I guess this month will be filled with hard work, frustrations, happiness, tears and others.
July is a month for the alumni band...
4 years.... ... ... ... a very short but at the same time.. long period of time...
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"forming the best alumni band with the best players from ex-marist band members"
A simple aim by Lin Sheng and that's has been what I've tried to achieve.
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This July seems to be busier than usual. This the busiest ever month for mssbalumni. I am serious. I don't seem to have this kind of schedule in these 4 years...
A challenging month for the band and the members. It is a month to see how members bond and unite together at the same time, a month that will make us notice how people treat this band.
So many practices and I can see a lot of people trying their best to come down for practices and practise their own parts. I am really very happy to see that. At least they are trying even though they may not have played well. I can see the effort in them. I seriously don't mind whether how little their improvement are, I am contented as long as people improved in Alumni band.
There are people who continuously thinking of excuses to skip practices as if they have already known or perfected their parts. People like this exist in the Alumni Band. I have known quite a lot. I don't wish to say a thing to those people. I am just very disappointed in those people.
mssbalumni depends on each everyone in the band to stand together and work and play. It is not only me or those who are committed enough to come every single week even if there are very little people. Playing in band is not about having a lot of people or little people for practice but it is about playing. So what we have very little people present for practice? Is that mean we can't play good music? I doubt so.
I am seriously very happy and contented that I have so many committed members who are willing to contribute to this band. I am glad that I have you all in this band. mssbalumni may not be the best band in Singapore, we may not be in good relationship with everyone in this band but we have something in common. We have a passion for music.
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mssbalumni has not improved a lot since its formation in 2004. The improvement is insignificant but you know there is an improvement.
I seemed to have commented alot on the playing of the band and members. Yesh. I have. ^^. I have no choice cause I will need to work towards my aim. Especially during competition period, I will even be stricter. I have no choice. As the head of this very band, I will need to sustain a certain level of performing standard.
I won't even bother to comment if people doesn't ask me or the band is not going for competition. If you have noticed, I will only comment on certain people and I never commented on the band during concert.
Why?
I only comment on people whom I think there are potential in them (you don't see me commenting on everyone, do you?). There are some qualities in them that will really drive them to become a better musician. My way of commenting is towards the negative side because I will need to tell them their bad points. No point telling them the good points as a lot of others will have already praised them. This is why, there are bunch of people who hates me BUT I don't mind, as long as I know they improved and changed, it is enough. I am fine with people hating me. I don't ask for people to acknowledge what I have done cause I know nobody in this world likes to hear bad things. Everyone has ego. I know. Me too. I know how bad I am compared to my teacher. Humans are just a bunch of mammals that loves to hear good things. ^^. Of course people like zhen cheng which has too much layers of skin doesn't seem to have improved much under my comments. I seriously don't know when and how to make him improve more. Another good example is Jun Xiang. This one is worst than Zhen Cheng. Jun Xiang will only "mark"-ing all the way. Actually Jun Xiang is somebody that I see little potential in him. Yesh I need to be frank and honest here. I really see nothing but he is committed. Lin Sheng told me before " it is not about talents in music playing, commitment sometimes play a more important part". Of course provided the guy is hard working enough BUT it seems Jun Xiang is only hard working in the topic of "mark". A bit sad.
For Concert, I think it is for the band to have fun, the level of performing standard does not really need to be as good as Competition. Really, it is for everyone to have fun and try out different pieces. It is an event for everyone to try on new things.
During the process of wanting certain people to become better my comments might have hurt them (exception: zhen cheng). No choice but that's for the band and the player himself. When the player has achieved and reached the standard I wanted and that's the time I will stop commenting on them. From then on, their playing will be for their own teachers to comment.
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This July, 4th anniversary of the mssbalumni.
This very year, I realized this very alumni band has become bigger and we have more and more members. From the beginning of that very few alumni + alot of main band members to the current state of having a lot of alumni + very little main band members. This is an achievement for Alumni Band.
