'One good thing about music...when it hits you, you feel no pain' - Bob Marley
Music in my life has always had 2 divisions, listening and playing, with appreciation being associated with either one. Just like the first time you either practice or experience an engine failure in the aircraft, the appreciation for the engine triples within the blink of an eye. I guess it began back in 1996, when I was just 6 years old, going for piano lessons just 10 minutes down the road from where I lived. About 8 months after sitting at my Music Teacher's piano, not being able to reach the pedals, or the highest and lowest octave whilst learning the scale of C major, (no black notes), I was sitting my first Victoria College Of Music Grade 1 examination. It was only after receiving my results, 96 out of 100, that made me realize not only have I found something that I really enjoy doing in my spare time, but the feeling of almost something I have inherited...a potential for me to enter a different world by expressing another language of some kind. The Exams are graded in the order of Pass: 65 marks, Merit: 80 marks Distinction: 90 with the exam being broken down into 3 Solo Pieces, Scales and Arpeggios, Theory Questions, Sight Reading and Musicianship tests.
By the time I started High School in September, 2000, I had my Grade 3 Advanced Junior and Grade 1 theory under my belt...a perfect way to convince the head of music I was a worthy candidate to be a member of the school bands. It was to my disappointment that the piano position in both swing band and jazz band were taken, and not by someone who planned on retiring sometime soon either! He went by the name of 'Piano Kid' and if it wasn't for the fact he was attending the same music teacher as I was, I too wouldn't have known his name was James. A very naturally talented young musician who made me look like the plonker that gate crashes the piano stool and hammers out 'chop sticks'!
So it came without surprise that I had to learn a different instrument in order to become a member of the world renowned Concert Band. This meant additional music lessons in school on top of the cost to 'hire' the instrument which if this was going to be for the long term was not a great long term investment idea. (Unless I was going to become a professional Euphonium or Trombone player)! In the early years of High School, I was a member of the brass section of the Concert Band playing the Euphonium (Smaller than a Tuba bigger than a horn). That's when I realized that these bands work on the same principle as BA, if you don't pre-book your seat in advance, you end up worse off....In my case using even my residual volume of lung capacity resembling something off Fred Dibnah's Age Of Steam!
To Cut a long story short, it was in December 2001 where I achieved the unknown and achieved full marks in my grade 4 piano examination outside of school life. From then on, this really shaped and defined my musical involvement and took it to the next level. I remember the results coming through just before Christmas with a remark from the examiner saying 'Music should be your career'. I might take his advice when I am someday retired :-)
During 2002, a new door opened. I learnt to play the Trombone. The reason being was that the Euphonium was very restricted to just the concert band, as the Swing and Jazz band did not have them. So, I took up the Trombone and this was the instrument from then on, that acted as my passport to travel with all 3 bands to various different events and competitions. During my years of being part of the Great Sankey High School bands, we played at various events such as the Lowery in Manchester, even the Millennium Dome but the highlight was the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank of London where we were competing internationally and were awarded Silver! To add to that, we also won the Gold at a European competition! So what was the one thing I will never forget about the Trombone....never ever polish the inner slide. Luckily for me, it only happened in rehearsals, where the slide came flying off whilst reaching for lower octave C, creating a new percussion section in the process! May 2002, I had an opportunity to apply to Chetham's school of music in which I did. Luckily for me, I didn't pass the 2 hour audition but it goes without saying that the experience gained was added to my collection.
After achieving my Junior Bronze medal award, which you sit after grade 4, failure appeared on the radar, and I was unsuccessful in my grade 6 examination. Debussy's Le Petit Negre appeared not to be compatible to both my hands and rhythm. Just listening to the piece now makes me wonder how a pass would ever have been possible...I mean it would be a worthy piece to play over the Go Compare advert! I went on to resit in December 2005 and luckily passed with Merit.
If it wasn't for music during my school years, (2000-2005), my present memories of school would have near enough been diminished. Ranging from my very first piano performance at Great Sankey High School's Christmas Concert whilst I was still in Primary School days, sat at this huge Yamaha grand piano, not being able to reach the pedals or to be visible to any of the audience (which isn't a bad thing). I remember playing in a talent show once, accompanying someone singing 'There You'll Be' from the film, Pearl Harbor and thinking how embarrassing it would be for the main artist if I were to mess things up! I have also played for an evening at the Imperial War Museum back in 2004 when I was 14.
