LRSM Result

Michigan Autumn - There are days when I miss the seasons ...

Last week on Friday I received a text from the Conservatoire saying that my exam results were in. After getting through traffic after school, I was excited to receive my white envelope with attached results and certificate! I was convinced that I hadn't passed and was feeling very down about the exam all summer, especially after the Viva Voce ... and the fact that one of the examiners was a bit grumpy and had some problems with various schools around Kenya when examining. It also didn't help that I was quite ill the week before the exam and hadn't much time to practice with my accompanist. I guess after not as much work as I would have liked it was a really good feeling to get that white envelope! I didn't get a distinction this time, but I wasn't far off ... only a few more points for the distinction which meant that I passed convincingly and didn't just squeak by. That made me feel even better! The examiners didn't like my interpretation of the Siciliano by Bach, but they liked the Presto movement and absolutely loved my Mozart sonata and the Suk pieces. Funny ... I hated those ones the most!

Now comes the real work ... I need to buckle down and practice for my auditions. I mainly need to polish the Bruch and work on the 3rd movement which is the most unfamiliar, polish the Paganini caprices, polish the Bach sonata, and make a decision between learning a new sonata or polishing the Mozart. I've fallen in love with Prokofiev's Solo Violin Sonata in D and will definitely start working on it even if I don't use it for auditions. I need something new to learn!

The new job is great but I'm starting to get bored. It isn't as much work as Turi because it's a day school. Basically, my day finishes at 4:30pm and I'm free! I also have my weekends free! It's absolutely amazing and I have to say that resting and not working on the weekends can do wonders for a person. God really meant it when he said that we should rest every seven days! At this point in time, I feel refreshed on Mondays because I've been able to do what I want over the weekend and don't have to work. I've been trying to do all my work during the week because I have to relearn how to use weekends ...

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

- Psalm 62:1-2