that accompanied it:
This performance was for my 2nd year college recital. It details a friendship that I hoped could become something more, but ultimately disappointed and hurt me.
This performance marked a growth in myself as an artist and a person. It was the first time I was able to let myself and all the emotion I had hoarded within me go. The first time I finally found the courage to share my true feelings with the world. The first time I performed something that was honest, that was true, that was real, that was me.
It also documents the last time I held on to these feelings, as after this I finally found the strength to move on from this person.

~

One day, all of this will just be another story to tell.

Unwritten

I'm heading to college tomorrow so I don't know when I'll be able to blog here again, though I will try to do it once a month at the very least, but no promises, I have literally no idea what my schedule will be like.

In the meantime, you can follow me here and there:

Instagram | Tumblr | YouTube | Letterboxd

Guess Who?

{ 2nd September 2013 }
This is a song for someone I should have written for a long time ago. It's really bad and has 2 NSFW words but I don't really care.
-- SoundCloud recording here --

~ Verse #1 ~

3 days, 2 nights,
15 hundred meters high.
This kinda thing, not allowed.
But frankly, I didn't care.

We had to write notes,
For each other and I
Slipped a hidden message
That I didn't share.

I told my friends what I wrote
In everyone's but yours,
And not cause I was lost for words.
It's because I hid a tiny little secret in yours.

Wishing for Tomorrow

{18th October 2010}
A poem that turned into a song that I wrote for someone who really doesn't matter anymore.

Wishing for Tomorrow.

Whatever, life

"When you're ten, they call you a prodigy. When you're fifteen, they call you a genius. Once you hit twenty, you're just an ordinary person. About three years until I'm ordinary." ~ Nanase Haruka, Free!
I can't believe I'm quoting a gay swimming anime. This is what my life has come to.

So... I've decided to do the one thing I swore never to do... pursue music as a future career path. =_="
Yup. I don't know if I'm being smart or stupid, oh well, I guess I'll find out 10 years down the road.
And yeah, if you follow that quote, by then I'll be really ordinary.
To be honest, the reason why I decided to choose music is partly because I want to live in Singapore.

I've been posting a lot on YouTube and SoundCloud lately, and I'm loving the response that I'm getting. Of course, this blog has been doing pretty well in getting views as well.

The audition for the college I want to get into is in February, the intake will only be in August.
So in between I have a LOT of free time, except for March-May, I have to attend National Service. XP

In the meantime, I have a few musical projects that I will definitely try to complete before March.
And I might offer myself up as musician / arranger / teacher for hire during the month of January till February.

I'll update this post when I'm feeling more inspired to wax lyrical.
It's late.

The 30-Day Studio Ghibli Challenge

I've had this post lying around my drafts for more than a year now. It took so long because of the gif hunting involved. I wanted to start editing it again after this happened, but yeah, had exams. For some reason, the middle of my SPM seems like a good time to post this long overdue post. Whatever.
I'll come back and edit it later.

Day 1: First Studio Ghibli movie?

Spirited Away.