Well, let's talk a bit about this. At that moment, I was attending my cousins' concerts in Blok M Plaza (they were performing piano), and there I reunited with my old piano teacher, who came up to me, chatted a bit before offering me to give a performance to replace an absent performer, although I was currently not enrolled in the music school that held the concert. Of course, I was speechless, because I didn't do any rehearsals and worse, I couldn't think of a song. So my cousin just suggested that I should play something that I really mastered, so the only song I could think of was a children song (haha, quite ridiculous, I was a pre-teen back then. A pre-teen playing a children song *laughs maniacally*). Turned out it was the last performance of the day, with only a few people remaining on their seats, and I was wearing this messy casual outfit. So as you can guess, my performance back then was a TOTAL FAILURE.
But this year, with me coming up with a new instrument, which is violin, I'm glad that finally I'm able to make my return in music. The news came on September though. It was then Kak Wisnu (my violin teacher, who gave a surprising performance in my Sweet Seventeen, remember?) told me that Nuansa Music School at PIM 2, would be holding a concert at the end of November, performing Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. At the moment, I was also currently practicing Canon with piano. So with the news of the concert, I was officially practicing Canon using two different instruments and quite different melodies as well (they're still Canon though, but violin and piano definitely have some different arrangements. What a hardwork, because I tried not to mix the melodies between violin and piano).
It took me quite a while to practice Canon by violin, since I'm not really used to read music notes especially by playing violin. Even I haven't finished the whole song when it came to a moment that I would be practicing along with the other two girls (who would participate as lead violinists, just like me). They are Azza and Niti. At first, I was a bit pessimistic knowing that they had - at least - completed the whole song, while I almost finished (still, you can say I was not finished yet). They must be pros! I thought
Apparently, turned out it was not at the end of the month, but early December, exactly on December 6. Since I was not able to read notes properly and playing violin at the same time, I decided to depend on my hearing instead. Thus, I finally completed the whole (actually playing violin by hearing was not a proper way, but I decided to do that because I had no choice otherwise I wouldn't have finished the whole song *grins widely*). Still, Niti and I had some problems in playing the reffrain part. As for Azza, since she's been playing violin since the first grade, she quickly mastered the whole song *looks at Azza in amazement*. Besides, Niti and Azza, around five young girls (younger than 12) would join as supporting violins, including Vashti, Azza's schoolmate.
The lead (yet rookie) violinists
Along with the band
Anyway, week before the D-day, we gathered up again for the last yet a rehearsal along with the band. Oh, I haven't told you, have I? The performance would be like a rockestra (the combination between orchestra and rock), which of course, would feature drums, electric guitars, and a bass. It was going to be exciting! So that day, the rehearsal was divided into two sessions: In the first session, Azza, Niti, and I practiced along with the supporting violins (the younger girls), and then later in the evening, the younger girls went home and the three of us moved to the studio to begin our rehearsal with the band. Please do introduce Angga (electric guitar) and Bas (drum), and another boy who played bass whose name I barely remember, sorry, I wish I knew your name :(. The whole band arrangement was conducted by Kak Dani, who teaches bass guitar.
We were very eager in this rehearsal, realizing that this would be our first, only, and last rehearsal with the band. So we decided to practice a bit longer, though I was forced by my mom to go home due to the final exam in the next day.
On Friday, I was supposed to have my violin course exactly at 5, but it was slated at 8, since we would be having our practice again, yet it would be the last practice. It turned out the other members of the band, such as Angga, Bas, the bassist, and Aryo (who also plays electric guitar) were also there to have their rehearsal. So, why not having our band rehearsal again? Maybe this was for the last time.
The rehearsal ended at 9 o'clock, but that was not the end of our meeting because we ended that night by having random chit chat, with Kak Fabian (electone teacher), who shared his knowledge about music and also his vast knowledge about popular movies, comics, and other stories relating to music. I also couldn't believe that he - too - knows Nodame Cantabille!
On D-1, we had no rehearsals, so you can say that we basically practiced and did the finishing touch to make the song sound perfect by ourselves at home (even though Niti's and my reffrain still flawed so bad). We even referred the reffrain part as "Hell", or Niti had a funnier catchphrase, referring it as "A Bridge of Horse's Tail cut into 7 pieces" (in reference to what Quran's depicted about a bridge which is as thin as a single hair cut into 7 pieces over the hell. The Horse's Tail part refers to the violin's bow). *shudders*
The D-DAY.
The day we've been waiting (or not) for.
