Hectic Days

I’ve been so busy recently, I hardly have time to sit down to blog!

MOB has been really tied down with Christmas shows and concert preparations. We’ll be having rehearsal with guest conductor, Mdm Ikumi this Saturday.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on the stuff I want to send in for my application to uni. The audition pieces. 3 of them. Maybe 4 just to be safe.

I’m going to apply for LIPA, CalArts and perhaps LCM.

I was doing a budget breakdown of LIPA and CalArts:
Option 1: CalArts (California, USA)
Tuition – USA$36,166 = SGD$47,153
Insurance – USD$1,218 = SGD$1,588
Dorm (Triple) – USD$3,946 = SGD$5,144
10 Meal Plan – USD$2,735 = SGD$3,565

TOTAL per year: SGD$58,198

Option 2: LIPA (Liverpool, UK)
Tuition – £11,975 = SGD$24,541
Lodging/Meals – £6,500 = SGD$13,320
Insurance – ???

TOTAL per year: SGD$37,862

Btw, this is my updated Bio:

Melodie is a graduate from Singapore Polytechnic, Diploma in Music and Audio Technology. Following on her passion for handbells and percussion music, Melodie saw the essential need to contribute these back to the society. In 2009, she was offered to take up the role of Handbell Director of Whitesands Primary School Handbell Ensemble, where it offered her the perfect opportunity to contribute what she had learnt & experienced to a younger generation.

As the Ensemble Leader of Ministry of Bellz; a Premier Singaporean Traditional English Handbell Ensemble, she has gone on annual performance tours with the Ensemble to Hong Kong (Disneyland 2007), Taiwan (2008), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia 2009) and Osaka (Japan 2010). Together with 2-Four percussion team, she performed at Club Med Cherating (Malaysia) as keyboardist (Oct’06).

Specialising in concert/innovative/Brazilian/multi-percussion, handbells and piano/keyboards, she plays for the Studio Percussion Unit (SPU), 2-Four Percussion, 4-Four Percussion, Anak Baba Band, Asian Melodies and Singapore indie/pop band, Indus Gendi (Keyboards & 2nd vocals).

Learning the Piano since 1992, she joined the Telok Kurau Secondary School (TKSS) Percussion Band in 2001 and started her Percussion journey. Within a year, she became the Assistant Band Leader & was subsequently nominated Band Leader in 2003. During her years in TKSS, she won the “Best Band Member Award” (2002 & 2003) and the “EAGLES Award” in 2003 in recognition for her contributions to the school.

Melodie participated in the National Youth Percussion Festival from 2001 to 2003 and was selected to attend the National Schools National Cadet Officer (NCO) Band Camp in 2002. She has completed the Production Management Course conducted by Tommy Wong, Technical Theatre Specialist, at the Singapore Esplanade Theaters on the Bay.

She has played a vital role in Lim Yong Productions since its establishment in 2001 and is now holding the position of the Production Manager.

In her alma mater’s production of “River Of Life – A Musical Journey” (2003), she multi-tasked as Multi-Percussionist/Keyboardist while performing the duties of a Producer/ Director’s Student Assistant. Beyond school curriculum, she hosted several school concerts and shows in Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

Melodie has performed in these musical hits – Bibiks Go Broadway (Nov’03), Baba Nyonya Mari-Go-Round (Jan’06) & Siapa Baba (Nov ’08) directed by Richard Tan S G. In April 2005, she performed as a keyboardist in God Alone – The Musical Of Montfort and HandSpeak by HI Theatre at the Alliance Francaise (Sept’05). Staged in October 2006, she performed as Multi-Percussionist in Singapore Polytechnic’s (SP) first Musical, “Superstar”.

As accordianist/keyboardist (May’09), she was also involved in Vizpro Entertainment – Mediacorp – Toy Factory mega-production of The Peranakan Ball: Musical, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Presently, Melodie is also an assistant handbell instructor of Yio Chu Kang Primary School (Gold SYF’08), Yang Zheng Primary School, Anchorgreen Primary School and Methodist Girls’ School (Primary).

Under the mentoring of Mr Damien Lim, she passed her ABRSM Grade 8 in Percussion Performance.

Aspiring to be a better musician/arts manager/arranger/songwriter, Melodie is pursuing her Diploma in Percussion Performance and an undergrad of Murdoch University (Perth), Bachelor Degree in Mass Communications.

Do drop me your comments! Thanks readers (if there are any).. Haha..
Toodles,
Mel