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My goal is:To reduce and find better ways to deal with my stress through Music.ENTRY MADE EACH MONTHMasterlist of all portfolio posts made about NYAA
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MonthDateNumber of hours completed (32 hours over 12 months)ActivityWhat you did towards your goalPostfolio PostEvidence (if it is electronic)
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SEPTEMBER18/09/181.5Piano MasterclassA very experienced pianist visited our piano class, and worked with me personally into improving my piece and my playing, as well as my control over my fingers. This, in turn, has made my piano piece sound a lot more satisfying to me and has made it a more enjoyable piece to play. This helps me deal with my stress as when I want to calm down or play something relaxing and enjoyable for me, I can play this and relax. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2018/10/03/nyaa-healthy-living-goal-september/https://www.facebook.com/CrossingBordersMusic/
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http://crossingbordersmusic.org/

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05/09/18, 12/09/18, 19/09/18, 26/09/184ITP Piano ClassesI take weekly piano lessons, to help me prepare for exams and build up skill, both of which help me explore my passion and work towards my goal as I specified myself. Paper Practice Diary
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25/09/181.5Piano MasterclassA genre I particularly enjoy listening to is Jazz music or R&B, and I received some sheet music for a jazz piece that I will play at the library at esplanade for International Women's Day in March. I think that practicing and learning this piece could be a valuable experience for me and will relax me from the pressure of playing my exam pieces a lot. The piece is by Hiromi Uehara, a Japanese female composer who composes beautiful music, and I also think that playing this piece will help me ease my nerves as a performer and gain valuable performing experience.
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OCTOBER02/10/18, 24/10/18, 31/10/183ITP Piano ClassesI take weekly piano lessons, to help me prepare for exams and build up skill, both of which help me explore my passion and work towards my goal as I specified myself. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2018/11/01/nyaa-healthy-living-october-update/Paper Practice Diary
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06/10/181G5 Theory ExamMusic isn't just about playing, it's also about listening and comprehending, even on 2 dimentional surfaces. My G5 Theory exam helps me to learn more about music, but the fact that it's an exam also helps me. My goal is to find better ways to deal with my stress, and having a big exam helps me understand the way I percieve stress and what I can do to help myself deal with stress. I found out that repetition is one of the main things that helps me, and I have devised strategies for me to study that can definitely be applied elsewhere. I used Quizlet to study important vocabulary, and did lots of practice tests to prepare for my exam. I tried to make visual, real flashcards and maps, but I found out that those things don't really help me, so that helped me find what ways I could learn best, through quizlets and practice questions and tests rather than the more unsustainable yet visual flashcards. https://drive.google.com/file/d/109cbd-Jpf_G8fuvIxJx5WkO2zVZ1ED0x/view?usp=sharing
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31/10/181First Performance at a Public Venue (Esplanade)I haven't properly performed like this for two years, so I really pushed myself today to make a start towards my goal. I learned about my nerves and what really calms me down - the phrase, "it's okay to make mistakes" does it quite well. I think this experience taught me a lot about my nerves and what I can do to manage them better. And the more I perform, the more confident I get. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SwkDjt5EqjjAo68QZ3kO-UdiNWt3b4dA/view?usp=sharing
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hlhbEpzw22qKLozvFuxB6vVYehL-_vKu/view?usp=sharing
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NOVEMBER13/11/18, 20/11/183Piano MasterclassIn masterclass this month we learned a lot of interesting tips on what makes a good practice session, and how that affects performance. We distinguish the difference between practice and performance, and even how to practice for a performance. These sessions are very useful and informative and I look forward to every single one. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2018/12/03/nyaa-healthy-living-november-update/I've been logging my attendance in a diary.
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28/11/181Piano RecitalThis was another performance, held by the ITP department. I haven't performed at one of these recitals in a long time, so it was a return to familiarity, and I got to see how that affected my playing. I picked a different piece, and I think that this time I got to test a lot of things to see what would make me more comfortable. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w3GYT1W0u3OTdxlaMy7BMiHzVQfMvsA5
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7/11/18, 14/11/18, 21/11/183ITP Piano ClassesI take weekly piano lessons, to help me prepare for exams and build up skill, both of which help me explore my passion and work towards my goal as I specified myself. Attendances are logged in the Paper Practice Diary
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DECEMBER4/12/181.5Piano Masterclass(Most of December was a holiday)I've been logging my attendance in a diary.
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5/12/181ITP Piano ClassesI take weekly piano lessons, to help me prepare for exams and build up skill, both of which help me explore my passion and work towards my goal as I specified myself. Attendances are logged in the Paper Practice Diary
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JANUARY8/1/19, 15/1/19, 22/1/194.5Piano MasterclassThese masterclasses have mainly been focused on preparing our pieces for March. However, one session we held we watched a documentary about concert pianists and what it takes to become one, and also how many concert pianists feel. I think these role models may help me learn about calming my performance nerves, which will help me work towards my goal. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2019/02/17/nyaa-healthy-living-january-update
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9/1/19, 16/1/19, 23/1/193ITP Piano ClassesMy exam was canceled since I didn't get my theory exam results in time to submit them so I can register, and I can't wait another 6 months. This has challenged me but also given me an opportunity. I've started learning a new piece as well.
