Playing styles

While playing for church, i was once asked what my playing style was, to which i had no reply. Not because I am secretive or mysterious, but due to the fact that i feel my playing evolves and changes over time, depending on the songs I am playing.

When playing for church, my own feel is to use the notes where possible, otherwise just use chords and link them up. However the latter form requires some knowledge of what constitutes a particular chord, especially when the chords listed are no longer root or basic chords, and invariably involve a 7th, a suspended 4th, diminished, etc. This method ensures that the sound provided is full and complete in backing up the choir, and by sticking to the written chords, also helps the choir when they are singing their parts.

The next part of my playing is then filling in the gaps. For short pauses or long notes, these are places to just play the notes that are in between the transitioning chords, while long pauses (2-4 bars) require a little more thought but can be done. These are also opportunities to show off some musicality, by repeating the same rhythm pattern as the theme, or by repeating the theme an interval (3rd is popular) lower, or heading opposite direction from the theme (which ascends, then the fill decends). Having a variety of fills also builds your musical vocabulary, allowing you to tell the musical story using better terms. Keep practicing and keep trying! =)

Moving Mother's Day

I was once told that the music ministry is one of the greatest and most powerful ways of worship in the church, which I set aside as hot air even though i kept it in mind. Sometimes as musicians, we forget that we are part of the community that gets together to praise and celebrate the Eucharist, as opposed to the role (and stress) of leading the community in song. We also forget that music has the power to move people, but I was reminded of that at mass recently.

It was Mother's day, and as usual we had the blessing of all mothers after communion. We did not prepare any hymn to sing, but I had already set aside a hymn for this, intending to play this after mass as a postlude. Then the celebrant indicated to us to play something while he was blessing the mothers, so off i went and played a favourite of Novena services "Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest". 

Granted it was not the most fancy of hymns, but it was elegant and people could sing along without having to refer to the hymn book. What I did not expect was the reaction from some of the mothers being blessed as they were moved to tears with the church singing for them, and leant on each other for support. It was a beautiful sight and not for the first time in this church, i felt emo yet serene while playing. The first time was on Palm Sunday before holy week, when we sang Were you there with the third verse in acapella and we exited the church in silence without any recessional hymn. Powerful stuff this.

Gondor calls for aid!

I just started playing for mass again, at the beautiful church nearby where we stay and it has been interesting to say the least. I have not heard of many of the hymns and the order of mass has changed significantly, so i am trying to get used to it. I've been thrown in the metaphorical deep end already as the first week where i was supposed to attend to observe, I had to jump in at the last minute to play the opening hymn (sight reading FTW!). Then, although i'm there as a keyboardist (electronic piano), there is also an organ with several organists but all of them could not make the following week's mass, so I covered for the organ (without really paying attention to it so had to learn really quickly).

Then it was the eve of Ascension (day of obligation), and a message was posted to the whatsapp group on the day around noon looking for keys, so i responded without knowing that there would be no choir or choir leader, just a cantor. Thankfully the Lord works in mysterious ways, and there was a choir and a choir leader and an experience cantor. Just to show that He is all knowing, I was caught in a traffic jam and only made it in after the opening hymn, but thankfully again the other keyboardist was there to cover, and proceeded to lead the rest of the mass until the communion hymns, and then guide me through the various hymns until the end. I felt blessed, comforted, and also slightly ashamed of my little faith.

On a side note, i see that it has been 6 months since i last played soccer, and i'm itching to play again.

Sick of being sick

It all began in December when we went on holiday in Germany, i caught a cold that manifested itself as a fever that left me a wreck. I could do nothing except sleep badly, with restless dreams of vivid darkness, and i lost 4 inches off the waist and close to 10 kilos.
The new year saw me in better health and spirits, but that was all undone in Feb as I fell ill to another virus that three courses of antibiotics could not cure. The fourth course managed to nip it in the bud but it still left me knackered.
Did not fall ill during my trip to London and Dublin, which was strange since it was unseasonably cold, so much so it even snowed in Dublin on the day after St Patrick's. But it is April now, and I am down again. Am trying to rest as much as possible but with so much to do at work and at home, to say that I'm exhausted is an understatement. I really wish i could exercise and I'm slightly alarmed at the state of deterioration in my physical self. I am sick of being sick! 

Getting back into the groove

Happened to see a notice that the church nearby was looking for a keyboardist, so i responded and was asked to come by and observe how things are run and to pick up accordingly.

The current keyboardist is a rather young lady with straight forward ideas about playing for mass, a little no-frills with some condiments. There were a few songs that I thought could have been done better, although I was mindful that everyone had their own style. Then just before mass started, she decided the waltz of the opening hymns was not her thing and vacated the seat for me to sight read just as the hymn was being announced. Lovely. I think i was a little rusty, but still managed to waltz my way through, throwing in a few fills here and there. Sight reading FTW!

I did take offence at a remark for the after mass practice (for next week) that a particular song was "my type", as i felt i would be flexible enough that I can play anything. I do think that i might have to tone down my playing as the choir can be easily distracted lol.

Early morning runabout

Got invited to a 7am kick off in Kallang, and it was as warm and stuffy as i remember although it wasn't so bad since it was early morning (so i didn't suffer the rest of the day with an overheated body lol).

Good bunch of people with quite even skill levels, and because we switched around, i got to play with various people. Funny how every group always has someone loud directing play, and that same person usually makes basic errors. I started off in defence, although I did move up from time to time and played some good wall passes with like minded players. I did manage a goal (or two) which came from a loose pass that was bouncing, and i allowed the extra bounce before taking it on the volley into the corner. Nice. Switched sides and i scored a hatrick including a defender's clearance that rebounded off my knee into goal, a left footed shot into an empty goal after a scramble, and my favourite, a gorgeous return ground pass that teed me up to slide it in nicely between the legs of the keeper. Good tiring session overall, and I hope i get invited back to play!

Layoff layabout

After what seemed like the longest break between soccer training sessions (about 2 months), i headed back to a rather wet training pitch in the northern part of the island for a training session with local coach J. It was a little distracting with the paintballers going off next door, but no venue is perfect i guess.

Interesting warm up that was focused more on self rather than the usual rondos, since everyone knew everyone else, we were calling names before passing, as well as checking our shoulder before receiving. Some interesting exercises, including warm up sprints playing tic-tac-toe with the cones, receive and volley, as well as short passing triangles. Some of the exercises were complicated with calling out the colour of the cone and going opposite to that colour called. We also did a square passing exercise that got more complicated with wall passes and diagonal passes.

The match itself was quite even and even though I was one of the weaker links that made a few stray balls and was quite out of puff by the end of the match, i still managed some nice passes including a HG pass and one that i somehow managed to slip a pass (toepoke) in between two defenders onto our striker, although none of them were converted. Some interesting rules that were thrown into the game included: wall pass assisted goal counted as 2, at most 2 touches, goals to be scored only from crosses.

Good session, mainly because i did not cramp (by not sprinting for the last 5 mins lol).