Hillview's Chirstmas Service (2012)

 Date for Entry: (Friday 14th December, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 24th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the closing day for Term One in Form 2. When it was the Steel Ensemble’s turn to play, I decided not to go up to play because I didn’t know the song. There were only two Tenors and the rest of the other members. 

    One of the friends asked me if I got the Sheetmusic if I could play. I said yes but me thinking back at the score at the moment for “We three King” I would it would have been in a crazy six-eight meter. 

    I just sat down and took the song in as it was done specially for me. They really needed to get some book stands if they expected me to play that fast thing. I'm sure the there members would have appreciated it too for functions like these and even in Tuesday and Thursday band practice.

Link(s):

1. Hillview’s Christmas Concert Program.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

DCFA Steelpan Exams (Grade 1)

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 20th October, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

   Today I have judged for Graded Examinations in Solo Steelpan Performances by Dr. Jeannine Remy again. Last night in church, Zara and I practised a "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" for the examination today. This was the only piece where accompaniment was compulsory. 

    The person that had to accompany me was unable to come because of childbirth and Zara was the only person to help me at the last minute. The songs that I played was:

A.   Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring

B.  In a Playful Mood

C.  Trini’s Waltz

D.  C Major and G Major Calypscales

 

    I had asked her to sign my blue Pan sticks. At the end of the Exam, I left the Campus and enjoyed coming back to it since Pan Minors. I went back home Curepe. I was depressed that the results had come back as a Merit again. 

(Update)

    Looking back at the examination, I had a strong feeling that Dr. Remy was quizzing me on other additional things than the requirements for the exam. I had just tried my best to answer the questions. For me now it seems as if she was also testing pitch recognition separately during the exam. Seems like a test for perfect pitch, maybe? I'm not really sure.

    Dr. Remy ended up playing a second scale for me to name after getting the first one right. It was A harmonic minor she played but for me the G and A so close together, I mix them up a lot. The same happens in present times. She was showing a lady how to conduct the examination at the same time. 

    This examination was conducted in the staff eating area. I was very curious as to why there was a piano in there. In a room like that, it is VERY difficult to do a difference between loud and soft. The room has an echo for the easiest yawn. At the time I ended picking "Trini Waltz" but I did not even know how to read cut time back then and it was not noticed by the teacher to be corrected during lessons.

    On this day too, it was wonderful to have Dr. Remy sign my pan sticks. I did not know when next I might ever get to meet her again. Her name has become well-known to me because of the score that I keep with steelpan music notation. It was a wonderful pleasure getting to see what she looked like in real and have the chance to match a name with the real person.

Link(s): 

1. Preliminary & Grade 1 (Tenor Pan) – Examination Booklet.               (Permission not granted by school for sharing.)
   
2. Results Sheet & Certificate
   

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Past Friends

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 18th August 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went through the Newsday papers, searching for things that happened in the Olympics like their letters and pictures. I saw a picture of one of my friends from the Pan Minors Course. He was in a talent competition. I hope he wins. Unfortunately, I lost the piece of paper for the journal but I still wish you all the best.

**** Newspaper clipping for this journal entry was misplaced.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

World Breastfeeding Week (2012)

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 7th August, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 5th July, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today Mom and I went with a nice Lady I knew named Aunty Jereline, in her brother’s white truck to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital: Maternity Department to perform. I had to play the National Anthem and as usual, mom had to perform her monologue with a little twist each year to suit the theme.

    We passed through the hills of Laventille to get there. I remember that the hill was so high like Mount Saint Benedict, that my ears got clogged going up. We couldn’t have stayed long at Port-of-Spain because we had to get back to Mount Hope quickly. Aunty Jereline had to go to the Car Company with all the other kinds of brands to see about her car. Finally, we left there and I was glad to get back to Mt. Hope with my pan.

 

Link(s):

1. Port-of-Spain General Hospital Maternity Program.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Pan Minor’s Graduation (2012)

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 31st July, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today one of my mommy’s friends Aunty Nathalie from Mount Hope drove me all the way down to Queen’s Hall. It was super early and I got there long before the other graduates. Hardly anyone was there so I sat in the Lobby area waiting. 

   I recall that "two of the Steel Ensemble members" if they still were, had chosen to give dictation about what we should wear for the ceremony. I personally didn't give them any thought because there were specific instructions on this. They truly wanted to be highlighted by being the only ones wearing blue in the audience. The rest of us ensemble members were in our white long sleeve shirts, grey pants and maroon tie as if it was a special function we were attending at Hillview.

