Saturday, December 15, 2007
To Beijing
On 22nd December 2007, my mother, brother and I will go to Beijing to have a lesson with professor Zhao Pinguo, from China National Music Conservatory. We will also meet Dr. Bai Gengsheng, General Secretary of the China National Arts Council and Dr. Wu Yanzhe, Chairman of China Musicians Council. We will request Dr. Wu Yanzhe and professor Zhao Pinguo to write another letter about me for more support of my Singapore scholarship and discuss with Dr. Bai Gengsheng about our next piano concert in 2008.
In New York
On 28th November 2007, In New York, my mother drove my elder brother Rex Wei and I to have an audition in the Calhoun School.
When we reached there, the Director of admissions Nancy Sherman toured us around the school. Nancy old but elegant lady, very educated and kind. She showed us that the school has 8 floors and has a roof garden. Each floor is fully carpeted. Each floor has about 900 square meters. The school educates students in all areas. To achieve that, Nancy showed us that the school provides an indoor basketball field and a sports room, a small indoor theatre, music rooms, art rooms, science labs, chemistry classes, biology classes, physics classes, a photography studio, societies, history classes, a cafeteria and lots more. Classes have no doors between them. Some classes are separated by a sheet of cardboard. I noticed that a major technological initiative has begun in Calhoun: most classes have a type of big tablet screen the size of a white board called SmartBoardTMs, which have functions like computerized white boards, allowing traditional note taking with the added advantages of full—screen audio and visual and internet capabilities. Tables are arranged in a circle and each class only has 12-15 students.
The school includes primary, secondary and junior college areas. The school teachers understands students very well and finds out methods of letting students learn more quickly, through experience and discovery. They teach students to be thinkers. Most junior college students from Calhoun School were admitted to top universities even Harvard University. Nancy then brought us to a small building just beside the Calhoun School to know more about us. She gave my brother and me a small paper with questions about our personality. While we do the paper, Nancy talked to my mother. My mother gave her my brother and my profile books.
After the whole audition, Nancy was very satisfied by both of us but she said that the school’s space is very limited and little and cannot go beyond its capacity. She then gave us a website address to look for space from 285 independent schools.
On 2nd December 2007, we went to the Manhattan School of Music, New York to have a lesson with a world class professor and pianist Peter Vinograde. This lesson with him will decide the 1st stage of my admittance to the Manhattan School of Music.
The school occupies a whole building of about 5 floors and each floor has about 600m2. The school has recital studios, café, a concert hall, a theatre and beautifully decorated from inside. It is one of the top 3 music schools in the world. When he brought us into his piano studio, we saw two Stienway&Sons grand pianos. They were about 5 .3 feet long. The lesson was wonderful and it was a success. After the lesson, he praised: William is an exceptionally talented young man, with innate musicality and tremendous potential. In addition to the excellent facility and clarity in his passagework, William showed off other aspects of his technique in the Troika from Tchaikovsky’s Seasons, which he played with great panache. He is a serious worker, showing careful attention to the details of the Mozart Sonata in D, K. 284. He has a highly musical and sensitive mind, combined with lively rhythmic drive and great enthusiasm.
At the end of the lesson, Peter Vinograde felt that he should write a letter about my piano skills and status to Singapore National Art Council to support my application for scholarship for my music study in New York.
With the high commendation from Dr. Peter Vinograde of Manhattan School of Music and Nancy Sherman from Calhoun School, I am certainly sure that my brother and I will be admitted to the schools I decided in New York.
After another week in New York, we have returned from New York in 10th December 2007 morning.
In May 2008, I will go to New York again to have the audition in the Manhattan School of Music.
When we reached there, the Director of admissions Nancy Sherman toured us around the school. Nancy old but elegant lady, very educated and kind. She showed us that the school has 8 floors and has a roof garden. Each floor is fully carpeted. Each floor has about 900 square meters. The school educates students in all areas. To achieve that, Nancy showed us that the school provides an indoor basketball field and a sports room, a small indoor theatre, music rooms, art rooms, science labs, chemistry classes, biology classes, physics classes, a photography studio, societies, history classes, a cafeteria and lots more. Classes have no doors between them. Some classes are separated by a sheet of cardboard. I noticed that a major technological initiative has begun in Calhoun: most classes have a type of big tablet screen the size of a white board called SmartBoardTMs, which have functions like computerized white boards, allowing traditional note taking with the added advantages of full—screen audio and visual and internet capabilities. Tables are arranged in a circle and each class only has 12-15 students.
The school includes primary, secondary and junior college areas. The school teachers understands students very well and finds out methods of letting students learn more quickly, through experience and discovery. They teach students to be thinkers. Most junior college students from Calhoun School were admitted to top universities even Harvard University. Nancy then brought us to a small building just beside the Calhoun School to know more about us. She gave my brother and me a small paper with questions about our personality. While we do the paper, Nancy talked to my mother. My mother gave her my brother and my profile books.
After the whole audition, Nancy was very satisfied by both of us but she said that the school’s space is very limited and little and cannot go beyond its capacity. She then gave us a website address to look for space from 285 independent schools.
On 2nd December 2007, we went to the Manhattan School of Music, New York to have a lesson with a world class professor and pianist Peter Vinograde. This lesson with him will decide the 1st stage of my admittance to the Manhattan School of Music.
The school occupies a whole building of about 5 floors and each floor has about 600m2. The school has recital studios, café, a concert hall, a theatre and beautifully decorated from inside. It is one of the top 3 music schools in the world. When he brought us into his piano studio, we saw two Stienway&Sons grand pianos. They were about 5 .3 feet long. The lesson was wonderful and it was a success. After the lesson, he praised: William is an exceptionally talented young man, with innate musicality and tremendous potential. In addition to the excellent facility and clarity in his passagework, William showed off other aspects of his technique in the Troika from Tchaikovsky’s Seasons, which he played with great panache. He is a serious worker, showing careful attention to the details of the Mozart Sonata in D, K. 284. He has a highly musical and sensitive mind, combined with lively rhythmic drive and great enthusiasm.
At the end of the lesson, Peter Vinograde felt that he should write a letter about my piano skills and status to Singapore National Art Council to support my application for scholarship for my music study in New York.
With the high commendation from Dr. Peter Vinograde of Manhattan School of Music and Nancy Sherman from Calhoun School, I am certainly sure that my brother and I will be admitted to the schools I decided in New York.
After another week in New York, we have returned from New York in 10th December 2007 morning.
In May 2008, I will go to New York again to have the audition in the Manhattan School of Music.
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