Firstly, my younger boy had his ABRSM Grade 8 piano practical exam this afternoon. I stayed away from him and tried my best not to pressure or to nag at him and tried to hide my nervousness.
We prayed along the way to the exam centre at Hotel Royale and found a parking lot easily at Penang Plaza. As always, we were early and by the time we arrived, my boy was like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Believe me - it has always been extremely stressful for me to wait outside the exam hall. For those of you are more recent readers,, I used to teach music part-time and have to confess that it was not easy for me to teach music as patience is definitely NOT one of my virtues where teaching music is concerned. It is much easier to lecturer than to be a music teacher!
I listened to him play the scales and his pieces and then the sight reading and aural tests. I did not hear anything wrong apart from a few slips here and then. When my boy came out of the exam room with his hands raised in the air and a broad smile on his face, I thought all was alright.
"Rejoicing?" I asked.
"Freedom, mom!" was his quiet response.
"I thought you played quite well," I said encouragingly.
"Were you listening carefully, mom?" he asked. "I played one bar in a higher octave for the second piece because I was just too nervous. But I played very well in the third piece and reasonably well in the first piece so let's hope for the best."
My heart sank but I told him that he tried his best, that was enough for me. With that, we left for home while he said he will work hard for his Grade 8 violin exam in August. By next month, my 12.5 year old son will start preparing for the Diploma in Music. Last Saturday, his band won the Inter-School Penang State Battle of the Band Competition. He is certainly walking in his brother's footsteps.
My older boy is the violinist in Juanophobia and the band is in round three of the Passport to Fame Battle of the Bands Contest and you can hear their first recorded single TAKE THE WORLD (a group effort in this original composition) AT THIS LINK.
Juanophobia performing in Round 2 of Battle of the Bands in Johore Baru last Friday.
Angela is also out in Penang so I was with her from 5pm till past 10pm reconnecting and spending time with her daughter and sister as well.
Will post this first and then do another post later. Take care and have a lovely evening.
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