    As soon as other persons involved and other graduates arrived, they had us gather by the group to run through the music on stage again twice. Some other things were fixed at the same time. Once the little practice was over, Miss Brown helped arrange us in the correct sitting order. I could remember the other Ali girl who didn't like the boy next to her so she begged me to switch seats. The ceremony began shortly after and then the audience including other parents came walking into ill the rest of the seats. 

    All of the classes from both DCFA and Trinity East had to perform. For some of the pieces, I liked the Level Two pieces more. Mom and papa were there. I saw them walking into the auditorium as the rest of the other graduates were already seated. Mr. Martin drove them down to the Hall and to us back home back. Before we left, I took out a picture with my friends from school and then we went off to Valpark to eat lunch. 

(Update)

We had a short photograph time with the other members of our Hillview ensemble. Unfortunately, as time went by those photographs were lost. There were only two in my saving. I could not find some with all of us behind the banner. There is the one above that Joshua gave to me on a birthday. Sunlight faded it over the years. 

I will appreciate this program because it was able to show me three parts in music theory Grade one that I did not know. It has also strengthened me in rhythmic reading slightly to certain rhythms provided during the theory classes. Thank you, Pan Minors.

 

Link(s):

1. Pan Minors' Graduation Program (2012)
   

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Pan Minors Music Scores

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 28th July, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 11th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went with dad to Blue Edition to purchase my very first pair of Double Seconds pan sticks. It was longer than the tenor pan sticks for sure. Even holding it in my hand was different. 

    I also took to Curepe with me my Laptop from Form 1 and the Pan Minors Booklet they gave me and I scored out the “Sugar Bum” song my Class was doing into a full score. I was glad that the Finale Software didn’t need the Internet to work or I probably wouldn’t be able to score out the song. 

(Update)

    During the process of the computer notation, I had to use all the parts provided in the booklet to put it together. At the time I was already accustomed to scoring music on notation and only rewriting printed music to a program that I might have had. This process of putting the full score together from parts was a new one but I still knew exactly what to do.

    Coming to the end of scoring the piece with all six steelpan parts together, the entire playback was not 'logical' and did not sound exactly as it was in class. I realised that there was a particular element in the notation that was grouping empty measures together. 

    To date, I understand what it means and how to read it on the score just by this same experience. However, the name of this particular music notation element has never been given to me. The musical element or symbol looks like a capital 'I' but written horizontally and above the staff, a number would indicate the number of empty bars/measures (for silence). 

    This observation was made a little while after checking in with Miss Mosley to tell her that the notation was not lining up. She was a bit confused and I did not know how to explain it. So, when she told me that "it must line up" I went over the notation that same weekend and by assumption at the time, I assumed that the meaning of the horizontal I's had meant empty measure.

    It had to be the meaning. It must! Because, when I lined up the parts I had from observation and listening in class, it sounded the way it was supposed to. I'm glad that it worked out. Unfortunately, the Finale notation software trial ended some time afterwards and saving a copy of the score was not possible. 

    Only until the last teaching day of the Pan Minors program, I was able to hear the music for group one students. I was sent to group two. They had gathered for a final group rehearsal and announcements for the graduation. At that time, I was given a copy of the "Arabesque" piece on request to Miss Mosley, which was going to be performed by group one students. 

    It still is a wonderful piece to playback. Just looking and examining the full score that she so kindly provided to me it was amazing to see, at the time, how simple the notation for the parts was for a piece as "Arabesque". The same day that this score was given to me I also had presents for the teachers that assisted my short journey through the program. I hope that they enjoyed it.

Link(s):

1. "Arabesque" (Steelband Score – Joy-Ann Mosley)
   

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Pan Minors & Steelpan Excitement

 Date for Entry: (Monday 9th July, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 11th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I was excited because I was going back to the University of the West Indies to the Department of Festival and Creative Arts (DCFA) again. The better part of this was that I always see this place going from Curepe to Tunapuna and back, and always wanted to go there because of the Music. Miss Saunders had given every member of the Steel Ensemble in Hillview Application Forms to attend this workshop.

