It is so good to have you as my new piano teacher, sister!

I am very excited in listening to you! For you have lovely imaginations, to tell interesting stories, which I think is the most important thing to become a good musician. Now I’m consider you as my advanced English reader, and I’m going to write the things on my mind that I’m curious about, especially in music~!

Well, since my logic is not that regulated, I’ll just say anything that I would like to, and then, another thing that maybe has something to do with the former one, or maybe not, ha-ha.

I asked my supervisor in e-mail today, to check if she can be your language partner, with your piano lessons as an exchange. She has not replied yet, so please be patient and wait. I’ve thought this over: if she cannot be your language exchange partner, I can continue to ask my other international friends to help, especially the ones who speak English as their mother tongue. There will always be hopes! If the worst case happened, and there isn’t anyone helps, maybe I can be your language partner, to use some books and to choose some topics to practice your English, I’m confident about that! For I was an English teacher before, and have been teaching some students even older than myself! Although I don’t want to become a teacher in the future, I like tutoring quite well! The thing that you can exchange with me is your music thoughts, which to me can be the most interesting thing, for instance: you can tell me in English which composers do you like the most and why; also, maybe we can discuss something in an opera, the characters of the heroes in a certain piece of music, so on and so forth!

When I was in my freshman year, I rode my bicycle to the Great Hall of the People once, to watch the ballet dance. It was the first time for me to enjoy ballet, the dancers were from Belarus. They were so very beautiful, and I was like an ugly duckling to see them. When I rode back to my dorm, it was already mid-night, and on the way the wind was huge, for it was January second. But I was far too excited on seeing this show! I even could not go to sleep that night! I like the Russian style of music very much, esp. Tchaikovsky, because his works sounds so elegant, so beautiful.

When talking about music tastes, I heard that there are three stages: to be compared with an egg, the stages should be: one (bottom), “shell”; two, egg white; three (deepest), yolk. I think that I’m about to go to the second level (but not quite yet). So please lead me into “yolk”, I know you are there. (Oh yes, the program that I participated in as an international studying tour needs me to send them the MP3 of the piano piece which I play the best. So I want to choose the Opus 10 (Revolution) of Chopin Etuden. The due time is around May 24, I think there is still time to practice! )

So talking about the “yolk” level, what do you think is the best way to achieve? Read relative books or other items of information both domestically and internationally; practice hard on piano; listen to more classical interpretations in concert halls and from on-line MP3s; think more; experience more… it is always easier said than done!! What was your method of raising the musical taste during your college time? It interests me a lot!

You don’t know how much I wish to become a professional musician! But it seems quite impossible for me right now, for I really have to hunt a job according to my English major. At home, people will get annoyed when I play for “too” long a time period, and both of my mother and grandma will ask me to practice English-Chinese or Chinese-English translation and interpretation harder than piano because that will become my future career. The society needs more foreign language calibres than musicians, that is quite understandable, and I’ll not give up my English major, after all it is a very nice tool in earning money. But there are still dreams within myself to approach the music world.

In many people’s mind, I’m a strange girl who always does impossible things. And it seems that no one understands me and supports me at this point (I mean at least practice piano 6 hours a day). My friends and family think that this is ridiculous and hold the opinion that the music path of career is too narrow to grow, and for a girl, it’s too tiring and bitter. But the very questions are always on my mind: why someone else can become very great pianist and give performance on the stage; why they can bear the loneliness and hardship and after many many years of struggling, they become successful musicians; why someone is forced to practice piano while I’m forced not to???

I envy you to be born in a music family, and can be able to learn from your mother and grandma. Also you can graduate from a music conservatory, I really am jealous!! (Although I still love what is all I have). Well, I am appreciative of the time when I was very young, my parents could buy me an expansive piano (for more than four thousand RMB in the year 1989) when non of them know western classical music, and they found a tutor for my piano lessons for more than eight years; without them, I might know nothing about music and I’ll have no dream of being a musician at all. Now I’m having your classes, I did not tell my mother because I don’t want her to worry about my daily schedule: if I take piano classes, I have to play for the whole afternoon everyday, and it means that I cannot go job hunting. This was my biggest headache before I gave you the first telephone call. But I chose to call you and chose to not to do any job right now. If I go to work, there will be definitely no time for piano, I’m sure. Still, I’m happy with my decision though. I really had a great time having your lessons.

These days have been hard. Since my enrollment package from the global group arrives, and now I have to be busy with visas applying. The type of visa for me will be B-2, and when going to the US embassy, they need many documentations and certificates to tell them that I’ll be back to China as soon as the program finishes. These processes drive me crazy! Today there were only 2 hours for me to be in the musical instrument store to practice, but before I went there I was in a very bad mood, while after coming out, I was happy again! I like the rhythm in the Chopin Etuden when using the metronome very much. Also when playing Liszt’s “La Campanella” (the clock), it brought me back to the best reminiscence in my life. And once I played tarot card, I asked “God” (although I’m not a Christian), on how to play the piece, ‘He’ told me that: “It clarifies your heart’s desire! The judgment signifies standing in fire, stripped of all pretenses; breaking free of bonds; reconciling past harm, given and received; looking back and forward from the still point of transition(变调). This is a time to examine your feelings, a time when you face the consequence of past actions and experience a sense of uneasiness. This is an opportunity to make peace, and move into a greater perfection of mind and soul. Open your mind and soul for new ideas which will become available after transcending this moment!”

I really am passionate about all the pieces I played before: after more than four years of practicing Beethoven’s Sonatas No.8, No.14 and No.23, although not very well done, every time I can be lost in his world. Every time in practicing, I play the whole three movements from the beginning till the end, and never got exhausted. Only the process of starting a new piece of work is difficult: because I know too little of the denotations in music, and my abilities of reading music is not quite high.

