Sentiment

Walnut Hill in Natick, Boston, MA

這是我第一次參加音樂營，感覺很新鮮，是國、高中同學安慧告知我這個消息，因此準備的非常倉卒，不過，我也從中學習很多。

Before the audition, my clarinet teacher saw me and he was very excited to shake hands with me. He is very tall and talkative. I couldn't find time to answer him. :p

During the audition, he smiles at me all the time and always said "Good" to reduce my nervous. It really worked! I played well in front of the teachers. I was very satisfied with my performance. : )

I can't believe I have arrived at Boston. When we (An-Hui, Cindy and me) went off the plane from San Francisco, teacher Tan and June were standing there to pick us up. It was 10:30 in the evening. Unfortunately, An-Hui and Cindy's luggage were lost! The plane we took didn't bring their luggage in time when we changed the plane in San Francisco.

We hadn't taken a bath for 2 days!! What I wanted to do most was bathing, but I couldn't. The two poor girls were sad about losing their luggage in the foreign country. I had no idea to comfort them. Teacher Tan said they would find it eventually so didn't have to worry about.

Almost every morning, most of us would be awaked by the noisy construction in the school. My room is the nearest. :( The worst is that I was awaked every night because of coldness. How poor am I!

After breakfast, some of us would have the class for private or chamber lesson. The others who had no class could do whatever they want. Most of us would go praticing the music or working with our partners in the chamber music. Most of their pianos were grand pianos and they had air-conditioned all day! It is really an enjoyment to practice in the great room.

Being a student of Mr. Yin, though I minor in piano, I still had to stand his coldness when I couldn't play what he taught right away. He seldom smiled and it made me feel I am not good and enthusiastic enough about the attitude of music.

Sometimes, I just played few notes, and then he would stop me and asked me some questions. Such as, "What are you thinking in your head? What can you see when you play these notes? What is the scene in your mind? Could you tell me what this harmony stands for here? Do you know the background of this music?" How hard the questions they are!

My first clarinet lesson was much different than what I imagined before. I thought the teacher would want me to play during the class, but he didn't. You must know that the most important thing in woodwind instruments such as clarinet, oboe, and bassoon, is choosing a good reed. Choosing a good reed is the most important thing before we play. Do you know what happened on that day? The teacher used all my reeds and played my clarinet!! He played my clarinet!! Oh! My God! When he asked me if he could play it, I didn't want to but I knew I couldn't refuse him. He wanted to try my clarinet. Most of you must think it is so dirty because I might eat his spittle. I almost fainted down when he handed the clarinet to me and asked me to play just after him. I never lent my clarinet to others so nobody has blown it, of course including my teacher in Taiwan. It was my first time I am afraid to blow the clarinet. It was really my nightmare.

The food in the restaurant was not very delicious. I could stand that but most of my classmates couldn't. They complained about every meal. They disliked eating cold food and cheese, but they had to have them almost everyday. : )

We almost ate sandwich and potato everyday! It really made me go crazy! Every breakfast was pancake with over-sweet syrup. The salad bar had many kinds of strange sauce with several colors. I found the most delicious food I could find in the restaurant everyday is cereal with milk. :p

I will keep diary everyday if possible and share you something interesting, or share my learning experience with my teachers and new friends.
Tell you something about the lecture or concerto. It must be fun! :)

我今天得到好多東西想跟你們分享。上次去音樂營的其中一個鋼琴老師這幾天來台灣，他就是陳宏寬老師。
原本他只在台北開音樂會，但是因台中的新民高中邀請他來辦一場音樂會及一講座，所以我才能有幸聽到老師的演奏及演講。
繼上次殷承宗老師來台演出之後，陳老師終於也來了，真的不敢相信我又能再次看到他們，那種感覺真是奇妙！無法形容我的心情！

I can't believe it!! My piano teacher---Mr. Yin will hold a concert with the Saint-Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan in December!! :D
I must will join it and send him a bunch of flowers with a lovely card. I had no chance to thank him at that time because he left so early.
Now it is the best chance to thank him, but I hope he still remember me.^^