Niti called me that she had a regular course at 11, while Azza planned to go to PIM at 2. We would perform at 4.30 pm, anyway. I went to PIM 2 at 11.30, visited Niti who had been practicing Canon, especially the "Hell" part, for approximately an hour. Actually I went to PIM 2 that time to look for some outfit (we would be wearing black dress with black stocking). So I didn't bring my violin, but I thought, why didn't I visit Niti? So I did and turned out Kak Wisnu asked me to join in and practiced along with Niti as well, with me using his violin.
Since the practice was done at 12.15 pm (still three hours to performance), I offered Niti to come to my house just for a rest, but she said she would wait at the mall until Azza came at 2. But as we part ways, we continued texting.
After strolling around the mall, looking for some good black outfit, I didn't find proper one. So I went home (before that I had a lunch at the food court) and turned out my mom had a nice black dress for me to wear! I didn't stay long at home though, just did a bit make-up (forced by mom), dressing up, and watched a bit Behind the Scene of New Moon on E! Channel. Then I took off back to mall at 2.30 pm, and met Azza and Niti in Victoria Cafe.
At three, we were all told to gather at the backstage to do the violin tuning, did our last preparation, and members checking. Niti even got her chance to play the reffrain (since she still wasn't sure would do great on the reffrain) in a low volume. While I kept convincing myself and the others to stay confident and just give it all up to God for what would happen next. At least we hoped wouldn't be embarrassing, since a lot of audiences had taken their seats, and some visitors even had gathered around - from the 2nd floor to the rest of the floors - to see our performance.
Like pros tuning their violins
At the moment, we were also very worried that our violins' would produce clear sounds and would echo all over mall, since the microphones were sensitive (violinists were supposed to use small microphones attached to the violins rather named pick-up than microphones, but the pick-ups weren't available, microphones were the alternatives). It means, by using these sensitive microphones, if there was one tiny mistake, the whole mall would be able to hear it. There was a random moment where Vashti claimed that she spotted someone resembling Julia Roberts, and was quite certain the bule woman sitting on the front row was her. But of course, it was impossible to have Julia Roberts - unexposed to the media - at a mall in Jakarta.
IT'S SHOW TIME!!
The girls in action
Bas the drummer
Bring it on!
Different angle :)
Thank goodness, Kak Wisnu assured that to prevent any mistakes, then he would be conducting the orchestra (this only applied to the nervous younger girls as supporting violinists). Those girls took place in front of me while the lead violinists stood behind them. As the first performers, surely everyone was deeply nervous, but in the other side, we were excited too to see that there were lots (for real) of audience and visitors watching us. That automatically drove our convidence and I became even more eager.
The first part of the song went well, our violins were still heard as we played them quite loud and confidently (despite the small space on the stage bothered us so much that my bow even hit Azza many times, sorry, Azza, you're still awesome though ^_^). But the reffrain didn't quite work, as the electric guitar's sounds were mixed with the violins'. So I felt like my violin's voice sounded more like electric guitar's (that's because their sounds were much louder, not to mentioned mixed with the drum as well). But I was still trying to make eye contacts with the audience and my dad who was snapping pictures from the distance.
Even though I played the wrong tune, I thought, well, who cares? My violin's sound wasn't sounded loudly just like what we'd thought. The microphone wasn't sensitive as they said. But I continued playing eagerly, while looking at the sheet, in front of me, even though I knew I played the wrong tune. At least I still looked cool, and at least people would still think that I played the right tune. So it was all nothing but camouflage (Carissa, you're a genius *cough* But remember as they say, "Things are not like what they seem").
It went well though, and we received incredible applause from the audience. Thanks for everyone who's watched our performance!
We did quite a photo shoot at the backstage, where it started out that my dad snapped pictures of us, but then other people came around and started to snap our pictures like paparazzis. I have a feeling that they weren't just parents that snapped our pictures - probably some random audiences or visitors who found it quite rare to see girls dressed elegantly in black with their violins.
After performance
Violinists unite!
Along with Aryo and Angga
The girls and the tutor, Kak Wisnu
Anyway, my dad told me that while Niti, Azza, Vashti, and I were on our way to the stage, some people were looking at us in (what my dad assumed) astonishment. Maybe they thought "Wow, these girls looking elegantly in black would be doing the show!" Even my dad heard a woman told her daughter "If you play violin, soon you will be just like those girls." Yup, "those girls" really refer to us. Err....compliments, anyone? I really, really, really, really am flattered, and as you can see my body starts to float in the air ('m flying! Haha, GR mode). Even Niti referred that violinists were considered as "sexy" performers. ^_^
Well, the story was soooo long but I had great time writing it.
From this...
Maybe we can be just like...
||
V
B O N D
some time in the future
^_^"
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