Improvisation - Cosmic Mind

An improvisation on Byakuren Hiriji's theme from Touhou 12 because I can. ^^

Recorded for a friend :3

White Lily Improvisation by thepianistalex

Yeah....wrong stuff everywhere (C instead of C# ahhh, out of tune A string ahhhhh, uneven tempo ahhhhhhh).

Off topic>>

Beethoven Society Celebration!

Yesterday was quite an amazing day.

Well except this. 2:21 AM is so "orz

I was invited to the American Beethoven Society to perform the second movement of Beethoven's Opus 90 sonata along with the two other finalists. It was very much fun, and the music was, of course, beautiful~

A few pictures are attached below!

They had they really cool transparent pianos on the tables as well!

Wine and cheese were offered to the guests. For the record, I didn't get drunk. Or did I. I don't remember. Kidding~

Table Flipping

Notice: a link banner! :3 Thank you Zurita for drawing it for me! :D

What frustrates me recently is the lack of thinking some of my classmates have in my photo class. The teacher gave an assignment to find a photograph and try to interpret the photographer's intentions behind it.

I guess it comes slightly easier to me because it is along the same lines of what my piano teacher asks me: Why does Beethoven do this? What does it make you feel? Is there any piece out there that can convey this exact meaning? Can you explain it in a way that distinguishes it so that I would immediately think "Oh, it's the third Chopin etude in the Opus 10 series?"

He never really accepted a "I don't know" answer. Well, he did, but not quite. I am really thankful for him for reminding me that music isn't music without emotions.

Everything has a reason. Even if it doesn't seem to at first glance, there is a reason why the composer wrote it as so out of the thousands of possible combinations that could have it followed.

The fact that I learned composition helps a bit with this fact. This is also the reason why I chose to take photography. I thought that a connection between the different arts may be able to help me progress further in music.

Either way, a classmate looks at a photo and tells me, "Oh, I don't know what this photography makes me feel. Can you help me? It's just a photo." After three minutes, she says, "This photo makes me feel dull."

I could point out the photography deliberately uses high contrast to show the brilliance of the lightning. It gives a feeling almost like fear. It makes us feel insignificant in the forces of nature. In the Grand Canyon with little, if any, traces of human civilization, we learn to appreciate the true beauty and power of Mother Earth.

Photography. Painting with light.

Music. Manipulation of time.

Seeing a photograph is different from looking at one.

Just like listening to music is different from hearing it.

And the most difficult part is, it cannot truly be taught. You'll have to discover it yourself when you listen to your feelings.

---

Okay less seriousness.

My Computer Science book came today, but my camera memory wouldn't write so ahhhhhh no photos. Oh well, it's just a textbook. Albeit a very useful one. I hope. It also marks ahhh homework.

My physics teacher has this random "When Pigs Fly" thing on his ceiling.

Oink

My friend decided he can blame his laptop for poor Touhou performances. Also I think the fact that my brother is taking apart his Rubik's Cube may play a part in him dying in the game.

ARGHHH STOP TAKING APART MY CUBE OH CRAP I DIED.

Teatime ( ^‐^)_且~~

Sipping tea as I type this post. Also, I'll keep it short.

Mmm tea.

Saw a few Inception x your movie here trailers. Most were so-so, but this one was kinda cool hahaha~

(More here, though personally, I like this one best.)

The Power of Art

I believe in the power of art to change the world.


Art is a universal form of communication that transcends language boundaries with ease. It brings people together and can adhere fragmented pieces of society together. Through manipulation of sound, space, light, and time, art is a medium that maps the human mind and soul. Music provides a rhythm to our lives, while paintings and photos paint our sunrises and sunset while lighting the path of life we follow. Dance moves the world, and drama adds excitement. Art allows us to be the world, and even in times of distress, it is a source for inspiration for us to improve our world and ourselves.


(and of course...other things)

Help my friend win funding for a paperless education on social issues~ Vote here.

Allstate came out with the "Safest Driving Cities"...and apparently mine came in at the 25th percentile. This is awfully low for what I consider to be relatively safe. (New York is 159th, and San Francisco is way down there, not surprisingly.) How'd we drop down...

City Name | 2010 Rank | 2009 Rank | Est. Population | Relative Accident Occurrence to National Mean | Avg Years between accidents

Also, at school~

Sunday is a happy day •‿•

August sketch. Note I can't draw noses, and that bowl looks weird. Still has that Loos look. hm.

