Happy new year all!

Hey band!

Just a little reminder, band practice will resume on friday 2nd of January on the first day of school. It will start at 2.30 pm. Don't be late! And no nonsense about remedial either. Unless, well, you really do have remedial. Everyone has to come down, including current sec ones/future sec 2s.

Remember, amidst the chaos of homework and other stuff, don't let your playing deprove. True, we're supposed to have cleared all technical problems for the two pieces and start to concentrate on musicality and interpretation, but technical problems WILL pop up if you slack off. Orientation, cca tour and new sec ones are coming right around the corner, so be prepared. Show the little kids what a great cca band is!

Oh right, here's a link to Mr Glosz's company's website. It has our schedule on it, as well as his other schools, if you're interested. http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?cat_current=59576&crd=dgmusicconsultants&

See you all.

Creating It Perfect

Yo guys!

Well, I found this interesting anecdote on the internet. I think I shall dedicate this Mr Tan, because honestly, he is like a teacher to us, drilling us on the "Band & Music" subject, and also to all our beloved teachers-in-charge, as well as all the past to present teachers of Catholic High School. We are all indebted to them

Don't you all agree?

Creating It Perfect:

The Good Lord was creating teachers. It was His sixth day of 'overtime' and He knew that this was a tremendous responsibility for teachers would touch the lives of so many impressionable young children. An angel appeared to Him and said, "You are taking a long time to figure this one out."

"Yes," said the Lord, " but have you read the specs on this order?"

TEACHER:
…must stand above all students, yet be on their level
...must be able to do 180 things not connected with the subject being taught
... must run on coffee and leftovers
... must communicate vital knowledge to all students daily and be right most of the time
... must have more time for others than for herself/himself
... must have a smile that can endure through pay cuts, problematic children, and worried parents
... must go on teaching when parents question every move and others are not supportive
... must have 6 pair of hands.

"Six pair of hands, " said the angel, "that's impossible"

"Well, " said the Lord, " it is not the hands that are the problem. It is the three pairs of eyes that are presenting the most difficulty!"

The angel looked incredulous, " Three pairs of eyes...on a standard model?"

The Lord nodded His head, " One pair can see a student for what he is and not what others have labeled him as. Another pair of eyes is in the back of the teacher's head to see what should not be seen, but what must be known. The eyes in the front are only to look at the child as he/she 'acts out' in order to reflect, " I understand and I still believe in you", without so much as saying a word to the child."

"Lord, " said the angel, " this is a very large project and I think you should work on it tomorrow".

"I can't," said the Lord, " for I have come very close to creating something much like Myself. I have one that comes to work when he/she is sick.....teaches a class of children that do not want to learn....has a special place in his/her heart for children who are not his/her own.....understands the struggles of those who have difficulty....never takes the students for granted..."

The angel looked closely at the model the Lord was creating. "It is too soft-hearted, " said the angel.

"Yes," said the Lord, " but also tough, You can not imagine what this teacher can endure or do, if necessary".

"Can this teacher think?" asked the angel.

"Not only think," said the Lord,. "but reason and compromise."

The angel came closer to have a better look at the model and ran his finger over the teacher's cheek.

"Well, Lord, " said the angel, your job looks fine but there is a leak. I told you that you were putting too much into this model. You can not imagine the stress that will be placed upon the teacher."

The Lord moved in closer and lifted the drop of moisture from the teacher's cheek. It shone and glistened in the light.

"It is not a leak," He said, "It is a tear."

"A tear? What is that?" asked the angel, "What is a tear for?"

The Lord replied with great thought, " It is for the joy and pride of seeing a child accomplish even the smallest task. It is for the loneliness of children who have a hard time to fit in and it is for compassion for the feelings of their parents. It comes from the pain of not being able to reach some children and the disappointment those children feel in themselves. It comes often when a teacher has been with a class for a year and must say good-bye to those students and get ready to welcome a new class."
"
My, " said the angel, " The tear thing is a great idea...You are a genius!!"

