Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

"Music Exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart" ~Shinichi Suzuki

Reflections of the Performers: Ana, Caitlin & Fashan’s Book 1 violin recital

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Fashan, Caitlin and Ana have been preparing their Book 1 Violin recital. Here are their reflections on their first-ever Book Recital experience!

~from Ana

The experience was ok. Sometimes it was hard to practice or it was ok.

I liked the joint lessons. They felt fast though.

It was interesting to see the others perform, and to perform.

It was fun and interesting.

~from Caitlin

 I’m very proud and happy about what I did in today’s recital. Me, Fashan and Ana collaborated well with each other, as we looked at the leader, we didn’t blame each other because of playing the wrong note, and most importantly we played very neatly and the whole recital went as predicted.

   I think I did pretty well in all the pieces. But most importantly, I think I did the best at: keep going when I played a note wrong and quickly fixing the mistake. For example, in Variation B, I played the harmony wrong and I stopped and after five notes, I kept going with the others. Also, I think I did the best in Minuete 1, because I have good dynamics and the tone was good.

   Next time, I would want to improve my que, because in two pieces, I think my que wasn’t very strong and it didn’t show Ms. Sonomi the pace I want, and also how loud I want to whole piece to be. Plus, I will also want to improve my Variation D. I think I played a little slower than the normal pace, and because I was the leader my companions have to follow my pace. In addition, I always get mixed up by Variation D and Variation E.

~from Fashan

Overall I think that my effort for the recital was really good.

I practiced (almost all) or (all) every day and i really worked hard on my gavotte cues (even though i
missed one), and my gavotte fingers and everything i’m supposed to practice.

In the end, at the book recital, I am 10000% confident that my hard work payed off. Even though i was
tired i still practiced until i got it right. (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭

I really liked everything that happened on that day, and even to this day i still feel the feeling of being
proud of myself to what came on that day.

I hope this same feeling will continue to boost me forward so i can complete this long LONG journey
ahead.

Reflections of the Performers: Chloe and Lincoln Book 3 violin recital

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After a lot of two continent joint lessons and much juggling of schedules, Chloe and Lincoln were finally able to perform their Book 3 Violin Recital in person together! Here are their reflections on the experience.

~from Lincoln

Although the concert itself went quite well, I believe that the preparation process could have went more smoothly in many more ways than one. 

Firstly, I believe the Acapella video production should have went better. While I was in the UK, I was quite incompetent in my production of the videos that Chloé required. I was unable to create the video for Gossec Gavotte and Bach Minuet in time. I had made many videos for Bach Minuet however they were all rejected because they weren’t good enough. The video of Gossec Gavotte was not sent because it was made too late. 

Secondly, I was unable to make sufficient progression for practise on some pieces while in the UK, most predominantly Bach Minuet and Gavotte in D Major. For Bach Minuet I was unable to improve on the required things like not adding extra beats. For Gavotte in D Major, I had completely forgotten the structure and other things. 

However, in the past 2 weeks or so I have improved significantly. Ever since coming back to HK, I have managed to fix everything and get everything together. 

For Bach Bourree, I believe I was able to follow Chloé quite well. I adapted to her playing and managed to follow it fully. However, there were some times where I accidentally used the wrong bowing or dynamics. For the bowings, I was able to correct it most of the time. Overall I believe Bach Bourree was a success and ended quite well.

For Gavotte in G Minor, I believe that the piece went very smoothly. The dynamics were most likely on-point and all the notes were correct. When starting the piece, I was quite worried since I had forgotten whether to start the piece up bow or down bow which made it basically a 50/50 gamble. I decided to start up bow and I am still unsure if it was correct or not. Additionally, I may have been pressing too hard on the bow. Overall, I believe the piece went quite well however there were a few places to improve upon. 

For Bach Minuet, I believe that the piece did not go well and that the piece went well at the same time. While playing it, I felt anxious that I was playing everything wrong, even though most of everything was right. I had played all the notes correctly and most of the bowings. I had also made each phrase had a longer bow at the end. However, I still felt like I was getting this wrong while playing it for some very unknown reason. 

For Gossec Gavotte, I believe that the piece went relatively well. The bowings were mostly correct and the notes were all correct. However, I got some things wrong. Firstly, the articulation. Most of the time when it was supposed to be stacatto, I had played it lagatto, and when it was supposed to be lagatto, I had played it stacatto. Secondly and finally, in the D section I accidentally added a hook in the place where there wasn’t a hook. Not only that I had corrected it mid-piece. Overall I believe Gossec Gavotte went relatively well. 