    I do hope that I learn a lot from these classes because it was Grade 1 and the same ABRSM Grade 1 I knew so well. It was also the opportunity for me to actually sit with a steelpan instructor and observe what it was like to POSSIBLY be taught steelpan for the first time. It was easy. I enjoyed getting everything correct in both theory classes for the first class today. 

    The teacher taught us to clap rhythms while keeping the beat on our feet. In the rhythms, we were asked to say the syllables of the claps (Do, Do-Dey, Do-ta-dey-ta, Do-ta-dey, Do-ou etc.) 

    At the end of class, we were sent out of Studio 4 to Pan studio. The teacher did exercises of rhythms. She had everyone do the same rhythm but had the pans use the notes of the C Major tonic triad. The teacher placed me to play the Double Seconds so I had to play E. The moment I looked down into that pan, uh... Headache! More rhythmic exercises were done and that was it for the second hour of the day.

    Aunty Zida came for me at the end of class. I went up the hill with my Grade 1 ABRSM Workbook they gave us and my pencil and work out every single question in the book. I know sure I would have probably gotten in trouble but I seriously couldn't help see the book with empty questions and not do them. It was a fun five hours spent with the book until the last page of it was done.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Pan Minors Level 1 - (Written Assessment 1)

Date for Entry: (Date Unknown/Forgotten)

[FORM 2 - SUMMER BREAK]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 7th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was my first assessment examination for the Pan Minors course, in Studio 4 at the University of the West Indies, DCFA. For the first hour, my class group's turn was for the Pan Theatre. Ms. Mostley conducted the practical aspect of the exam. I did my sight-reading and rhythmic exercises on the Double Seconds. Fuss I did not like the instrument at all but it is what they had put me to do.

    Once eleven came we were sent over to Studio 4, where we'd do the written theory exam. Ms. Brown had played a few pieces with melody and rhythmic patterns on the piano and we had to answer questions on the paper-based on what she played. Those were the first six questions. The rest of the paper was left for us to finish in the remaining minutes of the class. I wasn’t nervous at all but excited. 

(Update)

    In the second week of the programme, Ms. Brown returned the exam papers to us. I was surprised at the mistakes I made but that’s alright. I was really hoping to get all right and that might have been me alone in the class group to do so. She told us that only one student in the other group got total. 

    I can recall a big challenge remembering which lines that semibreve and minim rests were supposed to be written on. This was the only hard part of the written paper. 

 

Link(s):

1. Pan Minors Level 1 – (First Written Assessment)

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Assisting Ms. Saunders with an Assignment

 Date for Entry: (Thursday 5th July 2012)

[FORM 2]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 7th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went up to the Staffroom from inside the Hall, to visit Ms. Saunders about a Past Paper Question I didn’t understand. I saw Johan from Youth Group coming up the stairs too. Ms. Saunders and I were about to finish the conversation when he came to talk.

    Meanwhile, the three of us sat down on the kinda comfortable Maroon chair on the inner side of the staffroom. She wanted us to help her answer some questions she had for a survey. But the time was limited and the bell was sounded for us to return to our classes. So, then I gave her my email to send me the questions.

    That night I sent her the questions all documented in the one she sent to me. All of my answers were in colour. So, it was a nice day doing something music-related with another person who likes music too. But I’m not too sure if Johan did the same set of questions for her. Before sending the document I made sure to fix it up neatly and add the font shown in the document.

Links:

1. Miss Saunders' Interview Protocol Document.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Form 2 - Music Exam - Term 3 (Finals)

Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[FORM 2 - TERM 3 - 2012]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 7th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    This Music theory past final examination paper was for the third term of Form Two. It was much shorter than that of Form one. I was not very prepared for this exam at all. I knew that some of the questions were not going to be strictly on music theory as the previous year. More classes had dealt with presentations of persons involved in music for the carnival season.

    This time around the exam paper was better in my view because it was created by the teacher in a way that the content was originally made and not taken from other sources.

    Recalling the day of the examination, I remember that the first half of the class roll was sent over to the Form one classes. Mr. Pierre was supervising at the time for this exam and the members in our class had completed the exam before the first fifteen minutes of the exam could pass by.

    They ended up taking our papers and allowing us to leave the classroom early. Mr. Pierre and I had a good laugh when he took my paper when he said, “Yuh wish every exam could be quick like this, eh?”

