歷史性的一刻 --- 畢業典禮! @ Monkey see, monkey do

去年的今天在學校第一次見識到畢業典禮現場, 今年的今天則是我自己生平第一次畢業典禮! 我的學校算是都提早舉行畢業儀式吧, 所以我還是得繼續上課到6/6. 畢業典禮前5天, 我收到聲樂老師兼學校主任的Email說推選我代表畢業生作感言致詞, 頓時有被丟炸彈的感覺, 原來人生中不只是有白色紅色炸彈的危機>.< 我從來沒有演說過或寫過演說稿, 當時很想拒絕, 可是請教朋友們都說這是一種榮耀, 以後寫在履歷表上很好看云云, 最重要的是拒絕會得罪學校. 於是只好Google查查這種畢業致詞到底是怎麼一回事, 查完心得是這種致詞不是用來講個人經歷或感謝眾老師的, 而是要代表其他畢業生講一些針對她們全體的話, 結果花了一晚上很努力寫出一篇幾分鐘長的講詞:

First of all, I feel very honored and happy to have the chance of making this valedictory speech on behalf of my fellow graduates. This occasion is extra special for me personally because this school is the first educational institution I've ever attended, and therefore this is my very first graduation!

I remember when I was auditioning for the school more than 4 years ago, I was so scared that I sang my pieces facing stage left instead of the teachers. And I was so shy I dragged my boyfriend along to my first voice lesson. Since then not only my voice has improved from mosquito buzzing to very much audible, not to mention the musicianship and knowledge I’ve gained, in addition I have also grown significantly as a person through spending the past 4 and half years at the Queens Conservatory of Music.

Some of you graduates have been studying here for 4 years and some of you have been here for 2 years, except for Sang Youb who first came into the school in 2000, but we will all miss this environment equally much.

We have studied under teachers who shared their expertise patiently and generously, they not only honed our musical skills but also showed us that being a professional musician means more than just playing well or singing well, that you have to respect your music, respect your audience and respect your fellow musicians.

Even so, what we've learned in this school is not really about how to become a diva or divo or super star, it's about being able to fully appreciate music by speaking its language and when you share that language in your own words, other people's lives will also be enriched.

I must say I envy the graduates who are postponing their recitals to the next semester, because the school is moving to a new location with a bigger, much better equipped concert hall along with an orchestra. However, speaking for the classical voice majors, although in the past years we have been churning out concerts and opera scenes with what little resources we've got in this very limited concert space, I don't think we felt deprived, we learned to be self-sufficient and to perform the materials for what they are without need of elaborate props, costumes or lightings.

After graduation, some of us are moving on to other schools, others are going to start a career. Whatever paths we go, I hope we'll all make this school proud of us and we'll see each other around in the music world.

It was really great to have been schoolmates with you guys, good luck! Thank you all!

畢業典禮當天聲樂老師有事先幫我練習, 教我不要一口氣憋著一直念, 要常常停下來好好吸一口氣, 慢慢清晰的念, 並指出那些句子中間要做停頓以促進效果. 後來致詞過程滿順利的, 雖然有幾個字我還是念太快咕嚕咕嚕, 整體仍頗受好評XD

狡詐先生, 他媽媽跟她的男友今天都來參加我的畢業典禮, 狡詐還送我生平第一張畢業卡片外加一束玫瑰花XD 卡片封面是很可愛的貓頭鷹!

跟去年比起來, 今年辦的畢業典禮真是偷工減料, 只有長得很像亨利八世的Campbell教授穿了博士服, 其他老師都沒換衣服, 畢業生身上也沒披彩帶. 可是第一次穿這種服裝還是很興奮啦! 包裝上有我的名字呢, 典禮結束後老師說帽子我可以留著作紀念! 我在想萬聖節遊行可以拿來利用嗎? XD

去年的畢業典禮是累積了兩年份的畢業生, 我發現學校這種做法時還擔心該不會我要畢業一年後才會有典禮可參加吧? 還好今年學校把去年秋天, 今年春天, 跟今年秋天畢業的學生綜合起來一起開畢業典禮, 收集到13位. 秋天畢業的學生還要念一個學期, 到時候學校已經遷址到Kew Gardens那一帶, 主任說新地點的音樂廳大很多, 設備也更齊全, 所以畢業感言裡我才說羨慕那幾位畢業音樂會延到下學期開的同學們.

今天畢業典禮的過程包括先以Pomp and circumstance開場, 合唱團(連我在內)上台唱Handel的Awake the trumpet's lofty sound, 學校主管上台致詞(內容滿悲觀的, 簡而言之就是說你們將來大概沒辦法靠表演謀生吧, 不過音樂界還有很多條路可走, 例如音樂學校行政管理和音樂治療師等等 Orz), 聲樂老師上台介紹要擔任演說的Campbell教授, 然後Campbell教授就咕嚕咕嚕講了很久(也是很悲觀的, 除了教導大家如何維持對音樂的愛好跟維持成長, 還跳到另一面詳細解說如何變成痛恨音樂的懶惰鬼, 第一歩就是畢業後馬上把課本都賣掉........Orz) 接著才是頒發證書的儀式, 先上台跟Campbell教授握手, McGarvey教授頒發證書, 金教授幫畢業生撥流蘇, 並贈送一朵紅玫瑰. 我下台後打開捲起來的證書, 居然是空白的啊, 記得學校說明手冊有寫實際畢業證書要畢業後幾個禮拜才會寄給學生, 原來一切都是形式啊>.<

說到偷工減料, 去年的畢業典禮有請學校董事會的一位老先生來致詞, 今年居然直接請Campbell教授擔任這個工作. 哼哼, 我的入學也是Campbell教授批准, 畢業也是由他致詞送別, 這叫有始有終嗎? 忍不住會想到茱莉亞音樂學院這屆畢業典禮是請多明哥致詞耶! 不過還是跟這位亨利八世老師合照留念吧! 對了, 老師說音樂系的畢業帽流蘇是粉紅的, 可愛的粉紅啊! 我果然沒讀錯系!