The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Well, hope all of you understood what that meant, and although its not as long as Quintus' or Louis' posts, I hope it made a difference in how you saw your teachers.

Mr Leonard Tan!

Hey everybody!

It was a memorable 19th December 2008 for CHSSB, because it was the (officially) last practice with our BELOVED conductor, Mr Leonard Tan.

We gave all sorts of presents to him; bears, book, love letters, a model of a saxophone and gramophone and so on and so forth.

Well, all good things must come to an end. And really, I think what we will miss Mr Tan of, are his:

1. Lame jokes. He practically bombarded us with his cold jokes on that day. ok wait, maybe not bombarded. Example: (Courteosy of Garald Gan to remind me) You guys rock my socks until it has a hole! (Er...ok..)
2. His conducting. Even though Hr tan keeps saying he is not talented, I just think he is. I mean, his way of conducting is very different from Miss Tan or Mr Glosz. Of course, everyone has their own style.
3. His motivational story. Mr tan never fails to motivate us. Ok, maybe at least me. He told us his story of his childhood, about how he work so hard to achieve perfect pitch and learn the violin. (though its very funny in the way he relates it). For example: to get perfect pitch, he sleeps with his tuner every night. How cool is that?

Like all the conductors who have come and gone through the history of CHSSB, I, on the behalf of those who still care about our Band, want to sincerely give our thanks and gratitude to Mr Leonard Tan.

Mr Tan, you are like one of Catholic High School's teacher, except that you are just exclusive to us. Yes indeed, we regard you with respect, as our teacher and our conductor.

Well, all I can do now is to wish Mr Leonard Tan luck in his future endeavours and everything. And all we can do to repay Mr Tan now, is to do well for the SYF, and make him feel proud of us!

PS: OH, you can also stay in touch with him on Facebook!

VJC Concert-- My Reflections.

Hi people!

On Friday, a bunch of CHSSB members and I went to the VJC concert conducted mainly by Mr Leonard Tan, and Mr Zachariah Goh, the to-be-conductor of VJC.

It was fantastic and amazingly refreshing! The pieces were of high standards, and the Band was great. Yeah, "GREAT" is the word. The concert was called "A Not So Silent Night", and true to its name, it wasn't. It was full of laughter, cheers, good music and awe.

For one, the Band, including the Alumni Band, practically "owned the zone". (Pardon me for my lame-ness, as thou can only think of this phrase for the time being)

Second, the emcess were so hyperactive and interactive with the audience. Third, and most probably the highlight of the whole concert (which you may agree with me if you went), was the Skit. It was dumb, stupid and retarded, but at the same time, it practically led the audience to laugh until they have a stomache, and it was romantic as well. Also, there was a certain hidden meaning beneath the Skit.
(YES, there were intimate scenes. Now you will regret for not attending the concert!)

Overall, the concert is what we can say as, "kick-ass".

However, after I went home, the concert reminded me about something, something that seemed to be bothering me over the past few months whenever I attend concerts.

Concert Etiquette.

People whispering. Cell phones ringing. Talking. Turning around in seats. Leaving before the entire performance is finished. Have you ever noticed people around you do that? Or have you ever realised that it was actually YOU, yourself, doing it. And one more incorrigible act of bad concert etiquette: Bad attire.

On Friday night, I saw tons of the audience in Bermudas, sandals, slippers, and and amazingly casual shorts. Please note, I am not here to educate you on all the "rules" on attending concerts.

There ARE NO rules when you attend concerts. There are only what we call "Respect". True enough, I saw familiar faces with sandals, shorts, and Catholic High PE T-shirt and CHSSB polo T-shirt.