Link(s):

1.  Form 2 Music theory Exam (Final)

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali 

ABRSM Theory Examination (Grade 2)

Date for Entry: (Saturday 16th June, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 11th June, 2021) 

Dear Diary,

    Today Mr. Lewis took me to his school, Trinity East and Bishop’s Anstey, which held the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (A.B.R.S.M.) Examinations for Theory. I was writing Grade 2. I was a bit worried because I’ve never been to that school before, afraid of losing my way and scared. After all, this was the first time I was going to do this kind of Exam and didn’t want to do badly in it.

    Before I went into the exam room, Mr. Lewis put me into a room and then he had to take me out. The exam room was someplace else. I waited a long while with him outside because he was trying to get me a sticker that had to be attached to the exam paper. Finally, a nice lady took me to the correct classroom. I saw one of my friends next to me who played with Starlift. She was writing Grade 3. It looked a little difficult from where I was. Soon after, the exam had begun and it was all downhill from there.

    This was my chance to get a distinction in a subject that I liked. I made sure to look over the paper very well. It was easy because the answers were to be inserted alone. It was something like gapped passages, only in a musical form with a bunch of instructions in paragraphs.

    I went into the pan room where Mr. Lewis was and met my friend Jerimiah who played for Panorama with me in Starlift. She had asked me if there were any problems and there was only one word I couldn’t remember “Andantino” that she had problems with too. I went down the stairs and dad was waiting outside. We went home Curepe and then something went wrong.

Link(s):

1. Results Sheet & Certificate
   

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Presbyterian Sports Day (2012) & Graduation

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 2nd June, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 14th July, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was Presbyterian Sports Day. I went to march with the Youth Group. Susan was the Coordinator at the time. All of the other bands looked like they were prepared and then hearing the results we failed it as usual with zero being our score. How unbelievable?! The experience was fun in another way. 

    I did not stay the whole day as the last time, thank God. I took a trip up to Tunapuna by the Court House with Aunty Pat and Uncle Timmy near the Library. Daddy was waiting there for me already. I didn’t know that their son was my cousin. It was only that day I realised that we were related. It was nice to know I had another cousin. 

    I had to go and perform a Function. Mr. Mchoney’s wife Aunty Evette, was graduating in a Drapery & Linen Class from the University of the West Indies. I will always remember that good tasty pork we go on the way home. Time was running out too quick also. I had to shower and get dressed faster. Mommy was down Couva at the time.

    Mr. Mchoney loaded my pan into his 'car' and we all went to El Dorado West. I wasn't sure what type of vehicle it was. I played the National Anthem to start the function and later into the ceremony, they request a song so I played “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias. They wanted to dedicate this to their teacher.

    At the end of the function, Aunty Evette’s friend gave me fifty dollars and thanked me very much for the music and said, “Here’s a little something for you.” On walking out, the teacher thanked me for the nice music I played. I shook her hand and walked off with the pan in the case and daddy walked out with the pan stand pieces to the car.

Link(s):

1. Drapery & Linen Class Graduation Program
   

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Hillview College's Faith & Confidence Service (2012)

 Date for Entry: (Friday 27th April, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 13th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the Service of Faith and Confidence for the Class of 2012 in Hillview College Auditorium. The Steel Ensemble had to play the National Anthem to start off the function/service. Afterwards, we had to play the School's Anthem at the end. This was a really fun and exciting service. I saw our Reverends from church and felt amazed at the way this experience was.

Link(s):

1. Hillview College's Faith & Confidence Service (2012) - Program.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Morvant Police Station Youth Group

 Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten; Wednesday)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the last day of the test for Form 2. Mom had come to school to pick me up around half two in the afternoon. We walked down the hill on the road to get home. She bought me some Chinese Butterfly Chicken and then we went down to Mount Hope to the Sewing Room to meet Aunty Hermi, with the keyboard.

    Of course, I was being pulled around by mommy without knowing the plans and what we were going to do, except that I was to perform. The three of us went down to Laventille on a Bus over the Bus Route. I felt shame that we had to pay for two seats for the piano to rest on and for the tenor pan to stay there on the ground.

    We met up Precious at the Gas Station before heading off. Luckily, we got a taxi and headed on up to the Movant Police Station. Little did I know, that I was going to play for the Movant Police Youth Group. Mom and Aunty Hermi was going there to teach the children to make a craft and other things I did not know about.

