A piece of music is a story written with musical notes. The creation of it is an art I have been trying my hand at since I was eight years old. Through the Yamaha Junior Original Concert Program, I began to explore the possibilities of composition with other aspiring composers from all over Canada. We participated in musical workshops and learned about the concepts of rhythm variation and collaboration, as well as many others.
I attended these camps every year, and when I was nine, I was selected to perform at the National Concert for JOC. My piece was named, "Dancing Fairy," and had a waltz style to its melodies. As I continued to compose, my composition skills branched out towards other genres, such as tango, theme and variations, and upbeat modern characters.
My last composition, called "Reincarnation," for the JOC Program, which I performed in 2015, incorporated an additional instrument: the cello. To develop my piece, I had the honor of meeting Vancouver Symphony Orchestra composer-in-residence Jocelyn Morlock and taking classes with her. All the efforts paid off when I moved on to the Regional JOC Concert held in Calgary, Alberta.
For the big performance, I had the opportunity to work with a professional cellist. As the vivacious waterfalls of notes fell upon the whole room, pride and confidence swept into me, knowing the hours and hours of practice and perfecting were more than worth the while.
The piano was clearly made for more than one pair of hands and after several years, I opened the door to duets, trios, and even quartets. With my teacher's other students, I delved into the tricky art of synchronization and awareness of what my seatmates were playing.
After gaining some experience through participating and receiving first place at events such as the Student Performers' Guild Festival, I managed to break through my initial worries of playing with others. My skills with working as a team - or a single voice with many textures - grew as I took on more pieces requiring more than one person.
In 2014, I challenged myself by learning a quartet composition in which there were many interwoven layers of melodies. With three other students - Elsa, Adelaide, and Karen - we auditioned for the Crescendo International Music Competition. When we received news saying we had made it into the first place division and were invited to perform in Carnegie Hall in New York in February of 2015, I was in disbelief for days. The four of us flew there and after our performance, we were given first place certificates and some cash. It was a major breakthrough in my piano career and I couldn't have done it without the other girls.
Throughout the years, I have been preparing for the grade tests of RCM. In the summer of 2016, I completed the grade ten examination. Performing in front of an examiner put me under significant pressure and persevering through it is no easy task. However, as I gained more experience being in these situations, I figured out quick ways to ease my performing anxiety. It turned out that thinking about my favourite songs, whether they were upbeat pop hits or slow ballads, helped me clear my mind of negative thoughts.
The piano will always be a large part of my life. It's a medium so similar to writing, except music is a language everyone in the world can understand. For me, the way musical notes touch the soul serves as inspiration for creating fiction powerful enough to give the reader true emotion.