Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday 26 January 2009
It was a normal day of work and mugging for the exams on a normal Saturday for many. I woke up for a fresh start in the morning. It was a normal day, rays of sunlight greeted me as I woke up. My clothes were ready and after a nice warm soak in the bathtub, I changed and ate a breakfast of bread with nutela spread untoasted just the way I liked it.
My mother sent me to school and with money and my phone in my pocket, I entered the school head straight for the band room. Once in the spacious band storeroom, I did warmups on my instrument the trumpet getting ready for the strenous exercises the conductor would put us through. SYF is coming and the band has all eyes on the gold with honours prize for the SYF band competition.
After talking with a few friends the bandmajor called the band into the spacious band room to fall in. A quick marking of attendence soon followed. The band got ready and waited for the band conductor to enter. While waiting, the student conductors would go through a few exercises like scales, long noted and many more.
The conductor soon arrived and all respected his presence by greeting him. The band was deadly silent as our conductor talked about ways to improve how we play. Our conductor could be very nice, only once i have seen him angry and after that I try not to make mistakes but to make mistakes is human.
After two hours of playing in the band and going through our SYF piece a thirty minute break was called for. Eating food and talking to friends for the time sped things up and another two hours of practicing took place.
The next thing to come was what i always dreaded for on Saturdays and it was DRILLS! it was really muscle aching and left the hand sore after holding the trumpet in mid air for thirty minutes as we marched and played the song, Pathfinder of Panama. I would usually come back home tired from a long days rest.
After all the tiring drills the band was dismissed and i went home for a good days rest.
12:25 AM
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday 14 January 2009
A band camp was held in September 2008, it was a band camp to bond the whole band together. Every year a camp would be held by the sec3's. The sec3's plan on what to do on the day of the camp. It was a memorable day for me as I made more new friends at band, seniors and batch mates. Before the camp I just had friends among my classmates and a few others in sec1.
I woke up in the morning and realised i was late! My alarm clock rang but I did not take notice. I was very tired. I hurriedly showered and changed into my PE t-shirt. I had a breakfast of bread with jam and peanut butter.
My mother sent me to East Coast Park, which was where the band camp was being held. I searched for BBQ pit 44. I was worried that i might have been mistaken but to my relief I saw band members in the distance. They were all already seated in groups so I asked the band major which group i assigned to and i was assigned to a group of sec2's and 1's whom mostly I did not know.
The first activity we did together was icebreakers. Our group joined with two other groups. We played a game called 'Whacko'. It is a game which literary 'knocks' peoples names in your head. A bottle was used as the club. When u are whacked you become the whacker. once you become the whacker 3 times, you will have to do a forfeit. Before you get hit you must say another persons name so you do not get whacked.
After that, the circuit games were held. All of the groups are to go through many stations that tests our groups skills and bonds. The first station my group went to was to find 5 hidden objects hiding under the sand marked with an X, if we did not find all the objects on time we will have to do a forfeit. We did the forfeit which was to bury a member under sand only revealing the head. It was hilarious when a friend of mine volunteered.
There were many things we had to do, there were only three activities that i remember clearly. One was guessing the name of a song and the singer given to us. There were three songs. each song wrong we had to walk on sharp rocks barefooted. Another was the sec3's asked us a question and if answered wrongly the sec 3 throwed a water balloon at us. Another was, as a team, we had to put a string through our PE t-shirts together which was soaked with clam oil and soy sauce. It was really fun!
After that all the band members did drills. At first, it all seemed so serious. Suddenly the sec 3's fell out and the band major asked us to do push ups. All the sec3's started throwing water balloons at us. some were filled soya bean which left a mess on us. Afterwards we were allowed to shower at the public toilets.
We had a two hour break, the band major informed us that we will have a BBQ afterwards. I was getting very hungry. It was Ramadan in which muslims fast. I cycled during the 2 hour break. After that the band was separated. Sec1's, 2's and 3's had their own BBQ pits. We BBQ'ed ourselves. After that a band meeting was held as to discuss about the days events. Then we went home and I slept.
3:47 AM
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tuesday 13 January 2009
A year ago, there was a band tradition called Handover. The sec 4's will have to leave band to focus on their O levels and handover their instruments to the sec 3's. The sec 4's will play pranks on the whole band before they step down from their position in band to study hard for O levels. They could do anything to us with no limits except for physical harm, so I was a little excited and scared at the same time.