    The children enjoyed the music from the piano. I mostly played for them Titanic and a few others from my Xylophone project I had to do in Form. It was nice to meet their Youth Coordinator, who loved the curtain rod xylophone. She wanted to try it in front of the members and she wanted me to teach her song so I gave her the notes of "Sanctuary," which I had played for them earlier. She seemed very happy at the end.

    By the time the lady had given out the announcements, about a concert and a guest coming to visit them I knew that I was gonna be stuck in that too. Knowing mommy, she will be pushing me to go back and play music there. 

*** For this music event in my life I'm sorry that no images were taken. 

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

ABRSM Theory Examination (Grade 3)

 Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went to the University of the Southern Caribbean (U.S.C.) with the Steel Ensemble members in our school uniform. We were not attending school today. We were all going to write ABRSM’s Music Theory Exams. For me, I did Grade three that day. All of the others did Grade 1.

    I took every minute of the examination going through the paper. Miss Richardson was outside going through questions some of the students had. I was the last one of the Ensemble to come out. I went to the Stationary store afterwards to photocopy some music exam papers.

    When I got back home the lady at the store had done the copies badly. I noticed that the same bad feelings like a spirit with misery and conflict had come upon me as from the last exam experience. This spoiled the whole rest of my day. Few of the exam questions were very tricky. I hoped that the marks would be enough to award me a distinction.

(Update)

    Some months are doing the Grade three examination, the results sheet and the certificates came back. When I saw the overall score on my sheet I felt like my heart skipped two beats. It was merit. Just looking down at the Merit written on the certificate, made me feel as if I had failed the whole exam. I know Miss Richardson had to get me out of that thinking quickly because of how hard I was personally going down on myself.

    One wish of mine was that Miss Richardson could have given the certificates to Mr. Mahase to give them to us during the morning assembly instead of announcing the results alone. That might have felt nice and awarding.

 

Link(s):

1. ABRSM Grade 3 Results & Certificate

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Vacation at Enchanted Waters

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 25th February, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 11th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    This morning, I woke up in the gorgeous hotel of Enchanted Waters in Tobago. I went there with Mom, Papa, Vinod, Vijay and his son Varick. We came upon the T&T Express. On that trip, I sat on the overview of the staircase, next to a group of nice men in their religious clothing and they were talking for some time. I sat there in one spot for the three-hour trip and didn’t make a single move. I even had time to fall asleep and wake up back in time to hear the rest of the conversation. 

    It was about 12:37 PM when I went over to their main hall. They had a lovely old upright piano. Mom got me permission to try it out. It belonged to their son Roger. His mother, Marcia Patino, removed a cloth covering it and my heart was warmed by the sight of the piano. It was old and the keys were a bit stiff to press down. This is what made me appreciate it and plus it still had the right pitches to each key.   

    I played some of the pieces I learned for the A.B.R.S.M. Grade 2 Music Practical Examination. I never got to do the Exam from Dr. Brunner's classes but the music was nice. And to crown it off, I concluded the playing with Titanic I played from Hema’s Wedding. It was the melody part alone. I had to leave soon after because mom had already cooked lunch and everyone was already back at the table near the pool getting ready. 

(Update)

    Just looking back at the memory and this new Goggle Blog journal, I really wished that I could have taken a picture of the piano. As time went by too the images that we took from the experience are too difficult to locate.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

National Panorama Preliminaries (2012)

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 28th January, 2012)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 11th June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Tonight, down in Starlift Steel Orchestra Pan Yard, I met a famous Pan player Mr. Liam Teague. I got him to sign my pan sticks in a black permanent marker. Tomorrow will be a big night in the Pan Yard when the Panorama judges will be coming in to give critique on the music. How exciting?

    Mr. Lewis took the group with whom I had gone down to the Pan Yard with to Wendy’s Restaurant. It was the first time I tried it. I bought a pack of fries and saved the white paper bag it came in. It was nice to go back home because, after all those long hours of training, they really gave me bad cramps that I sometimes couldn't walk the other mornings.

    Upon reaching home, I got clear masking tape and wrapped it around the signature on the pan sticks to keep the ink in place and avoid stains or smudges. This was one of the concerns Mr Teague mentioned before he was about to sign the sticks.

 Link(s):

• Wendy's Paper Bag.
• Recording of Starlift Steel Orchestra - Panorama Semi-Finals (2012). (See 2:20)

Daryl Zion M. Ali