Independent Japanese language study: Muzukashii, desu ne?

Though it pains me to admit it, I've fallen off the wagon with my independent Japanese study. I began the year with gusto by creating milestones and a study log check list. These are the milestones I set out to accomplish in my Japanese for Busy People book:

You can see that I've attempted to go through my Minna no Nihongo book several times since studying at the Calgary Japanese Language School:

I was really good for the first six weeks. I set out the goal to dedicate 10 - 30 minutes a day, five days a week to studying Japanese. Here's my log sheet:

Our little study group was difficult to maintain as those who came to the first two were all at very different levels in their Japanese studies. The majority of my classmates from last year either continued with CJLS, decided to study on their own or commit to another activity.

Things began to unravel after Thanksgiving. Life happened. New projects on tap. Studying became more sporadic.

Here we are in November. I will try again to get back on track. I already notice that my Japanese comprehension when watching anime or listening to music is slipping to catching a few words here and there, instead of actual phrases. Yadda!

I am hoping that it will be easier to follow my schedule once I resume my Iaido training after Christmas. Fingers crossed.

Do you have any study tips and ideas to share for studying Japanese (or any language) independently?

When a student leaves: making the most of the time you have left

One of my students terminated lessons. Really, it came as no surprise that his parents were pulling him out. Music lessons are not for everyone. Private lessons aren't for everyone. His parents have enrolled him in other activities, that I feel are a better fit for him. For his final month of lessons, I gave him a set of Halloween songs to work on. They didn't really stick. That's when I thought of making a CD. I asked my student to choose his three favourite songs and relearn them. If they weren't good enough to record, then they wouldn't make the cut. "No one wants to own a CD that sounds bad, do they?" I asked him.

He nailed his three songs on the first take. That gave us enough time to add some special effects to each of his tracks and burn the CD.

That was probably his strongest performance of that old folk melody.

We didn't have time to design a CD jacket or create any CD art. I'm sure that if he wants to, he can handle that on his own.

Our little CD project is a nice way to end lessons. It gives all of us a little souvenir of our time together. It was also a joy to hear my student rise to the challenge to get his pieces ready for recording.

On another note, this has inspired me to try this with a few other students. Perhaps with the challenge of a deadline, they too may rise to the challenge. If they wind up with something neat to present their parents for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, that would be a wonderful gift.

When a Cell Phone Interrupts a Concert or Event

This seems to be happening more frequently: you're at a concert, gymnastics meet, jazz club, tennis match, movie or church, you're at a dramatic or intense moment when a cell phone rings. It cuts across the conversation, the action or a performance.

This video was making the rounds last week on various social networks, entitled: "Haydn Killed by a Cell phone." It shows just how loud a cell phone can be in a concert hall:

This is a video I showed my students last year. When a cell phone interrupted a concert, the violinist incorporated the annoying Nokia ringtone into his performance:

One more for you, in which a New York Philharmonic concert was halted because of a cell phone ringing:

It really kills the moment. Not only that, it can also shatter a musician's or athlete's concentration to the point of rendering them unable to carry on (especially if it's a young person).

If it happened to me, I'm not sure if I'd be as quick-witted as the violinist above or as polite as Christian Zacharias. Depending upon the piece, I might stop. I'd definitely be bitchy. I would even be tempted to call up the cell phone owner to the stage and let him or her try playing from the point of interruption.

If the cell phone user is close to the stage, perhaps I'd even ask for the phone and answer it. I could picture how that conversation could go:

Me: Hello?

Person calling: Hi. Can I speak to X?

Me: I'm sorry, (s)he can't come to the phone right now. (S)He is at a concert right now and your call just interrupted my performance... 

Leaving your cell phone is disrespectful on so many levels. First, it's disrespectful to those on stage, be it a musician, athlete or pastor. It has taken them hours of care and hard work  to be prepared to stand before you.

Second, if it's disrespectful to the composer (if it's a music performance), the teachers/coaches and all other individuals and groups involved with making that performance, service or event happen.

Third, it's disrespectful to the other patrons. Perhaps they had to scrimp and save to attend that event. Or, they had to juggle their schedule around. Either way, they made a choice and/or sacrifice to be there.

I know, I'm probably preaching to the choir. The ones who need to hear this message probably don't read my blogs. Perhaps the only thing that would get through to those people is if their special moment is rudely interrupted. However, they still probably would deny that they are guilty of doing the same thing.

A friend of mine mentioned that in Japan, cell phone signals are blocked in some concert halls. My piano families and I joked that there may come a time when we will have to check-in our phones before setting foot into a concert hall, church or event venue.

Is it that hard to put the phone on "Silent" or "Vibrate"? Last time I checked, it's as easy as a swiping down to get your quick menu and pressing a button.

Cell phones interrupting concerts or events, as frustrating as that is, is not the main issue. Rather, I think it's that we as a society can't seem to handle being fully present "in the moment", as this video sadly demonstrates:

Music Practicing 101: The Looping Drill

The Looping Drill has become my favourite practice drill as of late. It is great to use at any stage of music mastery, the learning stage, troubleshooting, polishing, memorizing or reviewing. It is an effective way to practice only what needs more work.

Start by playing through your piece or technical exercise. When you hit a snag, play that bar five to seven times before moving onto the next one.

I find that usually by the third repetition, my fingers start to "get" it. However, it isn't until the fifth to seventh repetition that I start to consistently get it.

You can combine the looping practice drill with the Smarties Drill or any other drill to improve your accuracy and consistency. Here is a video demonstration of me using the looping drill:

I am in the process of revamping my Music Bag of Tricks, which are cards that show many of the practice drills my students and I use to achieve efficient and organized music practice. My gaming hobby is heavily influencing the design and set-up.

My Music Bag of Tricks will be tested by a handful of teachers and students before making them available to the general public. They will be available for music students, music teachers and any musician seeking for new ideas on how to practice music efficiently. Stay tuned!

My Misaka Mikoto Cosplay

This year, I decided to do an "easy" cosplay: Misaka Mikoto from "To Aru Kagaku no Railgun". She's a Level 5 esper who can manipulate electricity, one of the strongest espers in Academy City. She is nicknamed, "Tokiwadai's Ace" or "Railgun" for her trademark move:

Here's my cosplay creation journey to give you an idea on how to cosplay:

Step 1: Get source material.

Step 2: Start with the hardest element.

Step 3: Know your skill level. A skilled seamstress I am not. Value Village is my friend.

Step 4: Make your modifications. Forty minutes later and I wind up with an unfinished vest.

Step 5: Make the character specific elements.

Step 6: Get your odds and ends. The loafers were hard to track down. I wound up getting these in the kids' section at Payless for 50% off. The knee high socks were from Adene's. I picked up the hairpins from Wal-mart.

The other two items hard to find were the temporary hair colour for my eyebrows and a large enough coin for launching Misaka's railgun. A lady at a hair salon recommended I get creamy eye shadow to colour my brows. Maybeline's Color Tatoo line works like a charm.

One of my friends found two big coins at the Farmer's Market for 50 cents apiece.

And now, for the big reveal:

To learn more about cosplay, check out my last entry, The Art of Cosplay.