a day in the life of piano monkey

woman writing a letter by gerard ter borch II -following the last email from me, about how they did not read my response as they calmly suggest that package can be picked up now while ive been telling them i will be away for a month from the beginning: correspondence 1: Dear (monkey) Thank you for your additional comments. I have processed your package for return since you have stated that you are out of town for a month and will not be able to collect it. I am sorry that I missed this detail in my previous response. If you would like to have 3 delivery attempts on your shipments, I would recommend that you request "Adult Signature Required" on your future shipments. Adult Signature Required shipments are not redirected to our Alternate Delivery Locations (ADL) and will receive all 3 delivery attempts. If the delivery driver does not have access into your apartment building, then he has no choice but to leave the delivery no...

following up with UPS is fun i think... the latest on the UPS adventure! UPS Reply: Thank you for providing the requested tracking number.  UPS is enhancing its residential delivery process to better serve our customers and keep your package safe. Picking up your package from a UPS Store or UPS Collection Point provides flexibility and convenience for you instead of having to make alternate arrangements or waiting for a UPS driver. Your package is readily available for pick up at the following address: (a depot in toronto) You will require a government issued picture ID and one of the following:  - Information notice number  - Postcard number  - Tracking number  (i dont have your notice ticket. you really didnt read my complaints.) I sincerely apologize for the problems you have experienced with the shipment and the inconvenience this has caused. Your frustration is understandable. If we may assist you in the future, please don't hesitate to...

1. why did you send an email? -something else if some other reason, what was the nature of your inquiry? -initial inquiry was to resolve the situation of un-notified and undelivered package that has been on hold in local depot centre since 21 november 2012. i have given up on trying to get my package delivered, as i am leaving town today for a month. i lost a day's worth of work as i had to cancel the day to receive this package, as it contains a christmas gift for an important person in my life. however, it wont be here by the time depart to england. the customer support service is atrocious as call agents clearly expressed lack of authority or control over actual execution over the solutions they provide over the phone. the fact this particular building getting only 1 delivery attempt in comparison to the usual 3 attempts is unacceptable and ethically wrong, as the senders still pay 100% cost for maximum 33% of service expected.  and that this knowledge is held in silence ...

the other day, i found this incredible recording of ian bostridge/julian drake doing winterreise music video. so i bought it. apparently it was supposed to come through canada post and it did so in just three days. except, i never got it. the building post box was not being used because canada post was going through 'equipment change,' though i unfortunately heard postie talking to management about one of them losing keys to the mail room. sigh. so we had no mail delivered (only pick up in middle-no-where-cherry-beach, which take 15 min cab ride and no direct public transit there) and i can only assume it got lost in the pile of things as it never showed up here and postie said there was nothing there at the depot. so amazon decided to redeliver using UPS.  i wasnt informed of it, so i assumed it was coming through canada post again. so yesterday, i decided to look up the order and see what quackery was on.  well,apparently it has been delivered. to blaine. who the he...

the latest project, fat gurl wanna be rock star: lost-then-found music for piano and bassoon, came to life this afternoon.  the idea of trash was intriguing from the get-go and now that the concert has happened, it is easy to simply discard the experience, hence producing more trash. however, in spirit of true dumpster diver, when the time is right (after the dust has settled), i am going to revisit and re-evaluate this rich experience. YES. for now, today was the day one of the rock star journey.  it went with the usual unexpected surprises (including a runaway page of the saint-saens. nutty. just like the composer himself, who one day just left his wife without saying a word and disappeared in midst of vacation... i suppose i will never ever let that happen again), trying out new things (somewhat cumbersome learning curve for live streaming) and trying to befriend an unknown stranger yet (a very distinctively voiced, somewhat full-on steinway piano with that occasional...

so youve finalized the rep. has timeline for due dates. secured your staff. and now: time management. try to figure out what you would need and may 'want,' and by that, think about the order of the asked playing samples. you want to put the strongest one on the beginning, as the schools receives mountains of cds, there's no guarantee that they will listen to all of it. well, i suppose there's a guarantee that they will NOT listen to all of it, haha.  so though it may be possible for the auditioner(s) to move around and listen to things out of order, it is likely that they will pop it in and it'll start blaring whatever's on first.  also, the other point is that look into your weakest piece- this is the one that you may want to take multiple takes of.  save some time for it. here's a news. to record an hour of music, it usually takes 2+ hours.  how does that work? well, first, depending on the familiarity with space/acoustic, you and your engineer w...

tumbling dice: the musicians relax int he villa's basement studio. despite the debauched environment, exile on main street went onto become widely viewed as the stone's best album. however, not a good place if you want to do lieder demo. from daily mail, 20 may 2010 to find a decent place to do a recording may be surprisingly difficult.  there are more sound around us than we realize. but boy it stings you in the ears when unexpected/unwanted- in the quiet passages, in the grande pause, end of a fleeting cadence, there it is, slamming doors, long-tone exercises, the streetcars... most of my work happens in three places: 1. faculty of music- WH, vic chapel, FM + other rooms 2. conservatory of music- conservatory theater, mazzolini hall 3. local churches notice that there is no 'real' studio? well, it's because i tend to do the 'away' events mostly, related to the school events, especially recitals and demo recordings (playing/coaching/r...

http://youtu.be/JCULWK4tNuc  no matter how well you thought you know them, the various people in one's life rides the wave of life, each heading to an appropriate yet different direction. in passing and weaving, one may see a familiar one in a particularly beautiful light- the light that enables us to see through the fog of daily mundane life. suddenly you realize what real life is- or rather, what it can be. in 2008 ted talk, benjamin zander, at end of it, talks of 'shining eyes,' would we dare walk the same and talk the same, if we remember those shining eyes? http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html in 2009 banff days, a few very kind, intelligent and gentle souls continued to lit up silent, demanding nights, where i was easily found, wood shedding in studio, early morning hours. felt chased and failing, i relied on these kind souls to fuel self, to take another step- borrowed, or rather, 'fed' hope into blood. in...

