Of course, reviving the blog wont revive its readers so still, dead blog. But right now, the events in our lives are more centred around streaming; for those with less fore-sight, homework. Things in the band: other than band outings, it had been uneventful and perhaps even painful for some. And now June practices may be cancelled, no tutors, sectionals, even parades (idk). Is it good news, or does this severe our pitiful relationship with the band, with our bandmates, the fun we had trying to play decent soccer, conversing with seniors etc. For those who are not close to the band at all, then this period does perhaps distant you even further from the band, all the efforts to raise a bandsmen could go down the drain. Already, competing with our own stubborness to work for the sustained medal in 2011 is seemingly unreachable. Don't believe me? How many turned up for parades on 26/6? Who of that group brought back instruments or even scores? And when Samuel asked us to come down for small combined to follow up Mr Tan's accusations who did (other than for sectionals, of course)? And yet the problem at hand is laziness, self-discipline, attitude; everything non-materialistic; things that CAN be solved over-night. Come band camp, tops will look for the next generation; come next year we will push our limits for the glory of our musical reputation. The last problem we should face is having laziness stand in our way. The Tops will choose from a batch of the most capable bandsmen, and when presented with our SYF piece we will be ready. Tongueing, pitching, tone all solved. We have half a year. By 2010, the graduated batch should see the batch they raised to have musical finese (idk how spell). To be ready to tackle the SYF piece. Our problems should be sight-reading, phrasing, playing together. Of course, we can say that that 2 years is surely enough, if we entered the band as we are now, we could be good enough to participate in SYF 09. I came into the band with that head-start, I worked with a section of great teachers and an experienced tutor and until now, 2.5 years after that, I cannot play Jericho. I mean CANNOT play, not cannot play good enough. Why can the others do it? Because they had a huge head-start, they were ready to tackle Jericho. The last thing that should happen is us starting at the same level as this years sec1s or even next years's. We have to start now.
And for those who find band to be useless, uninteresting, I dunno, just not beneficial enough. Here's what the band is, or at least what I think it is. SJIMB, Military Band. Military. We were built upon the principles of a military group. Drill your people, terrorise them, punish for the smallest of detail, be unreasonably strict. It does work, what comes out is a soldier, disciplined, perfect. What you sacrifice is emotions, fun, love, patience; all the nice gentle things go poof, or in military terms, bang. You brain-wash the happy things for perfection. I know, I know, having this kind of thing in schools should be child-abuse, it should be a last resort for war countries to call children to arms and so on. But when I look at the band, I see that, and more. I still see people smiling, I still see the element of fun. I still see the bonds of a family strengthened with friendship and trust and everything else which should have been poofed. And here's the part where I tell all those who find band a bore and feel the just becoming the next poon. Do not think about it, yes there are faults with the band, inequality and other things that will get my hindquarters BBQed if mentioned here. But if you just tune all the details out, don't seek the perfection of things, you will find the band to be more than what it was made to be. The military part and the band (musical) part is what was supposed to be. Behind it is the bonds of a family, through thick and thin, even when the very ones who sustain the bonds faulter which heavier responsibilities, there will be those who spur everyone on. This is the magic that separates an MB from THE SJIMB. Try to be as s'poreans call it, enthu, then the laughs, the friendships, the counter of the inperfection of a military group will come. And at that point, the commitment, the love for the band will come naturally. Don't go, "NO, I will seek the truth and all the hidden angles behind this facade." Somethings don't work that way, sometimes people have to believe that all before them is right and just even if their not. 205 peeps, I am refering to the speech that Mrs J showed us in second-hand lions.
Summary: Make a life in the band, make it a good one, work for its glory and somehow, we will find fun in doing it.
P.S : The kings of the ancient times refered to themselves as 'we'. We don't have that priviledge, so we need EVERYONE. Although his name has become a joke, without him, the trombone section is left with one sec4 in SYF 11
posted by Joshua.
