So we begin our journey at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (nafa) with Alyssa being accepted at the gifted young violinist class which starts late June. To tell the truth, i have heard nafa was a good art and music school before but i never knew they were that strict or regimented. So it is with much apprehension and trepidation as we embark on this unknown journey.
We always knew Alyssa was musically inclined, being able to play twinkle twinkle little star on keyboard even at 2+. So i always thought i should push her a little more. We started her on Yamaha keyboard lessons 2 months ago once she met the minimum age the school would accept. Having gone through the very same junior music course myself when i was a kid, yamaha was the natural choice. I did consider individual lessons but with Aly, i also wanted to give her more opportunities to interact with other kids and yamaha does build a good foundation too.
The yamaha lessons are going well but the pace is quite slow. But the good thing was Aly was enjoying the lessons and she initiates practice at home without us prodding. At this age, we really have no demands and we just want Aly to have fun. Because Aly only attends a 3 hour kindy, she does have a lot of time everyday to herself at home with grandma, so i guess she can be rather bored.
This sort of led me to post on facebook asking for genuine suggestions on gainful means to occupy Alyssa's time. An ex university mate pinged me and introduced me to the nafa program for kids and asked me to give it a try. Originally i did think of letting her do piano but got influenced by my mate, who asked me, why not violin, another instrument? Yep i thought, why not? Something i can't play for a change. :)
We paid $20 for the auditions held in May. Auditions are held only twice a year and the timing was around the week after i made that fateful fb post. Alyssa had to prepare one song, do an echo clap routine and also answer some simple questions on pitching. She was cool as a cucumber as usual and they loved her.
At the auditions however, daddy and i were both harrowed by an obvious tiger mommy pouncing on her poor kiddo to play her violin properly etc for the audition, threatening all sorts of punishment like throwing away her clothes and offering rewards like letting her go to her cousin's house. This went on for the whole duration we were there and the poor girl was just weeping...and playing the violin was not even part of the audition requirements! We felt so sorry for the little fella but that also kinda sent little warning messages to us of more ominous things to come.
Within a week, we had a letter in the mail informing us Aly was accepted and that we needed to attend an orientation at nafa that sunday at 6pm. Wow wow....dinner time on a sunday. It was no short briefing...the principal took us through a full blown presentation of the merits of the school and the mission of nafa, which is basically to train world class performers and not just any ordinary music school where students jut take exams and get their certificates. The disctinction rate last year was 100%, a jaw dropping world record.
Both parent and kid was going to have to be really commited throughout *gulp*. Daddy said he saw tiger mom somewhere down the corridor...not sure if it was a good or bad thing that poor kiddo did not get her clothes thrown away now that she is in. The teacher offered to bring us to one of the stores to get the kids measured and purchase the violins. It was 730, we were starving and we politely declined.
I understand they accepted 7 students per violin class out of the 33 who auditioned or i could have heard wrong. Given their stringent ways, i suspect many more will fall out in the training process. Lessons are not allowed to be missed without good reason and all parent accompanied, no maids allowed. The teacher later said, one b+ and you are on probation, two b+ and you are out. The first stage performance is scheduled 3 months after classes start. Thankfully most of the kids were all aged four or five and clueless while our faces turn white as sheet. Or maybe only mine as most of the other parents kept their composure.
At this point, we think we will just let Alyssa go ahead with what I harmlessly started. Maybe there is a performer within her and i am the only one who thinks its a tad too crazy? After all the talents are all trained and moulded from a young age. Oh well...watch this space, we keep you updated when the lessons finally start. My old schoolmate assures me it is not as bad as it sounds. *fingers crossed*
