Took a step forward

My course on planning and evaluating programmes continued today. Today's topic is on understanding and applying the SWOT analysis framework as well as the program logic model.

S.W.O.T. analysis briefly means an analysis of an organisation's (internal) strengths and weaknesses as well as the (external) opportunities and threats that are present for the organisation. Actually I think programme planning is more complex than many person may mistakenly think.

Anyway, I must have worked my brains hard enough that I felt mentally drained after lesson. After lesson, I walked to a nearby MRT station to take a MRT train. I slept on much of the journey. The brain must have been in need of a recharge.

I decided to check out if there were any music school in this neighbourhood called Toa Payoh. Thank goodness that I woke up just in time to alight at the right stop. I was barely awaked when the MRT train reached Toa Payoh station, but I managed to alight before the train moved to the next station.

After getting down the train and getting out of the MRT station, I walked about near the bus-interchange and soon found out that there is a Music School nearby. I made enquiry regarding Grade 6 theory lessons for adults. It has a weekly time-slot that could fit my personal schedules personally. I decided to ask for some time to think over whether I could commit to theory lessons in the long run (at least 3-6 months). As such, I proceeded to the foodcourt on Level 2 for dinner while taking time to contemplate over the issue.

I studied Grade 5 theory independently on my own. The most discouraging part is that I had not quite confidently understood concepts related to cadences, harmony and modulation. I am not sure if not being a key-board player makes it slightly more challenging for me to udnerstand these concepts.

Anyway, my main motivations to take up theory lessons were to improve my understanding of those concepts and to improve my general appreciation of music. Hopefully having a good foundation in music theory would help me play music with greater understanding and appreciation, and would enable me to play with greater sense of musicality.

I have been very impressed with my double bass tutor when he could look at a piece of music and he could analyse it and interpret how it should be played to sound musical. I could play and if I were to sound musical, I think it was largely intuitive and not because there was much conscious analysis and understanding behind.

The complex in which the music school was located was pretty accessible. It should take no more than 30-40 minutes to travel there from my workplace after working hours. There is a foodcourt nearby where I could conveniently have my dinner if I were to take up lessons there. The charge for the lessons is quite reasonable. Furthermore, it would take about 20 minutes or less to travel from the music school to my home. More importantly, there was a time-slot that could fit my general schedule.

Of course, there are risks involved. Firstly, whether I could be disciplined and committed enough to study and do my exercises so that I could optimise my learnings when I am taking the theory lessons. Secondly, I could not be sure if I would like the teacher's style of teacher. The first is a challenge but it should be achievable if the curriculum is well-paced. I am quite disciplined to do work so long as the workload is achievable. Anyway, the second is not quite within my control and I just have to go for the lessons before I know how things would go. I keep my fingers crossed.

You might have guessed, I registered for the theory class. It will be an individual class held on Thursday's evenings. I could only start on 24 Nov 05 so the staff calculated the pro-rated fees that I would have to pay. Well, looks like I have took a step forward. I hope all would go alright, and I could have an enriching time learning.