The main sources of YST students

The university students always have to handle a lot of stress, especially

overseas students: except the stress from modules, they still need to resolve

problems about language and social problems in a different place. As one of

them, I am going to talk about the main sources of stress for Yong Siew Toh

Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) and how can we try to resolve it.


After researching, there are three main source of stress for YST students:

students spend too much time doing homework can not make new friends and

they do not have a big social circle.


Many students complain that they spend too much time on homework. For a

simple example: they have to practice several times for operating the software

Finale 2010 well. But the locals or the students from English countries only

need half or less time to figure it out. The reason they spend much more time

is the language. They can not remember the functions of each menu in only

one or two times like the locals. They put most of time to adapt the English

software that is why we spend more time than them.


Many of my friends are totally different when they meet foreigners and

countrymen. For instance, one of my friends is very active in my opinion. He

has so many topics when he is talking with me, and the topics all are quite

attractive. But he is so quiet every time when we have lunch or dinner with

other friends from other places. He only looks his food and eats them without

any words. Why are they closed to the foreigners? Of course the reason is the

language. The language influences their confidence: firstly, they do not

understand the foreigners` meaning. Then they would not talk because they

feel being isolated and after that they do not have confidence to talk.


In NUS, you can participate many activities and make many friends from

different areas but if you do not have English skill, you would lose them. For

example, in many activities you would know many other students from other

faculties. Obviously you will use English to communicate. If you can not use it,

you would lose the chance to know the people from the different places and

you would not have a big social circle. It is not good for your life and career

both.


Generally, we can conclude: language is the main problem. So how can we

try to minimize its effect? Here I have two suggestions:

First is you should use English more. The more you use English, you get

improvement faster. I know a Japanese girl. When she came here 4 years

ago, she did not know English at all. But she catches every chance to practice

her English in any case. In food canteen, class, store... And she improves

very very fast. Now she can speak fluent English.

Second is, just study English. Vocabulary, grammar, dictation... everyone

hates them but you need to learn them if you want to improve your English.

Amazing Bach Playing by Rinat Ibragimov

What can I say???
The best Bach playing I have seen. Amazing, unbelievable.....
Please enjoy it.
You can find the rest pieces of this suite in Youtube by him.


Rinat Ibragimov, principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra, performs Bach's 3rd Cello suite, which he hopes will help encourage student bass players to explore Baroque playing and Bach's music in particular.

Concert in Jan 9, 2009

On the 9 Jan, I was attending to a concert by Singapore Symphony Orchestra. At that afternoon, I was always excited because there would be a genius player in the concert – Gil Shaham.
The first piece was the string adagio by Barber. SSO `s timbre was really limpid. The sound also had a touching power.
Second piece was the Prokofiev No.1 violin concerto. Gil appeared. His face was so handsome. Before playing the concerto he shook hands with the concert master for seconds. It showed Gil `s respect to the orchestra.
No any waiting and almost in the clapping Gil started to play! His confident really shocked me. Also, after the performance, his clear and brilliant playing shocked me again. No matter in how difficult clap of the concerto, he can do it very easy. And dynamic was also perfect. In the second movement, his dynamic control was very nice that he and orchestra offered a limpid, touching and peaceful music to the audience. I was also touched. And the encore, it was really shocking piece. Gil played it with a very fast tempo but every note was so clean and the musical line was very clear. Gil was playing really amazing. He did not have any mistakes in the whole concert. And through the clapping of the audience, I thought everyone enjoyed the performance.

Daphnis et Chloe -- Gustavo Dudamel

This edition is by Gustavo Dudamel and his Simon Bolivar orchestra. Everyone love their passionate playing but let us see -- how perfect they do in the beginning of this piece -- Daphnis et Chloe. Everyone in the orchestra is so careful to play every note and they control the balance of the sound perfect. Of course they are not so good as the perfect professional orchestra but they did very perfect in the balance of the sound. This perfect balance is really really touches me.

Please enjoy it.