For Martini Gavotte, I believe it went extremely well. Not only was I able to perfectly follow Chloé all of the time, I never caught up to her and I didn’t mess up by starting at the same time as her. However there were times that I was just blindly playing on “auto mode” and not paying attention to Chloé’s dynamics. Overall, I believe this went well. 

For Gavotte in D Major, I believe it went quite well. I got the structure right and was able to remember the start of the piece. I coordinated well with Ms Sonomi. However I missed a few cues and I believe i got a few wrong bowings. Overall, I believe it went fine.

For Twinkle, there isn’t much to say. Twinkle is Twinkle, and it went well. However, I accidentally started playing the harmony part instead of the melody part for one or two notes in one of the variations. 

~from Chloe

A few days ago, Lincoln and I gave our Book 3 Violin Recital, and it was definitely a challenging, fun, and unforgettable experience for the both of us.

First of all, the preparation process was quite difficult, since at the beginning, Lincoln was in the UK, while I was in HK, which made collaborating much harder than my previous two recitals. On top of that, Lincoln and I didn’t know each other as well before, unlike how Isabel (my Book 1 and 2 Recital partner) and I were already quite close. Luckily, it was unexpectedly easy bonding with Lincoln, when he arrived in Hong Kong, only just two weeks before the recital!

As for the recital, it actually went quite smoothly, and we both played much better than during the dress rehearsal. There were only a few small slip ups here and there, and no major issues as there had been during joint lessons and the dress rehearsal. (For example, me missing an entire section, Lincoln forgetting how his solo started, and us not listening to each other during joint duets!) 

In all, this recital had been very enjoyable, and undoubtedly a memorable process! Lastly, I would like to thank everyone that had made this recital possible. Ms. Diane for taking so much time and effort to help us prepare for all the pieces. Ms. Sonomi, for rehearsing with us over and over, to make sure every thing went fluently. Ms. Marie Ann, for making all the arrangements and organizing logistics (especially since Lincoln and I were in different continents at first). My parents, for supporting me throughout the process. Lincoln for being a great partner and working effectively with me. And his parents, for bringing the amazing snacks at the reception!

Reflections of the Performers: Miles Wu and Emma Li Book 3 violin recital

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Unusually, we had a summer book recital! In this case, scheduling the recital in the summer was necessary; however, it brought a lot of extra challenges in scheduling rehearsals and joint lessons due to unpredictable schedules in the summer! In spite of the challenges, Emma and Miles persevered and were able to give their performance. Here are their reflections on the experience:

~from Miles

In this recital, I think I did fine overall, but with much room for improvement. The piece that I think I played best was Martinni Gavotte, as I improved a lot from the start of preparation for the recital. I also made sure to communicate dynamics and give cues to Emma and/or Ms Sonomi. Individually, I made sure to use contrasting dynamics between each section and use appropriate bow divisions. However this piece also had some issues, with the E section having some mistakes and maintaining an issue to play with the harmony. The piece that needed the most improvement was Gavotte in G minor as the dynamics were inconsistent, as the way they increased or decreased depending on how high the note was wasn’t linear and the dynamics would seem to suddenly increase as I arrived at the e string. I also forgot the correct structure of the piece and unlike other pieces with mistakes, it took a very long time for me to reset myself and keep going. The piece where I communicated the best was Gossec Gavotte. In Gossec, specifically at the end of the B section and start of the C section where I did the retard and pause into 2 cues with different tempos. In conclusion, the recital went well overall from communication and teamwork ingredients aspects but with too many small individual mistakes sprinkled throughout.

~from Emma

As I’m typing this reflection I can’t form every thing that happened in this recital into words, there were so many things that I want to change, so many things that could have been better, so many hours spent on making this recital better. But there were also so many things that I couldn’t do before and can now, so many things that I’m proud of, so many praises from others. 
If I were to go back in time, there are so many things that I want to change, from little details to major parts. In the beginning of the recital, I was really nervous, my fingers were frozen stuck, my brain went blank, and my eyes were glued onto my fingers. I couldn’t focus, I was too focused on thinking negatively that I completely forgot about many things that I spent hours working on. More dynamics and articulation in Humoresque, especially in the first B section. And also not only sticking to super loud and super soft in Bach Bouree, to have more variation in the piece. With more practice, these mistakes could have been avoided, my goal for my next recital would be to play to the absolute best of my ability, use my time to practice wisely, and hopefully play better than I did in this recital.
On the bright side I had surprised my own expectations in pieces such as in the Minuet when I played with great dynamics, and I communicated well with Miles, which made a really well rehearsed duet. I also thought Gavotte in D major had good dynamics, and a lot of energy that fit the vibe of the piece. As the recital went on my nervousness started to fade, replaced with a sense of confidence.
The recital wasn’t perfect but it was filled with many memories, both good and bad, memories that I will cherish forever.