It's ok to wear school uniform and Band Polo T-shirt to concerts, its perfectly fine. (In fact, I think I m gonna wear the Band Polo Tee to concerts next time, thanks to the influence of several Secondary Twos.) And it's ok to wear the green pants, BUT have you ever wondered what people would think of our school when we wear the school PE T-shirt AND slippers and sandals at the same time? I saw several CHIJ Toa Payoh students, in fact I was sitting beside a few during the first half of the concert, and they were wearing school uniform with shoes, and come were in jeans.

And it is also a crime to comment on the Band during a piece. I mean, it is ok to say things like "They played it very well" and "we should play like that", but giving bad comments is the rudest thing to do during a concert, for example giving audible comments like "Oh my god, he mispitched!" and "The clarinet squeaked AGAIN!" If you want to comment, do it at home while watching TV.

So, what exactly is the proper attire and etiquette. Well, I did some research, and here is what is expected in the USA:

1. It is considered proper concert etiquette to clap only after a piece is complete, and not after movements.
   
2. For attire, you will see apparel ranging from business casual to after-five dinner wear. Though you won’t see many people in jeans, wear what is comfortable when dressing for the night.
3. Coughing can be an unavoidable problem, but there are ways to avoid coughing during the music. If you feel a cold coming on, please bring lozenges with you. Please unwrap the cough drop ahead of time.
4. It is customary not to talk while the music playing. Being sensitive to your neighbors allows everyone to have a more pleasant concert experience.

There were many shouting and screaming, but maybe that is okay because this is a JC concert, not a really formal one. And maybe because of that, its okay to wear VERY casually.

But is that really true? In my opinion, every concert, wherever and whenver is it, it is formal. That's why I would try my best to dress appropriately, unless other circumstances states otherwise, and I will keep my mouth shut unless I find it mandatory to praise the Band. (Which i did several times on Friday Night) What would the VJC performers think when they know some of the audiences dress up in very casual attire just because they think that because this is a JC concert, its not a really formal one. How would they respond in their playing?

How would you feel if your audience come to Aesthetique or other concerts with that same mindset? Few of you maybe be defiant and maybe thinking at this point in time," Who cares?" But trust me, you do. Everyone in CHSSB does when that happens.

I quote this from a website :

When we go to concerts, we may go for many reasons, but the most important reason is to watch and listen to the performers.
The performers are NOT on television. They are alive; they can see and hear the audience; they want to be able to do a great job for you. Good concert etiquette helps the audience have a good experience.
What some people fail to realize is that the audience can also help the performers perform better.With no visual or auditory distractions, performers can concentrate on giving a great performance. They are trying their best to present an enjoyable musical experience for everyone.

SO basically, this is all I have to say. I believe good concert etiquette is important, no matter what it is, behaviour or attire (I know some of us go to concert and start shouting other people's names).

And I believe, comfortable attire and courteous behaviour will give both the performers and the audience an enjoyable experience, wouldn't you agree?

Words from your dear Band Major L... X)

Alright everyone........ X)
You should really have known who I am.....

Louis..... X)


If you have not realised by now.....
we are like midway through our holidays.....
Band..........
Holidays..........
Studies...........
Juggle them well.

according to the nifty looking countdown.......
we have only 114 days to SYF.....
Thats like 3.8 months more.

Band.....
These 3.8 months Will determine what You will Get for SYF........
Its that simple.

My friends, the time is now..

Motiviation, Perseverance, Success.......


Everyone calls it the SYF period......
where we all will need the SkyHigh energy levels in Every practice.
Perfect attendance is already a Must.

I want you guys to have these energy levels, but it has to be from your heart.
Motivation.......


We look back at like 2 batches ago......
Daniel......
Yue Sheng........



We dont want to fail them.....
Neither do I...


Our Alumni really wish their band, (us), would get the result we want.

Just think........

Imagine the pride they will have, if their Band gets the award..
How we can hold our heads high.....
and be proud that we did ourselves justice by doing our very best..

however......
If We dont do our Best....
Not only do we let down our School.......
We let down Ourselves...

You yourselves have heard that our band, has the Potential........
but......
what use is this Potential.....
if We Dont Use it to its Fullest.


