My last two weeks were full of excitement and stimulation!
Walking down the street, I was amazed by the gorgeous architecture of the Victorian buildings, the slabs of stone pathways, and the ever-changing weather. I spent an evening sitting in front of the Manchester Town Hall, taking pictures of the clock every ten minutes and observing the changing colour of the sky in each one.
The day after we arrived, we were given a warm welcome by the vice-principal of the RNCM, Professor Linda Merrick, who explained how the courses and programmes work and offered plenty of support to us. Though class starts in October, we are already very busy with meeting staff, making new friends and practising our instruments. I have met lots of young and talented musicians from all over the world who have come to Manchester, all of whom possess unique dreams and ambitions. My own ambition is that I can influence my students as much as my teacher influenced me when I was young, inspiring them to maximise their potential.
Last Friday, I went to my first ever concert in Manchester - the Royal British Legion 90th Anniversary at the Manchester Cathedral. The programme included a military band, a community choir, a saxophone ensemble, a vocal duet and several piano solo performances. I was deeply impressed by the Minden Military Band and the vivid performance of a young pianist from Chetham's School of Music. The whole concert lasted for more than three hours, which was longer than I was expecting, but the choice of pieces and works worked very well in accommodating the variety of tastes in the audience. I really look forward to seeing several more concerts here.
On Monday we made a quick trip to London to record a video and interview with John Holmes, the Chief Examiner of ABRSM. It was a great pleasure to meet the staff at ABRSM, and get to know more about the operation of the organisation.
Lastly, I would like to thank Ms. Barbara Mulroy, the Deputy Academic Registrar of RNCM, for accommodating me in the first week. She is wonderful company and very much helped me in adapting to life here. I look forward to the beginning of term next week!
Posted by
Palas Chan
