I'm feeling so relieved after our performance at Concert Rainbow yesterday afternoon. Though we made many mistakes, both our usual mistakes and new stumbles, it was quite a successful performance because we didn't stop halfway but managed to play all the way through. We started together on the right note as well. I thought we could have done better in the Slavonic Dance, perhaps giving it more punch and rhythm.

Playing piano duets has been a fun and enriching experience. I didn't have as hard a time memorising my music compared to my solo pieces. The music was easy to learn and play. The only difficult part is remembering how many times a particular accompanimental motif occurs, especially if you're playing the secondo part. That is why I found myself having to listen more to my partner, taking cues from her melody. Overall, I enjoyed the whole process of duet playing - from learning the music, to putting our parts together, to getting the sense of rhythm, to co-ordination and chemistry between us and also going through the concert together, complete with matching outfits :)

I think I'm getting to like, no, to appreciate and value the process of performing, is more like it. Of course, I don't think I'm cut out to be a real good performer, but at least I'm getting all these small opportunities to perform in front of people in a non-threatening environment. Of course there'll be exams, grades and that nagging worry of what others might think of your performance, or how I feel so discouraged never being able to go through a performance without stumbling, but it's all part music education. I won't say it's stressful (stress has such a negative connotation to it, making it sound like you're at your wit's end already), but rather challenging. I'm glad to be going through this.