The year 2006 brings us to the end of a marked chapter with regards to my musical involvement. Briefly, this was the year when I decided to 'spread my wings' and follow my dream and embark upon a new chapter at Priestley College, where my time and dedication would be fulfilled by aviation alongside my A level studies. More on this in other sections of my blog. I say a marked chapter as an event happened that will remain with me forever. I was one of three, to be asked to play at a Charity Event at Granada Studios with the presence of Sir John Major. This has been unquestionably the most significant milestone of my musical years and was a pleasure to be asked to play and have a tour around the famous Coronation Street set.
At present, most of my music certificates have been exchanged for that of flight yet I do still have the certificate of my Silver Medal Award displayed next to my piano to remind me where I left off if ever I pick it up again someday.
Link to my YouTube Profile:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoPilot
Oh, eventually after a long 4 years of waiting for 'Piano Kid' to part with the piano stool, my time finally did come within the last year of finishing school, when James packed up and moved out of the area. Moving onto the piano felt like home and the best part about it....I was named the new 'Piano Kid'.
By PianoPilot
During 2002, a new door opened. I learnt to play the Trombone. The reason being was that the Euphonium was very restricted to just the concert band, as the Swing and Jazz band did not have them. So, I took up the Trombone and this was the instrument from then on, that acted as my passport to travel with all 3 bands to various different events and competitions. During my years of being part of the Great Sankey High School bands, we played at various events such as the Lowery in Manchester, even the Millennium Dome but the highlight was the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank of London where we were competing internationally and were awarded Silver! To add to that, we also won the Gold at a European competition! So what was the one thing I will never forget about the Trombone....never ever polish the inner slide. Luckily for me, it only happened in rehearsals, where the slide came flying off whilst reaching for lower octave C, creating a new percussion section in the process! May 2002, I had an opportunity to apply to Chetham's school of music in which I did. Luckily for me, I didn't pass the 2 hour audition but it goes without saying that the experience gained was added to my collection.
After achieving my Junior Bronze medal award, which you sit after grade 4, failure appeared on the radar, and I was unsuccessful in my grade 6 examination. Debussy's Le Petit Negre appeared not to be compatible to both my hands and rhythm. Just listening to the piece now makes me wonder how a pass would ever have been possible...I mean it would be a worthy piece to play over the Go Compare advert! I went on to resit in December 2005 and luckily passed with Merit.
If it wasn't for music during my school years, (2000-2005), my present memories of school would have near enough been diminished. Ranging from my very first piano performance at Great Sankey High School's Christmas Concert whilst I was still in Primary School days, sat at this huge Yamaha grand piano, not being able to reach the pedals or to be visible to any of the audience (which isn't a bad thing). I remember playing in a talent show once, accompanying someone singing 'There You'll Be' from the film, Pearl Harbor and thinking how embarrassing it would be for the main artist if I were to mess things up! I have also played for an evening at the Imperial War Museum back in 2004 when I was 14.
The year 2006 brings us to the end of a marked chapter with regards to my musical involvement. Briefly, this was the year when I decided to 'spread my wings' and follow my dream and embark upon a new chapter at Priestley College, where my time and dedication would be fulfilled by aviation alongside my A level studies. More on this in other sections of my blog. I say a marked chapter as an event happened that will remain with me forever. I was one of three, to be asked to play at a Charity Event at Granada Studios with the presence of Sir John Major. This has been unquestionably the most significant milestone of my musical years and was a pleasure to be asked to play and have a tour around the famous Coronation Street set.
 |
| Myself and Mary Clarke on Coronation Street with Sir John Major |
At present, most of my music certificates have been exchanged for that of flight yet I do still have the certificate of my Silver Medal Award displayed next to my piano to remind me where I left off if ever I pick it up again someday.
After all...there is no real ending...It's just a place where you stop the story.I still play almost everyday for pleasure, and am working on uploading as much as I can to share with everyone who enjoys listening. Music in my opinion is the best cleanser for the soul. I suppose you could say:
Music is what feelings sound like
Link to my YouTube Profile:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoPilot
Oh, eventually after a long 4 years of waiting for 'Piano Kid' to part with the piano stool, my time finally did come within the last year of finishing school, when James packed up and moved out of the area. Moving onto the piano felt like home and the best part about it....I was named the new 'Piano Kid'.
By PianoPilot
No comments:
Post a Comment