Toa PAyoh South CC - Moulmein Wind Symphony
Let me explain my band career since sec 1 ... ...
1996
join Serangoon Garden Technical School Military Band as a Tuba player. been appointed sectional leader at the expense of ming zhi, my sec 5 senior. been promoted to main band in 2 months. learned only how to play 5 notes on the tuba, first song, the sousa medley, with the thunderer, conducted by the late Mr Tan Swee Seng, who passed away recently (Prof Ho told me during NIE band a few weeks ago). was inspired by him as he knows so much instruments and so knowledgeable and was aiming to be like Jay (my senior) , 4e1 , head prefect and top student. How to get ?
1997
sec 2, double promotion, appointed assistant band major, trainee to asrina and baoling my one year senior respectively, join the combo band and play bass guitar the wrong way. haha. elaine (not nyp one lah) quit band 3 days b4 syf, utterly disappointed with it. promised myself if i am the band major of the band one day, would not let this happen to the band, got a grade 4 for band assessment.
1998
sec 3, reach band major, know weiji and learn how to play the flute and trumpet with influence from charlene lim and xiaoping. Kop reeds from SGT(tenor sax reed). tuba improve a bit? know 8 notes now. joined percussion to play mallets too.
1999
sec 4 , full fledged band major, led the band to SYF and got a grade 3, played the tuba and the mallets during SYF. organized the first band camp with guoqiang, libin and mdm yong (band teacher in charge). conduct the band for the first time in my life, during speech day rehearsal. graduated and went on to OI (outram institute) and then SRJC. end of sec sch band life
2000-2002
repeated j1 and did badly for a levels. improvement for band. converted from e flat tuba to b flat tuba in a week, of course with pressure from Mr Leonard Tan YC haha, better dun spell his full name or else he kill me. play in Musical Kaleidescope and Vibrante I and conducted blue moon with weiji on the trombone solo. Played drum set for alumni band for eighties. exposed to more band music and improve as a musicians. finished my double grade 8 (piano and theory)by then, thank you Mr CHong PK. Without you, my piano would be like ... .... became chairman of SRJC Symphonic Band. Joined AI (Audio Image) towards the end of yr 2 in 2002, being brough there by Xiuying (2002 Vice chairman of SRJC SB).turned out to be even better with playing with Daniel, Aaron and Julian.
2003-2004
SAF Band B. played tuba and do formation there. Proud to say i had never siam any parade or took any MC b4 in saf band. enjoy the carefree life there and improve without knowing there with playing of weiji, jinxing, cap yusri cap lee, maj tng and the others in Band B, my batch and pee's batch. Jiajao is inside too. haha. chose not to go Central Band by faking my way and let shunqiang went in, if i knew that he would stop playing after army, i would not have fake and go central band, but none the less , shunqiang and jon is good lah and so they deserved it. haha. Band B also make me learn new stuffs. learn drum set from Hanrong. and percussion with Pee and basketball and soccer hahaa !! formally left AI to go Moulmein with influence from you knew it WEIJI ... .... joined SIA band and learn trombone.
2005- 2008 present
NAFA life. went to wmc with marist alumni and nbc with them too. went moulmein and was appointed assistant chairperson to Kelvin. went to take over in Oct 2005 and shifted to toa payoh south cc. was appointed chairperson in nov 2005. planned a few concerts with moulmein
Scherzo 2006
Mirificus 2006
Scherzo 2007
Mirificus 2007
Scherzo 2008
the response is bad. everything that seem to be happening well in other band is not happening here. why u may choose to ask. The band dun owe u anything and u dun owe the band anything. i wish for players who have more commitments and better playing skills to come join moulmein, if not i rather join other band. we should be like other band (e.g. blahblahblah).
A lot of people had come and go by moulmein. why is moulmein becoming like that. no one take pride in their work anymore. going to moulmein is like nothing to some of us, but why. cos the spirit of the band is not there anymore in the first place. my fault. No one seem to know one another. everyone is critical of one another, we refuse to listen to each other. no one seem to appreciate mr lin, no one seem to care whether moulmein would survive for the next 10 years. no one seem to take band prac seriously, how many of you are actually at the band room b4 1. no one seem to looking forward for the next event. No one is pointing at our own mistakes. no one is perfect and the list can go on and on and on.
i had been a leader for some time now, sec 3 to now (1998-2008), it had almost been ten years. i am lucky to have ppl around me. i got my shortcomings and i am damn CB and NB at times. what i really wanna with moulmein is just everyone play together happily at a decent level. i koe i can be critical of ppl but unless that person is very close to me then i would say, or else i would not say anything. i not a good player, i know that. i juz giving myself excuses. Look at Mus Art, Westwind, Philwind, sometimes even SWS, KSWS, AI and PY, SWO, and the new MWS. they are all facing the same problems but not every band com had a way to handle it. a quote from my brother, if there is no problems for you to solve in the band, you think we still need a band major.
i had been offered post at AI and NIE band but i sincerely rejected them bcos of moulmein. Mr Tan had advise me not to take over moulmein, maybe he had alway see that i do not have the capabilities to bring the band out of the pit hole. it had always been my dream since sec sch to become student conductor or concert master but i was always appointed things that i do not like, but none the less, i try to do my work in the most professional bcos in real life, you are going to face problems that is stressful and work with people u dun like. i am not perfect i know. my conducting is not even decent looking, (look at Mr Hartung had scorned me for my conducting)
ppl for the past few weeks had been telling me they would like to leave the band (some for good and some for sometime). with me alone facing the problem. exams are coming (that juz excuses) there is like no one to talk to and if not i would not spent like 2 hours at jon birthday talking about this and blogging it down for another 1 hour. maybe it is like henry leaving the team, it is good for arsenal. if they need the break, i need it more. i dun like to compare with ppl but imagine my schedule
monday to friday full time @ NAFA
Monday/Tuesday SIA Band
Wednesday Moulmein
Thursday Trombone Choir
Friday NIE Band
Saturday teaching piano from 10am- 3.30pm
Sunday Moulmein and teaching piano
do i even shun from my respobilities as chairperson. Ya i think got, but look at my attendance for moulmein. SHOULD BLOODY EVERYONE BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES
3 practices in 4 years of moulmein (other public holidays or rests.)
1st time Fever till cannot walk
2nd and 3rd time NIE Band Concert
that all, and every time, the air con and most of the chairs would be ready. ppl you think everything is there by default? CCMC meeting, getting budget for this and that. need effort too. if you all are bloody tired and sick of doing something. then i had been digging an endless hole by myself, hoping to find something. cos if i just give up. the band will really collapse. you all can take study leave, i still choose to come. complain all you all one. NATO will not make you a better man. doing all the bloody shitty job will.
Ultimatum
even there is only one player in the band, i will still go on. unless the cc wants to close down the band. which means even if all of you all left. i would still be there.
