PIANO TRIO with Troy & Juzza

This year has been the absolute bestest year ever. Words can't describe how glad and thankful and joyful and relieved I feel to be in such a fun and amazing Piano Trio at VCASS.

We laugh so much in rehearsals and we communicate really well. The highlight this year was working on the 15 minute Rachmaninov Piano Trio in G minor No. 1.

The amazing thing is we all have such a similar idea about the music we're playing and we click really well. It's so much fun and so rewarding to make music with people who are just as passionate about making the music. I thank God so much I was placed in such a good ensemble! I love playing in the piano trio setting and I love the interaction with the strings.

We just completed our Mozart and Bloch Nocturne III in assessment today. Surprisingly, despite the lack of rehearsals, we were really 'together' and it went really well! I think it helps we have so much fun and laughter and wackiness in the rehearsals. Even though we make mistakes, we're all able to laugh it off and laugh at each others. We just laugh it off and fix the problem. I think that should be the way! It releases all the unnecessary tension and makes making music so enjoyable and memorable.

I'm pretty sure being in an ensemble is all to do with the people you're with. If you're with the wrong people, the music won't shine through and the passion won't emanate from your playing. It's an amazing feeling to be playing with people who are just as excited to get the music going as it should sound! I think I prefer playing in an ensemble than doing solo performance. It's in some ways much more challenging and also much more fun. Well, if you're with the right sort of people.

I guess you have to be able to adapt and accept other people's opinions as well as be comfortable asserting your own. You have to love the music, and you all have to love the music together! It won't work if one of your members isn't passionate about it as much as you are.

Sigh, this year has simply been the best year ever for me doing solo performance and ensemble performance. It's been so memorable and fun and rewarding. I've learned so much and experienced much more the last year in VCASS than all my years combined before! =)