the term in review.... and a few pictures to boot!

December 8, 2007 at 5:41 AM

So I've managed to survive my first term at university. In a lot of ways it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting in other ways it presented obstacles and challenges I would have never even dreamed could happen but did. This last 3 months or so have been quite the experience. School has been intense but nothing I haven't been able to keep up with thus far (or at least mostly...). It's such a different life living in Vancouver than back home. I can go to concerts daily (if I want) and of high caliber and usually for free or next to nothing. Back home, I'd be lucky to see one or two concerts throughout the whole year that I would consider at all remotely contending with any of the concerts I've seen here. I have friends here who I can sit and browse through scores with for minutes on end or discuss the structure of a shostakovich quartet and we don't get bored... if I even just uttered Shostakovich back home alarm bells would go off yelling "retreat! retreat!"I love it here! Some of the highlights so far have included being in a quartet with three great players who we all feel comfortable communicating with and saying, i love this but i hate this....can we go over this spot or i want to hear this part in the 1st violin. It's great! Performing Firebird right off the bat was also a pretty major musical high, challenging but fun. Seeing and meeting Mark O'Connor was very funky and a nice retreat from strictly classical stuff. Seeing Indian Drumming was incredible! I also got to see Tori Amos last night and what an incredible show that was! So many cool things have happened. Oh yes... and i broke my first piano string and have completed a composition for submission to Sonic Boom. :)

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on December 8, 2007 at 5:55 AM

Sounds like an exciting semester. Love the pictures! Wait, you got to meet Mark O'Connor?? I'm so jealous . . .

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on December 8, 2007 at 6:45 AM

I'm glad you enjoy UBC so much. I especially like all those high quality, free/very cheap concerts and your friendships with other musicians.

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 8, 2007 at 7:18 AM

Keep up the good work! You are lucky.

From Eugene Chan
Posted on December 8, 2007 at 9:25 PM

Congratulations on breaking your first piano string... you're a third of the way to my tally. :-)

From Richard Hellinger
Posted on December 9, 2007 at 8:15 AM

I am interested in how you broke the piano string...

From Kelsey Z.
Posted on December 9, 2007 at 5:49 PM

Ruth, yes I got to meet Mark O'Connor! He's such a sweet guy and he wished me the best of luck with my studies and gave me some information on getting to do a workshop with him if he comes back to Vancouver or if I go somewhere where he happens to be! :)

Richard, I was simply playing a beautiful song on the piano and *TWANG*! And that chord in that piece will never sound the same again!

From Richard Hellinger
Posted on December 10, 2007 at 12:52 AM

Lol, wow...I'm glad I've never had a piano string break on me before! :)

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on December 10, 2007 at 6:27 AM

Congrats Kelsey! And thanks for all the wonderful photos and writing. Very strong fingers you must have to break the piano string. Last time I saw someone did that was also in UBC when my former teacher and friend Brandon Konoval was doing his PhD final. I believe he is now teaching theory course among other things – a brilliant guy and great pianist. Say hi if you see him.

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the term in review.... and a few pictures to boot!

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