This afternoon, I went to a interview of Junior Music Programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. I didn't expect that my interview was only lasted for less than 7 minutes. While I was waiting for the interview, I realized that I was "Too odd" applying for the programme majoring in composition and computer music technology. I observed that most of the applicants were in junior secondary, or even hadn't graduated from their primary schools. (I had made some chats with a Secondary 2 boy who was standing next to me, and a parent who his son was applying for the programme as well).
While I was waiting, another boy wearing a pair of blue glasses sat on the floor typing the notes using a music-maker software - it seemed that he was professional. He then met his friends, and I noticed that they have already joined the programme for 3 years (Wow!). The corridor outside my interviewing room was crowded and packed with people, and many of them were international students I thought.
When I entered the interviewing room, three of the instructors welcomed me with warm smiles. I thought that they would ask me some personal questions, but in reality, they didn't.
They have asked,
"How long have you been learning composition?"
(Umm... Three years, but before that I have arranged scores for myself.)
"Who is your composition teacher?"
(Why they would ask me? I responded, and added I was studying DSE Music.)
They reviewed one of my score quickly.
"Would you consider to take Music in University?"
(Yes yes, I really want to, especially in the composition stream.)
"Why would you compose for Chinese instruments?"
(During my DSE Music studies, we had to study Chinese Music as well, and thought that it would be great fun to compose for Chinese instruments as well.)
"So you should have done a lot of research on those instruments." I nodded.
"Will you pick these two composition as your Paper 3 Composition?"
(Not at all...)
"How many students in your school are studying composition."
(Well, only 5 in my form, and some of us like composition.)
"Do you feel lonely as a composer?"
(This is the most interesting question to me. I was speechless.)
I think I''d better compose another pieces in response to this question.
And the following is more practical questions.
"Name three of the composers."
(Debussy, Mozart (I originally would like to name Chopin), Joe Hisaishi)
Joe Hisaishi inspires me to be a composer.
"But your compositions weren't like Joe Hisaishi's ones." I nodded with an awkward smile.
"Which of the following composer is the latest, Debussy (who a 20th century impressionism composer), Bartók (wrote Hungarian folk music) or John Cage."
"John Cage." I replied immediately. "And his 4'33"."
"How many movement are there in 4'33"."
"Three. (Well, I guess, normally pieces have three movements.)"
"Have you played before?"
"No. But it was so much easy to play." A humorous reply made the instructors laughed.
And then I left the interviewing room.
There are only two reasons for a quick interview. I am admitted to the programme, or not. I hope it is the former one.
(If you don't know what is John Cage's 4'33", the following wiki link and video might help you.)
"Everything we do is music." - John Cage.
4'33"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4%E2%80%B233%E2%80%B3
John Cage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage
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