Hehe

"See, I thought you radiated awesomeness ... it turns out you just radiate radiation. That's a mutation. I'm sorry." -Jul 7

"sir your font has grown fat" -Jun 27

From so long ago

<___ to:Walfas>; Close your eyes and feel the drawing. The rest will come naturally.

asdfasdf

On the meantime: old news (July Cruise meets huge waves) <-- Has a better and more entertaining video of what happened. Except ouch that woman who faceplants into the column owwwwwww

Start watching around 5 minutes:
As quoted by the Internet

5:34 Who ordered the furniture?

5:50 Not us... please take it back.

5:57 I am certain it was your table who ordered it.

6:11 No... definitely not us... please take it all away.

Haha. Thank goodness I'm on land (even though I live near the Hayward fault ahhhhhh)

Talking about the sea...

A Warm Warm Saturday

Bach was played this morning. Photos were taken this afternoon. Homework will be done this evening (hopefully.)

Also my brother can be the worst person in the world at times wowww.

Oooh bubbles.

School is already busy all day every day. Quizzes happened. Essays happened. Everything happens ahh so fast. I still need to finish college application essays.

Mr Kumar: The book and Vishnu (S) have this answer. How can you answer to that, you who says the answer was wrong?

Vishnu A: But I have it too!

Mr Kumar: Pair of Vishnus and a book kicker [sic].

Two Days in the Second Week of School

Yesterday in Physics C Class

Also he was demonstrating acceleration and gravity with a basketball and asked us if we thought if he looked like a basketball player if he posed like so. Hahahaha! Physics C and Computer Science are very interesting classes. (I start the day with the latter, and end it with the former.)

Yet school has started

Classes have commenced

I bid farewell to sleep

As homework never ends.

And more.

Just as Keikaku (Planned)

...

It occurred to me in the tranquility of last night

That gathering wilted petals won't make them alright

It never grew to a great size, though it was already dead to my eyes

Saying we finished a long time ago is too polite

...

Just Be Friends - Piano Arrangement (Short Version)
(Originally for vocaloid Luka Megurine)


On the same note, music in everyday life.

I want my dentist to do that! Haha not sure about that actually.


More photos and stuff~

2010 Concert for Haiti

Some of the videos from the concert~ Enough said ^^

2010 Concert for Haiti~
February 15, 2010

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Pathway Community Church for making the concert possible.
Pastor Bruce Stryd for coordination and support.
Mr. Charlie Rodda and Mrs. Debbie Yan for guidance and supervision.
Mrs. Debbie Yan, Mr. Alberto Ballado, and Ms. Anne Chung for helping publicize this event.
Various volunteers, including members of Making Music! at Irvington High and Key Club.
The audience and donors.

We were successful in raising over $1000 through this event.

Thank you.

Kiseki (Cover) -【Renko】

Haha, I figured I may as well post this as well~

I've been logging stuff since the last post, but was either a) too busy to post or b) too tired to post. Possibly c) too lazy to post, but you never saw that option. :3

Renko is an amazing singer. Period. I'd thought I may as well post a song she sung~

You can visit Renko's blog here! Or visit her YouTube channel (which is albeit a bit empty at the moment.)

I helped play the piano part (I thought I could have done much better eheheh. Hours and 1 GB of data later (no compression yay!) it just sounds...uneven.) (Also, I am a master at parenthesis) *sigh*

Note you can play the same song from the Streampad below.

Untitled Post

Favorite quote of the day:

Friend: what's happening in stats tomorrow

  will i have time to do [AP English] notes?

And I'll be going to this concert on Saturday (and performing in the finals on Sunday :o, which means I should practice more)

But anyways

You may  now accuse me of non sequitur.

I collected numerous AP study guides for the upcoming AP tests and they're sitting in a pile. Which is useless until I actual go read them (if I can reach them across from my homework pile.)

The school wanted to reward the students for an API jump from the standardized testing and gave out some free food and drinks, which was quite nice. The extended lunch was also great too. However, the lines gave way to these small mobs so that a 5 meter distance to get a small bag of popcorn takes roughly 20 minutes.

I got an A on my chemistry test and it made my day. My calculus teacher (in the last five minutes of class) wanted to see our proficiency in standardized testing and it seems that our BC class can only answer two out of eight correct in Algebra II. (Then again, most of us were too lazy to pull out paper and pencil so we started dropping variables and coefficients everywhere, not unlike picking up a binder and forgetting to close the rings.)

Lots of piano. Lots of homework. This weekend is going to be awesome and horrifying at the same time.

Wahhaha I stole your ice cream.

Today

My friend asked me how I was today.

I said I was okay. She asked me to expand. So here I go.

Don't fall asleep on me x)

Still Sad

While I prepare my paper and test for tomorrow, enjoy these two pictures.