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FEBRUARY12/2/19, 19/2/19, 26/2/194.5Piano MasterclassThis month in Masterclass we've been doing a lot of practcing our pieces and I've been finding it really challenging as I don't know if I have enough time to fully master the piece before performing it. Practice is a really important thing for me as the more I practice, the more confident I will be in the performance and the better the performance will go. Therefore, the practice performing I've been doing in Masterclass I think is really helping me, and making me a lot less stressed. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2019/03/04/nyaa-healthy-liv…-february-update/
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13/2/19, 20/2/19, 27/2/193ITP Piano ClassesI've also been doing some practice for the upcoming March performance and also learning some theory and new pieces. I've been learning some new scales that perhaps I will be tested on, and I'm definitely gaining more control over my fingers and becoming more confident in playing. It's been really enjoyable and destressing as I finally get to play pieces that I like (since I'm finally at that level) and I've genuinely enjoyed playing the piano this month. It's been very relaxing. Attendance is logged inside the blue ITP piano diary
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MARCH8/3/191Performance at EsplanadeThis peformance was one that I've been looking forward to for a long time. I feel like the piece I played was one that I connected with on a much deeper level, and I sincerely hope that I did the emotional nature of the piece justice. I think that I even felt a little less nervous playing here, perhaps because I enjoyed the piece more, or perhaps because I practiced more, or perhaps because I'm getting used to performing more. Whatever it is, this performance was alright, and even though I still have stresses, I think I have better ways to deal with them now. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2019/03/13/nyaa-healthy-living-mid-way-video-reflection/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zH93skL0gdebz8ReQUevHXEz0ZsklLqX/view?usp=sharing
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5/3/19, 12/3/19, 26/3/194.5Piano MasterclassIn Masterclass this month we were really focusing on performance, but afterwards we started to calm down more, and reflect upon what happened. We started learning about how time find interesting and unique pieces to expand one's repertoire, and find pieces that we connect with more. We're also starting to work on more techniques for our warmups.
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6/3/19, 13/3/19, 20/3/19, 27/3/194ITP Piano ClassesIn class this month, we've been looking at Grade 7 pieces and Grade 6 theory. I think that I can really feel myself improving, and I'm playing a piece that I genuinely like. It's difficult, but the challenge is welcomed. I've also started to look at the ABRSM Grade 7 syllabus. I am unsure if I need an exam, as perhaps it would cause me unnecessary stress as I realise that I just enjoy playing, I don't need an exam to motivate me anymore. Piano is a stress-reliever, so perhaps exams aren't the path for me anymore. Attendance is logged inside the blue ITP piano diary
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APRIL23/4/191.5Piano MasterclassWe've really started to look at techniques and skills on the piano. Finger dexterity has now taken a big priority in my learning because if I want to play more pieces that I really love (to express myself better) then I have to practice more and start building that finger control as a pianist. Perhaps I'm not a virtuosic pianist, but I think that I can still become skilled. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2019/06/08/nyaa-april-update/
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24/4/191ITP Piano ClassesI'm starting to realise that since I'm reaching the higher levels of piano, I definitely need to start practicing more. I realise that now, learning piano in grades is for the serious pianists, those who perhaps practice an hour a day, and if I want to become more skilled, I also have to start practicing more. Since practicing at home is already a source of anxiety for me, practicing more at home helps me face this difficulty and become more comfortable playing around other people. http://portfolios.uwcsea.edu.sg/curri58987/2019/06/08/grade-9-end-of-y…-nyaa-reflection/ Attendance is logged in blue diary
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MAY13/5/191.5Music Buddies with Cerebral Palsy AllianceI actually had an opportunity to not only lessen my stress, but also lessen other people's stress in my service. I played the ukelele for the kids at CPAS and sang a little bit for our last session with the kids which hopefully would have been really fun and relaxed.
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1/5/19, 8/5/19, 15/5/19, 22/5/194ITP Piano ClassesWith exams approaching fast around the corner, it was really difficult to find proper time to practice. However, I have actually made plans for my grade 8 exam and although it seems really far away, I know the date will approach faster than expected. I really want my diploma so that at least I can teach on the side, but for that I need to take my Grade 8 - which will be difficult. I'm nervous, but now I think I have some really great strategies. Attendance is logged in blue diary
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JUNE6/6/19, 7/6/191Guitar ClassI've actually been taking guitar class for quite a long time, at least a couple of months, but didn't think to log it! The class is outside of school, and I'm progressing really fast with it and I'm really enjoying it as well. It's really nice to be playing an instrument just for fun, and playing for family and friends on the guitar is also boosting my confidence. I've played my ukelele (with skills I've learned from guitar) at my service for the kids, and we had a really nice, super calm session that time. It's made me think about avenues for music within service, since guitar is so practical. Photo of makeup classes HERE
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SEPTEMBER 1/9/19 8/9/19, 15/9/19, 22/9/19, 29/9/192.5Learned a new song in guitar classes, practiced singing as wellI'm actually thinking about performing this song - practice video take attached - and it's really helped me to build my confidence and become less stressed about performing music, which is actually the major stressor in my life. I think I've built a lot of confidence over the past year and music has been a really helpful avenue for me.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fA9t7fW8It6tdnb8cyCpU_835EDCBJFd
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