Two years ago, all the VSCB members were at the koi pond and all of them were facing the pond. There would be a few sec 4 seniors walking around and kick down anyone into the pond! the band members said it was really fun but to me it sounded scary.
It was a beautiful morning but i half dreaded and half wanted this day to come. I took a quick shower and changed into my PE t-shirt. I came in just on time for falling in. Attendence was taken and band practice started. The band major first told us that after a usual band practice, the Handover will start. It was a normal band practice and i almost forgot about the handover celebration.
Suddenly after band practice ended, sec 4's streamed in. All of them were there. even some alumni band members were present. The trumpet section was called out and we followed the sec 4's to the bus stop and and from there to marine parade, MacDonalds. I bought myself fries and an iced milo drink. The band talked with each other a lot and after the food was finished, the french horn section entered. We had a discussion among both sections.
Afterwards we went back to the band room after a long bus ride home. The sec 4's bought something in a plastic bag which we could not see well. Right in front of the bandroom we sat. Almost the whole band was there. The sec 4's briefed us that we will be playing a game called Blackjack. If we lost our team will have to eat something together. They had a lot of things with them like chilli padi, bittergourd, soggy vegetables, flavoured syrup and cucumber.
we were given a cup and when we lost we had to eat a combination of sick foods. Have you tried flavoured syrups by themselves? it was so sweet some of us actually had to go to the toilet to rinse our mouths. Chilli padi by itself was hell, i had a stomach ache.
After that, the band gathered in the band room. i was laughing when i saw the video the sec 2's and 3's acted in. we were presented with our band badge and file shortly after, I am officialy a band member and i was in the main band! Postions were passed down to the sec 3's. A farewell speech was given by the sec 3's.
Food was catered to us in the form of a buffet. it was a happy atmosphere. As i returned home, I felt happy that I was part of the handover. I was proud to finally be putting a band badge on my VS school shirt.
4:14 AM
Monday, January 12, 2009
Monday 12 January 2009
Two days ago was a big day for me. I woke up early expecting a boring day, when I suddenly remembered, today was my concert day. The concert was held at Singapore Concert Hall. This was where SYF would take place. We were playing as a guest band for Manjusri concert band.
It was 9AM and i will have to be at school by 10.30AM. I had a lot of time so I showered and indulged in the warm water washing over my head. As soon as i got out of the bathroom i wore my band tee shirt and school shorts, grabbing my handphone and wallet and placing them in my pocket. I had pancakes and jam for breakfast and after surfing the internet my mother sent me to school.
I entered the bandroom on time to see that everybody has fallen in. I quickly joined and the band major started taking attendence. I entered the band storeroom and took out my instrument, the trumpet, i did some warm up excercises and 'set up' for band practice. When all chairs and musical stands were in position, the student conductor made us play chords, scales and long notes. After tiring my lungs out, the school conductor entered. The whole bandroom was suddenly silent. The band stood up and greeted the conductor.
The whole band sat down together and we practiced with the conductor. The school conductor, Mr Tan, was known to be very fierce. We once messed up and he got really angry, throwing the conductors score away and slammed down the conductor's stand. That was really scary, I almost forgot to breath.
After two hours of practicing music pieces, the whole band packed up their instruments and went for a break. After the 2 hour break the band members took their instruments and bags downstairs to wait for the buses. We boarded the buses after another fall in. The bus ride to Singapore Concert Hall was short and during the ride, i was having fun playing handphone games.
We came in just in time to see Chai Chee Military band practising their piece. After that we did a stage cue practice to instruct us on how to move and when to move. It took an hour before everything was sorted out. It was when our school band played that the bands clapped powerfully after we did our practice on the pieces.
dinner was fast and next was the performance. We practiced in the practice room while the concert was going on upstairs. i was full of nervousness when the band went upstairs to get ready to come in for their performance. When i entered the stage, i got more nervousas i looked at the big audience before my eyes.
The concert went well as we played the pieces: Symphonic Dances and Postcard from Singapore. after our cue we went down in a gentlemanly manner and went of. The bus trip was fast. A band meeting was held in the band room and after that i went home and slept.
3:50 AM