OK, that’s all for today! I really wish that you can enjoy my writing!

    最喜欢的磁带是一盘很老很老的交响乐（上海交响乐团的小品集），封皮上还被姥姥贴了“33”号，因为原来在她一大抽屉的磁带里，它排行第三十三。从小到大，我最喜欢听着它入睡。现在也是一样，失眠的夜里，只要听着这些曲子，我就能安然进入梦乡。只是现在磁带里里外外已经变得沧桑了好多。但不论如何，里面美妙的声音永远都那么让我感动，感动过后，我便能进入一种心灵的安静状态。每一首曲子都像陪着我长大的好朋友，像妈妈那样，在我失落，焦躁，困惑的时候安慰我，搂着我，亲吻我。
    舒曼的梦幻，大提琴齐奏。其实除了钢琴我最喜欢听的就是大提琴，声音很浑厚，还带着一点点的忧伤。很温柔。一听到便能勾起记忆中的种种往事。楼下的小院子，青青家的葡萄架，小花园，还有那些小时候的小朋友......现在虽然他们已经各奔东西，但童年已经在我心里打下的深深烙印：孩子永远是最快乐的。所以不管未来会遇到什么样的波折坎坷，只要在偷闲的时候再做做小孩子，也是一件让人高兴的事。我真的很感谢命运能够给我这样一个无忧无虑的童年，这是我一辈子的财富！
    圣桑的天鹅，（管弦乐加钢琴）。一直希望能像黑色的天鹅一样高贵，自由，wild。总能想像这样的情景：一只黑天鹅在静静的湖面上游着，它的倒影清晰地映在水中，水面如镜。它和它的倒影连在一起，构成一条优雅的曲线。湖边柳枝低垂，天空艳阳高照。忽然，它的红掌拍水渐起片片涟漪，展翅飞向太阳...... “白，是点染前的纯洁；黑，是洗尽铅华后的本真。”之所以喜欢黑色的天鹅，就因为如此。我自认为自己活得很真实，因为一直在追求心中真正想要的东西。也许我会为了梦想暂时屈就一个不属于我的职位，呆在一个我并不想久留的地方，但我终究会离开，去找到自己生命的意义。
    舒伯特的小夜曲，萨克斯管独奏。萨克斯对我来说很陌生，大概因为在爵士乐里经常听到，而我又不常听爵士吧。反正没见过哪一个古典交响乐团里配萨克斯的，总觉的它是孤独的。它很浪漫，大概孤独也是一种浪漫。今天雨下的很大，宿舍里只有我一个人。我就在这样的晚上又听到了舒伯特的小夜曲。算是跟它有缘吧，小夜曲刚刚响起，我就觉得好像自己又被音乐的使者送上了一束玫瑰花。
    瓦格纳的婚礼进行曲，圆号合奏。我从小到大对婚礼有着无穷无尽的幻想：中国式的，新娘坐花轿，红色的衣裙，红色的花轿，红色的喜糖，红色的新郎，红色的洞房，敲锣打鼓放鞭炮，怎一个热闹了得！西方，新娘穿着白色的婚纱，头上戴着漂亮的花环，缓缓在教堂中央的红地毯上走向等在圣坛前的新郎，互换戒指，说着永远经典的一句话：I do。我更喜欢西方的婚礼。不因为不喜欢中国传统，而是因为太热爱西方的古典音乐。音乐是没有国界的，但愿我喜欢的曲子能在自己的婚礼上奏响。因为不是基督教徒，所以梦想着未来，能有一种既中又西的方式嫁给自己喜欢的人。
    格里格的苏维尔格之歌。听起来有点像俄罗斯船歌，其实我非常非常喜欢这首曲子，但我真的不知道应该怎么表达这种喜爱。曲子里面蕴含着一种很柔韧的力量，让人觉得不管黑夜有多漫长，第二天清晨的太阳还是会高高的升起。尤其是中间比较欢快的几句，虽然没有前后乐句那样有使命感，却能让人相信快乐和希望的力量的无穷的。其实所有的评价在音乐面前都显得苍白无力，因为音乐本身才是值得我们去追求的东西。
    勃拉姆兹的摇篮曲，萨克斯管独奏。记得第一次与这首曲子“亲密接触”是因为我家的门铃就是这首曲子。那门铃只要外面的客人一揿下去，屋里头马上会把这个曲子从头到尾唱一遍，特别长！辛苦那可怜的门铃，它要唱好久才能停下来。就这样，我成年累月地把这曲子听了一遍又一遍，因此印象特别深刻。现在大概没有唱的那么执著的门铃了吧。我很想念它。哪个好心的朋友读到我这文章，又碰巧有这样的门铃能唱这首歌，就把它送给我吧！我会感激不尽的！呵呵。
    海顿的玩具交响乐（快板）。太可爱了！里面模仿布谷鸟闹钟报时的声音：“布谷，布谷”，还有用哨子吹出的其它小鸟叫；还有手摇铃，三角铁，木琴......各种小玩意加上交响乐合奏，好像几十种玩具的大集合，众妙必备，令人童心大发。其实不管岁数有多大，不管是男是女，都应该悄悄给自己身边放一个玩具，时时冲它笑笑，亲亲它，摆弄一下，会很开心的！我最喜欢的玩具是艳青在我生日时送我的一只小熊，我天天抱着它睡觉，现在没有它都不行了！我也想给妈妈买一个。
    我喜欢的曲子永远也说不尽道不完。只希望能够知道更多更多的古典音乐和其中的故事。但愿能在这条爱乐之路上一直走下去，岁岁菩提。