Show the Conductors, our Teachers...
that we take our Band practice seriously......
Have a Perfect Attendance,
Come Early for Band!
Be Proud of your own CCA...... X)


For Combine,
1) ALL Music Scores required ( Take Extremely good care of them )
2) Pencils ( Always have at least one per file, )
3) Metronome/Tuner ( Section Leaders )

Use every opportunity to make Combine Practice a Success.....
Dont get distracted.
Turn your phone off or something....
Dont get Bored!
Music is enjoyable...... XD

Take every Combine practice as a performance......


For Sectionals,

Remember, the Road to SYF is about having....
a Positive Attitude,
and a Hardworking Mentality.....

===============================================
Section Leaders,
Take the Initiative to Lead your Section....
Call for Sectionals!
Arrange Sectionals...... Tutors.....
( Well done flutes and trombones... )

Sectionals really PowerLevel ( gaming term X) ) a section....
Have an Efficient and Effective Sectional practice.

1) Set a Target
(Set a realistic Time Limit/Date Line for things you want your section to achieve)

2) Structure your Practice
( Big Picture ===> Detail Work ===> Big Picture, aka Hourglass )

3) Sequence your Learning
( Rhythm, Notes, Articulation, Dynamics, Phrasing, even Breath Marks )

4) Sing!
( It really helps your section to have this musical message in your brain )

5) Take it Slow
( Slow practice with metronome helps you to perfect something correct, not your messy mistakes, especially awkward or running notes )


Section Leaders, Take your position as a Section Leader very seriously.
You are the Leader of your section...

You have been handed the post as your seniors have found that You have the potential to lead your section to far greater heights...

Take this opportunity, and Use it to its fullest...

===============================================

Band members,
Have Faith, and Trust in your Section Leaders,
Respect them........... Listen to them...... Follow them.......
Remember, that They Are humans, and they may make errors....
Forgive them, as they will forgive you...... X) ( Quoted kind of from the Bible )

Surely, they too want their section to be the very best they can be.....


Work hard to Perfect all the SYF pieces......
These 2 pieces mean So much more than just mere music scores...
you know it in your hearts what it means to everyone....

Turn your weaknesses into Strengths.

Every Good Band out there, has put in countless hours of practice......
To be what they are now.......

There is no substitute for hard work, CHSSB.......
It may sound so simple.....
yet it is so Important its overlooked....


Now is the time......... to pick ourselves up....
and take flight to SYF....
as a Band....


I know ALL of you can do it...
Every Single one of you I see during Practice........

We've been through Competition, Concerts........

What more is SYF.....
but just Two pieces in like 15 minutes or so...

We'll get there..........
Get what we want.........
and Look back.......

Only then.....
We'll see how far we went..... X)
together... as a band....

Sec Ones........
Your next SYF is within reach too..........
Work on your foundations...... your techniques..... your musicality.....
With that........
Your Batch will have no problem in sounding great....
You guys have the Spirit..........
and the Band is proud to have such wonderful Sec 1's....
If this keeps up.....
Your standards will fly.... X)



Alright........
your eyes must be tired now huh... X)
haha.........

Remember what I said.....
Scroll Back up if you forgot.......
=.= seriously...

Remember.......
We are aiming for a "Transcendental" experience for SYF.....
the judges will have to go...
"Zomgawd they are pro.... " X)

Work hard towards SYF everyone....

I'll be posting more often to talk to you everyone......

My friends.....

" Embrace your dreams....... Protect your Honour......... "



Thanks, Mr (Leonard) Tan, for everything....
You were Always there to encourage us.... X)
Thanks for the wonderful memories.


L was online on 5/12/2008 at 11:00am

Funny Video

Hey Guys!

I found this funny video of a stick animation on Youtube.
Its quite violent, but I am sure all of you are mature enough to see this.

The title speaks for itself: The Cliff: Get the Girl.