so, here is a peek of what the session may look like: we have: quiet space, well-maintained piano, appropriate instruments and scores. for visual, zoom recorder will record into a class10 SD card. for audio, we have AT4050ST, which has two diapragmes/capsules in one casing, so we are still recording stereo.  this mic is connected to mackie 402, which powers it (through turning on 'phantom power' button), and then it will feed to three recorders: zoom, tascam and microtrack (which runs on battery, which will save you in case there is power outage). and you monitor the sound with good headphone (in this case, AKG K240s). here's a funny thing: so why is the back up with battery power important? well, if the power goes out, yes, mic will be silent, as mixer will be silent. so we arent recording anymore.  however, because of battery power, microtrack will stay alive, meaning you will be able to save the progress, in contrast to recorders without battery backup, which ...

now, let's form a list of repertoire needed: 1. title, movement, composer, year, edition 2. req. staff: do you need accompanist? chamber musicians? 3. TIMING: yes. seriously. how long is it? if multi-movement works, do timing of each mvt.  by doing this, you can now separate your repertoire into two categories: solo with no accompaniment, music with other people in it.  this is important in case you cannot book a leisurely day-long session; your pianist's probably playing for others as well.  maximize your financial means by getting him/her in only for the things that you actually need him/her.  this also enable you to book separate sessions with your engineer, as he/she's probably not able to book you a nice 3 hours chunks at a time.  more on that later. now... here's the important thing to consider- these tapes are usually request for 'pre-screening,' meaning if you PASS, you may be granted a live audition round. now, why would they ask you to ...

tis the time of the year where many people face a horrid event: making audition tapes.  well, now a few asks for DVDs/youtube uploads. how times have changed! if you thought filling out applications were difficult, i am glad, as making a demo should really be a nice experience- difficulty is optional, not required.  however, it does help to prepare oneself to the daunting ask of making a demo. i sat in to play. to accompany. to produce. to record. to boost morales. so here it is, a few tips. first, figure out who wants what: each school will have particular requirements for selection of repetoire and preferred format.  read it carefully  and if you are applying to multiple schools, do make a mastersheet: 1. due date for application/upload: 2. school/program/preferred teacher: 3. format requested: CD? DVD? mp3s? youtube? 3. repertoire required: now that youve made a mastersheet, go get a monthly calendar, print one if you want. start marking the due dat...

voters line up before dawn at washington mill elemantary school,  near mount vernon in fairfax county, VA, tuesday, nov 6 2012  (AP Photo/j. scott applewhite) 12:55am, 07 november 2012. romney came up the podium and made his speech. how many ears did it reach? how many hearts did it touch? many. supporters. oppositions. bystanders. it was not the victory speech he wrote. but perhaps this was greater speech than the one he wanted. to believe in america. to believe in principles. to be a real citizen. this was one of the ugliest and bloody political battles in recent times (especially for -1.5 years). along with americans, the world watched: people ran from one side to another, swayed and swayed, lost, confused and angered, looking for unreal solutions, fix-alls. pressurized pot of america. it was campaign season full of frustration and word games, fuelled through data/media processing/manipulation.  it was fought hard, nothing spared, a mil...

h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAF8D0ugyVk as we give up an hour of a day, the official 'sinking' into the depth began last night. right after samhein and hurricane sandy, i cant help but to think this autumn was brutal. beautiful but brutal. as if the bright reds of fading trees can share so much with torn flesh of a dying animal, blood leaving the body, eyes hazing over the last bit of breath. perhaps things look even more gruesome when juxtaposed with brilliance of life- it is the death of youth that is tragic and beautiful, not death of the old. there has been too much drama in monkey life, right from the start of september. and it is showing no sign of ending. it is almost sad that i do not possess the courage or the strength to write publicly about all the issues that has came up and that has left marks.  is it cowardice or is it the right political move? i cannot tell them apart anymore, not at this point.  all i know is that it is not realistic t...

 a great scene: when the world is against you, well, go with it to see where it goes!  happiness is a drolly cat in a lovely home, snuggling.  i wondered if they knew what was on the other side: fish steaks.  even in the middle of the city, hymn of autumnal gold radiates.  bicycle reborn! must wait till sandy is gone and rain stops... wait! now i can break in rain!  weeping,  with open flesh wound, torn and broken.  gorgeous flowers that arrived with gorgeous lady guest.  having my daily wheaties.  giraffe outside of my window one morning. i live on 32nd floor...  just in case the suburbanite joggers are super motivated...  what happened here? quiet sunday morning by a burger shop.  aftermath of sandy. it used to be a beautiful weeping willow. 'im a bit different but you love me anyways' had to try very hard to not take...

i have a sears catalog bike from 1973-4.  i inherited it from a friend while i was still doing my doctoral degree- so about 4 years, ive been riding it.  it's an old thing- somewhat small steel frame, 10 speed gears it says, but it really does... on speed.  but at least it's dependable- no untold gear shifts in middle of a ride.  the breaks are old and the seat is crumbling. but i do love the bike.  bright orange with faded spots.  though i still 'owns' a decent mountain bicycle (my good friend is taking care of it for awhile now), my first choice was always this little orange bicycle. recently toronto's been having much rain. and it means i cannot ride my bicycle, as the break cables are loose and stretched out, there is a sure guarantee that my bike wont stop in time when it rains... sounds like an excuse but i dont have any bike tools (and yes it would be hard to find the right ones for it- except... may be make real investment and get adjustable t...