Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

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

Reflections from the performers: Isabel & Nicole Book 3 Recital

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~from Isabel

This Book Recital was the most challenging recital I’ve had. Both Nicole and I had to work together under multiple time constraints. We had to change the dates of our practices numerous times in order to fit our schedules. The biggest challenge for me was, even though I had time to practise I didn’t practise efficiently or effectively. So when it came time to the dress rehearsal I was mostly unprepared, especially on my solo pieces. So I decided I needed to start practising efficiently. Throughout the week I slowly learned how to use my time efficiently and make each practise count. In the end I managed to play all of my pieces pretty well and me and Nicole worked really well together at the concert. On top of that I also learned a valuable lesson. I learned how to be efficient and manage my time. Overall I think this concert was very good given the challenges we faced.

~from Nicole

I was really glad when I heard that my partner would be Isabel. Since Isabel and I have known each other from school, we have collaborated exceptionally well on our book recital, even when we had to reschedule many of our rehearsals, demonstrating a strong partnership that enhanced our overall performance.
During joint lessons, we worked on the flow of each joint piece. For the twinkle variations, we practiced playing the twinkles at a consistent speed (80), with the right articulation and bow division. For Minuet in G, I felt like the first time we played the piece together, we were challenged because Isabel had just started learning it, and I hadn’t practiced the harmony well enough. However, as we began to focus on coordinating our parts and improving each section, the specific places where a ritard was needed, we were able to play the piece well. 
I felt like I had good energy towards the end of the recital, especially in the Gavotte in D major and the Martini Gavotte. I also liked how I played Humoresque. Although some of my shifts did not land correctly, I felt like I had good contrast when the dynamic and energy changed. In Bach Bourrée, I felt like my bow divisions and dynamics were clear, but I could have made some notes clearer rather than rushed, especially in the B section. For Gossec Gavotte, I felt my articulation slowly became more noticeable, but I could have practiced the notes in the C and D sections to make them sound clearer.
I want to thank Ms. Diane for teaching me all the pieces I performed and for supporting me. Ms. Sonomi, for collaborating with me and also teaching and giving tips to Isabel and I during the joint lessons. Ms. Marie Ann, for organizing everything. My family for supporting me. Isabel’s parents for supporting Isabel and me during the joint lessons, dress rehearsal, and book recital. I would also like to thank everyone who was involved in the recital process. Everyone was very flexible when all the schedule changes! Finally, Isabel, for being such a great friend and recital partner! 

Reflections from the Performers: Charlotte & Sophie’s Book 1 Violin Recital

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Sophie and Charlotte prepared and performed their Book 1 Recital together! Here are their reflections on their first-ever full recital experience!

~from Sophie

I am very glad that my recital was successful. I really liked how the audience was very supportive. I also think that we (me and Charlotte) did well. We remembered the important things and worked together well. Though I think that if I were to have another recital, I want to make sure that we weren’t as nervous and laugh a little less when we were walking.

~from Charlotte

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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