My Music history

I could sing when I could speak. I love to sing when I hear the easy catching tunes from TV commercials, theme songs of TV drama series and songs learnt from lessons. My grandpa encouraged my brother and I to sing as a kind of contest when we were young.

I learnt to play the piano when I was 8. I loved playing the piano but I hated practising Czerny's and Bach's studies and short preludes. I really loved playing and practising the piano when I was preparing for HKCEE. I didn't feel tired even I played for more than 2 hours before doing revision. The more I played, the more I liked piano music.

As my hands are small, it is very difficult for me to play the piano pieces of great pianists like Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, ... I like to play Mozart's sonatas as I can manage to play fast after some mechanical practice. However, very soon I was attracted by Chopin when I played his waltzes.

My piano teacher asked me to play Chopin's Polonaise in C minor as one of the exam pieces of my first attempt of Grade 8, RSM. I was frustrated to do those more-than-octave chords. After passing Grade 8 at the second attempt, I did a lot Bach's preludes and fugues, some Beethoven's sonatas, some Chopin's nocturnes and marzukas. They require a lot of practice and skills. I also did studies of Cramer, Clementi, Moszkowski and more Czerny's very difficult studies.

I passed ATCL,Trinity College of Music in 1993. The prepared works included Mozart's Sonata (Op. 331), Chopin's Waltz in A flat (Op. 69 No. 1), Granados' Andazula, and Shostakovich's Three fantastic dances. I learnt to do octave playing in the "Turkish March".

From 1996-99, I practised some pieces of LTCL, Trinity College of Music. I prepared Mozart's Sonata (Op. 576), Schubert's Impromptu (B flat) and Szymanowski's Etude (B flat minor). The last one requires great flexibility and extension of both hands. Expressions change greatly.However, I don't think I can prepare for any exams as I don't have regular practice.

Detail of music on this page can be found in MIDI Archive.