To Zanarkand (YAMAHA Grand Piano)

Much better version than the previous one on a keyboard.
It is so amazing to hear sound coming from a Grand Piano, with your own finger operating on it!
Feel like a musician now~

I'm gonna miss this one

YAMAHA Grand Piano at IBM Yorktown Cafe.
Fantasy sound! My first time playing on a grand piano.

Gonna miss this one after I leave...

IBM三周琐碎

IBM T.J. Watson，乃其全球的Reserach Headquarter也。

1. 人手一台Thinkpad T

有钱的公司就是大方。尽管说你只有笔记本电脑的使用权，不过如果是正式员工的话，自己也就不用买笔记本了。我运气比较好，拿到一台T60，双核+高分屏，至于显卡之类就不在乎了，反正对电脑游戏没啥兴趣。当然，到时候是要还的。统一发工作用电脑也有方便管理的目的，所有公司内部使用的软件都有预装，能方便的在世界上任何一个地方通过VPN链接到公司内部庞大的网络中。

2. 连PS3都发

当然不是对每个人。我去的那个组给Cell芯片设计过compiler，由于Sony的PS3游戏机采用了IBM的Cell，他们自然要为Sony的游戏开发工具提供compiler支持。于是，为了测试实际效果，当时（几年前的事情了）公司便给每个参与这个项目的人发了一台PS3外加一款游戏。据说当年PS3的价格还在500-600美元的高位。项目完毕之后，游戏机就归个人使用了，当然产权还是公司的，但这有什么区别呢？

3. 餐厅区的大钢琴(Grand Piano)

离开了家里的电子琴，一度担心三个月回去后琴技会大大生疏。第三天便在公司的餐厅区发现一台大钢琴(Grand Piano)，观察了几天，从来没有人去弹过。一天下午，趁餐厅关门大家都下班后，潜入该区域。见四周无人，边自顾自的弹起To Zanarkand来。果然一分价钱一分货，这种上万美元的家伙发出的声音还有手感，简直是家里的电子琴不能比的。后来只要有机会，就在6点左右没人的时候跑到哪里去享受演奏Zanarkand带来的感动。

4. "Where are you from?" / “你来自哪里?”

到IBM的第一天，跟Mentor还有组里面一个印度大姐聊天。她问我"Where are you from?"，mentor和我都笑了，“当然中国啦！从名字就能看出来啊。”。然后她解释道 "Yes, I can tell from your name. But I am not sure because your English is so good, I thought you might be from the States." （当然能看出是中国人的名字，不过我不确定是因为你英文说太好了，我想你是美国人呢。）在美国，这种情况就不要谦虚了，说句"Thank you"就是最礼貌的回答了。 ^_^

5. Mentor尽然是老乡！

去之前知道mentor是中国人，还是UMN毕业之后去IBM的。但没问国内哪个地方。还是那位印度大姐，问我从中国哪个地方来的，我心想说了恐怕你也不知道是哪里吧。她听完惊奇的说你的mentor好像也是那个地方来的呢。我大惊，后来一问，还真是老乡！这个世界真小。得再次感谢那位印度姐姐，不然这层关系不知道要什么时候才能捅破。哈哈。

6. 天天跑步

离家不远的地方有一个小湖。景色不错，周长也比较合适。每天傍晚都要不少人开车到此散步。树林阴翳，鸣声上下，乃是跑步健身的不二去处。

Piano Performance: To Zanarkand

Music from Final Fantasy X.

This is one of the two that give the very incentive to start picking up my piano skill.

ps: This is the one I played at my last piano class.

这一刻，情不自已

今天，最后一次钢琴课。

考试，演奏指定曲目。三首练习曲马马虎虎地通过了。

然后要交written project，太忙，没时间做。我和instructor说好了，改弹一首更复杂的曲子。

"To Zanarkand - music from FINAL FANTASY X"

本人挚爱的钢琴曲之一。从3月份收到别人送的谱子到现在，这是每天必弹的保留曲目。

手放在键盘上。Instructor坐在旁边，还有各路同学。虽然底下已经练得很熟，但是第一次当着这么多人演奏，心里还是犯紧张。

Start... 由于紧张的缘故，前几个小节居然屡屡出错，不管了，继续。慢慢的，渐入佳境。虽然背对众人，不过我能感到正在各自练习的同学(每人都有耳机)都停了下来，静静的倾听。哇，真是有感觉。

... 高潮 - 减缓 - 敲完最后一个音符，整个教室竟然响起了掌声~~

转过头，面对的是大家赞许和鼓励的目光，还有掌声，oh, god 那一刻，眼泪都差点出来了。

First Piano Class

My first class in spring semester the piano for non-major student, which I dreamed for a long time. Unfortunately, I underestimated the time that would cost me to get there. It was on the west bank, the campus I am unfamiliar at all. I had to pass through the maze-like underground tunnel to actually get to the Ferguson Hall. So I was 20 minutes late for the first class. :(

Luckily I didn't miss much information. The first time it was pretty simple, only some practice to help students be familiar with the keyboard. I managed to catch up in the middle of the class, although it was kind of embarrassed to get into the room 20 minutes later, because that was a small course, about 10 persons in presence.

Anyway, it finally started. I hope I can make it through, no matter how busy I will be in the spring semester.

The following is my goal (of course not performed by me, at least right now). Some guy is playing Cannon in major D.

Johnben, do you think it is fairly reasonable to achieve this kind of proficiency in a single semester?

一首想弹到疯狂的曲子

Kannon in D major



各种变奏的版本很多，上面这个是来自新世纪EVA的原声碟。
A test for posting music.

正式注册钢琴课

Mus 1051 Class Piano for Nonmusic Majors I

Grading basis/credits: 2 credit(s)

Liberal Educ. Reqs: Meets CLE req of Other Humanities Core

Description: Mus 1051, Class Piano for Non-Music Majors. A beginning course for non-music majors with little or no keyboard background. Emphasis on basis functional skills, such as reading, harmonizing, playing by ear and improvising, along with basic technique, elementary repertoire, and music theory (written). Taught by graduate assistants in an electronic multi-piano lab. Includes lecture, group and individual performance, and some individual instruction. Outside practice is required. Practice rooms may be rented through the School of Music. Text: "Contemporary Class Piano" 6th ed. by Elyse Mach. Mus 1051 covers Units 1-2, including intervals up to a fifth, major scales and key signatures, major and minor 5-finger patterns and triads, and accompaniments using I, IV and V7 chords.

Class Time: 10% Lecture, 90% Laboratory.

Grade: 20% mid exam, 25% final exam, 40% quizzes, 10% class participation, 5% other evaluation. two written projects

Exam Format: Individual keyboard performance (plus some written theory).

Textbook: (真贵啊... 新的课本80美金，用过的60美金)

Contemporary Class Piano, 6th

Mach

$79.95

$60.00

口水中的装备：Yamaha P65MSB 88-Key Weighted graded hammer action keys, comes with stand and bench
Amazon售价781美金，运费另计...