Reflection from the Performer: Isabel Zeng Book 7 Violin Recital

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~by Isabel

Upon completion of my Book 7 recital, I felt quite satisfied with the whole experience, and I felt like all the work I put in really paid off. Surprisingly, I felt a lot more comfortable during the recital, and was a lot less nervous than previously, which definitely helped my playing, and allowed me to be more expressive. 

In the weeks leading up to the recital, I was responsible for scheduling rehearsals with Ms. Sonomi, and although that was a responsibility that I hadn’t had to take care of in the past, it was important, and even though I struggled a bit with communication at first, it soon got easier.

Regarding my playing, I think that it went smoothly for the most part; there were some slip-ups here and there and I played the wrong piece by accident, but I was actively trying to implement all of the techniques that I worked on such as using my elbow, using the right amount and intensity of vibrato, using my arm (especially for more tone-related pieces), and trying to keep my tempo consistent (such as in the 1st movement of Bach A minor and the 3rd movement of Handel A major).

Some pieces were, of course, less challenging than others both regarding technique, and how easily the musicality aspect of it came to me, but even though playing them was like taking a small break, it was still a bit of a challenge to remain engaged while that was happening. 

In contrast, pieces such as Legende were far more difficult. I had performed Legende once previously, and because of that, it made this performance of the piece go more smoothly. I was able to get a better grasp of what I wanted the piece to sound like and be, and that allowed me to be more expressive and lean into the musical aspects rather than only focusing on the technical parts. Of course, I did have to pay significant attention to things such as intonation, given its rather lengthy passage of double-stops and chords, which although was something I worked really hard on, some sections were still difficult but I tried to not let that stand in the way of the piece overall. Despite all of its challenges, I enjoyed playing Legende again, and I think that it was definitely a great experience.

Overall, I think that I did well in my Book 7 recital, and I am proud of the progress I made between this recital and the one prior. I was able to not only grow in my technical abilities, but also in confidence and expressiveness, and scheduling rehearsals and communicating with Ms. Sonomi helped me improve my communication skills and become more responsible.

Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Sonomi, Ms. Diane, and Ms. Marie Ann so much for everything they’ve done in order to make the recital possible. To Ms. Sonomi, thank you so much for all of the effort and time you put into this and thank you for being patient with me throughout the rehearsals. Ms. Diane, thank you for working on the pieces with me and helping me improve certain sections over and over again, and also for making the amazing programme. Ms. Marie Ann, thank you for bearing with me especially when I had some communication related mess-ups. Last but not least, thank you again to everyone who came and made this experience so memorable.

Reflection from the Performers: Elaine & Evelyn Book 1 Violin Recital

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~ from Evelyn

After spending my daily effort to practise the violin, I am happy that I can share the music I’ve learnt, and show others that, with effort, there will surely be a day of success. I hope I can continue to work hard and finish book 2 soon. Thank you Ms Diane for teaching me, and Ms Sonomi for playing the piano with me in the book 1 recital

~from Elaine

My book 1 recital is an experience I will never forget. When I was younger, I vividly remember watching Eric and Wesley do their recital once. The music, layout, just everything seemed perfect. As I watched them take a final bow, I couldn’t help but wonder when it would be my turn. 

And then suddenly, it was my turn. Though I understood that the recital would be complicated, I never expected the amount of work involved. It started when my mom forwarded me the email Mrs. Diane sent a congratulation note and recital information. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was really happening. With a mixture of fear and excitement, me and Evelyn (My recital partner) went to Mrs. Dianes room after group class. Then we decided on the pieces and had a brief overview of what was going on. From then on, we each spent time working on them in private lessons and the joined pieces on joint lessons. Through this process, I revisited and corrected the old skills that I used to learn each piece. For example, one piece I was playing was Allegro. I needed to use quick bows for the whole bows, because you had to be quick to have a nice staccato sound. (Hence the name) And for Gavotte, I learned that I had to relax rather than tense up to do the hooked bows in the D section. 

I also learned how to collaborate with a partner. I got to know Evelyn better and we had to learn how to communicate to succeed. We both led a different piece and learned how to be a leader and follower. Skills like listening to each other were used often and we became closer. We both worked really hard to make the recital work, and I think it paid off. Though mistakes were made, I think we actually got to enjoy it and share music with others. The recital did make me nervous, after I learned that so many people were coming. But me and Evelyn handled it, (sort of) and did a great job.  With the help of many people, Mrs. Diane, Mrs. Sonomi, our parents, and friends, we completed our book 1 recital. Thank you!

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