Spring break in a chart

Any other day in a chart.

Drop by http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php for more.

On a side note, today's weather was truly like Beethoven Sonata in e minor Op 90

Spontaneous and almost a bit bipolar. More tomorrow.

Beethoven Sonata

Beethoven's Sonata No 27 Op 90 in e is so frustratingly difficult. The first movement in its emotional complexity, and the second one it its balance and tranquility. What was he thinking with these sudden key changes, and explosions of sounds. And then the agitation in the middle before a counterpointed restatement of the 2nd motif in the exposition in C. (Oops getting slightly technical. Oh well.)

A bit like this. Actually not really. More extreme and much more deeper emotionally with actual anger/happiness/resignation/frustration. Rather than just ranting that is amusing (sorry Alex x))

PS If the video doesn't show up (you get a white square), click here.

Second movement's a bit easier in that respect, but still hard. Time to practice more.

On a side note, this AMV and song is stuck in my head. The AMV is cute, and the instrumentation is nice, but it's in Japanese, which  Arghh

No video/full version can be played from streampad.

A Conductor's Job

Weather: It's raining, it's pouring... not that bad.

The Bay Area shook a little bit today at about 8:30. I'm wondering if I should worry or not.

Sorry I just enjoy relatively comical videos especially about music (and when my time is limited.) :] Victor Borge above.

Music Relaxes

Weather: Same old cloudy-sunny pattern.

My mother disagrees when I listen to music when I do homework. I must disagree.


Yes, some of the music we hear at school definitely do not go well together - especially if they're screaming their heads off about who knows what.


But sometimes, music also helps me concentrate on my work. Not only will it make more happy by making the pile of work look smaller, but also, its beauty can make you less prone to boredom. :) Not to mention it drowns out the pings from my friends on Facebook. (That's right, you people who like to ask me questions.)


One artist I like to listen to outside of classical includes Yiruma. :) I really enjoy his style when I need quieter, soothing music. Personally, I enjoy his use of seventh chords, flowing melodies, and overall tone. Sometimes there is a quiet joy, other times its rolling tranquility, and occasionally there is a hint of sadness. It's wonderful. These piano solos are absolutely a great thing to listen to without overwhelming your senses - like songs without words.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."
- Plato

Major and Minor

Weather: Hot hot hot hot. Please rain.

I've been feeling sick for the past few days. :( But it'll pass.

Did you know that many theory books teach that a fourth and a fifth in a scale (ie F-C [5th], G-C [4th], Ab-Db [4th] as perfect intervals since they consist of the 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd partials of a fundamental tone?

WAIT.

Just for reference, a fundamental tone is any pitch on a scale. Let's take C2 as an example. On a piano, when you strike a string, sympathetic vibrations will bring out families of pitches, called overtones in music, and partials in physics. And what's special about these is that each partial's number is the ratio of number of vibrations to the fundamental tone.

For example, the C2's 2nd partial is C3, then 3rd is G3, then 4th is C4, then 5th is E4, 6th is G4...etc.

Notice the same pitches on different octaves has a integral ratio between one another's frequencies e.g. C3 and C4 are 2:1. As a result, C4 and C5 will be 1:2 as well, and C3 and C5 are 1:4.

Back on topic.

P5 is, in truth, a major interval. P4 is a minor interval. If you looked at the partials, for P5, the base C is naturally on the bottom, giving a stable, finishing feeling to it. However, for P4, it is on the top, making it feel insecure. It's kinda like:

Source: http://www.stonebalancing.com/p7hg_img_1/fullsize/topheavy_fs.jpg

Top heavy. Liable to fall and hit your head any minute.

By the same classification, you'll see in the partials that a third interval is major as well, and the sixth is minor. Not only because of where the base C is, but also E-C is a true minor sixth.

The only place you can find a major sixth is between the 3rd and 5th partials. No base. Even more unstable.

To be cont'd.

Silence in Music

"Whatever the place, whatever the time, every lane moves, but the one where I'm."

- Random quote.

Weather: Hot

Music is very magical. In all the fine arts mankind has created - from performing arts to visual arts, music manipulates what many considers to be the fourth dimension: time.

 

Tick tock tick tock.

My First Glance at Vallee d'Obermann

I needed a Romantic period composer that wasn't Chopin.

 

Sorry, not this year.

My teacher recommended Liszt's Vallee d'Obermann, a profound piece of contrasts - like light and dark, fast and slow. It's a wonderfully beautiful piece.

 

It starts of Lento. SLOWWWWW. Deceptively so.