Members are always a problem in mssbalumni. Yesh, it will be there until the day, our committed members filled up the band. If not it will be there forever. It is very disheartening and very sad for me to see people leave this mssbalumni. This band is something Lin Sheng and I have sustained and brought up. I am seriously very sad to know and see there are people who want to leave this band. There are problems in every band, members don't like who and who.. or even some committee problem BUT I have tried my very best to minimize all these problems that may persist in a band already. There is so much I can do. Leaving the band may not solve any problem but instead will create more problems for mssbalumni. That's something I want to avoid. Everytime, when people leaves the band Lin Sheng will ask me for a reason. I will have nothing to say every single time. Reason? Unknown. He is sad everytime he knows about some people leaving. yesh. Not only him. me too. apparently, I just hate myself more when people leave mssbalumni. I am starting to think is it because of me. Probably but what can I do? Nothing. It is just irritating and sad when you have that problem and moreover I will need to see Lin Sheng being sad. That's worst................
I am no longer the president of the mssbalumni but when you see the band is going downhill, can't help, I will just need to bring it up. I won't be able to bear to see the band I have been striving to sustain with Lin Sheng, Adrian Chiang and other members just ruined like that. It seems that the 3 months that I am not in charge of the people of the alumni band has caused certain "damage". Actually, Lin Sheng and Adrian Chiang has really put in a lot of effort to make this band very very good. There is only that many things a person can do. The rest is up to the band members. Mr Chiang spent so many days with us for practice but he just can't work on a lot of things. Lin Sheng actually does not want to do anything for this Competition as he wants to let Mr Chiang to work with us and shine as a conductor. Lin Sheng came and help because our standard are going worst and after Mr Chiang and I asked him to come to do combined sectional to settle a lot of problems that happen in separate sections. This way does work well. It is so good having Lin Sheng and Adrian Chiang to be in this mssbalumni. Even though it may look like Lin Sheng is doing the working of the band and Adrian Chiang going to be the metronome but it won't be this case, Lin Sheng is giving a lot of things for Adrian Chiang to do. Lin Sheng is just like me, he can't bear to see his very own "child" to be in bad. He will lead us back again and let us shine together with Adrian Chiang.
I have said a lot of things to Adrian Chiang and asking him to learn from Lin Sheng. haha. yes. All for his own good. Like what I said to him last time, he needs to find his own band sound. I don't think I have said a nice comments to him before. haha. yesh I am using the same tactic I used on players on him. Even though Lin Sheng said good things about him and I know he did something good, I never really tell him. I only tell him to learn from Lin Sheng and some things he may want to take note (from my perspective). haha. I am very bad. even to him.. but he will reach there one day. Own Band Sound. the Adrian Chiang's Band Sound. haha. I can only used Lin Sheng as he is the nearest and the best person I can use to help Adrian Chiang. I don't know other conductors and moreover I only find Lin Sheng band sound very nice as compared with others and of course because I am his student.
For now mssbalumni will definitely still have Lin Sheng sound but in the near future, mssbalumni will have a sound that belong to Adrian Chiang. ^^. mssbalumni will be great to be able to change around with different band sound. haha. fantastic! haha.
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I am writing this because of what happened just now.. and I think I should just write something for this very year about mssbalumni too.
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The 2 competitions in July. Those 2 are very scary. I am aiming on whatever problems I can find for our pieces already. I hope we can clear as many problem as possible and make these 2 performances as great as possible.
I am hoping for top 3 but honestly, as long as we go up and play the song with our heart and love. That's enough... Results are nothing when you compare with the power of conveying the music's emotions to everybody.
Stephen Melillo told me (when we emailed each other the other time): "as long as you play music with your heart and love, everything will be fine."
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I trust all my members in maris stella symphonic band alumni. EVERYONE! Each and Everyone in the band.
Everyone will need to believe in themselves too.
with love mssbalumni shall bring the best to everyone in the audience.
we shall continue our very own mssbalumni legacy.
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Haha.. what a post but I think I am basically digging out those words from the bottom of my heart.
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fredy's thought:
play music with your love and heart.
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