12 years - that is the number of years that I have been in my CCA, band. And after 2 Outdoor SYFs, 3 Indoor SYFs, KL World Marching Band Competition, National Band Competition, Singapore International Band Festival, 8 major concerts in venues like Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore Conference Hall and the Esplanade, and countless number of performances, I have come to the end of my band journey (indefinitely). Feeling a tad emotional now. The concert just now felt so short, but I enjoyed myself very much while it lasted. Wait, scrap that, I enjoyed my whole band journey, so much so that if I could turn back time and choose another path, I'd still take the same one that has enriched my life by a whole lot.
Backtrack to the year 2000, I decided to join band because I thought being able to play music was really cool. I was initially in choir but I didn't like it so I scooted over to band. Partly because my older cousins were in band and one of them made a career out of it so my mum thought that it would be a good idea for me to join. Of course, I gladly obliged and I realised I had a flair for music. I picked up the skill of playing the E-flat horn really fast and during Primary 4, I joined my first SYF as a Trumpet soloist, which was quite unexpected since it was not my main instrument at all (I became Section Leader for E-flat horn that year too wth lol). I think it was because of this experience that my confidence grew and I really grew a lot as a player.
In Primary 6, I was assigned the role of Band Leader while still remaining Section Leader. My brother was in the band too then and it was kind of cool being in the same band as your siblings and his batch's people all knew me as "Danny's sister" LOL.
With my brother and conductor just before our SYF omg how noob-looking can I get? The uniform's really cool, though!
I had a resolution to join TK Band after my primary school education because I saw how cool their band was and so I did! It was the wisest decision I had ever made in my life because I was introduced to this amazing instrument called the French horn and gained experiences that I could never have gotten anywhere else, plus it was the best four years of my band life and definitely the most enriching. I was always really enthusiastic during band practices for some reason. Though practicing for the display band competitions was really tough and we had practices every day for a period of time, I never had any regrets.
It was because of TK Band that I truly understood the meaning of 'one for all, all for one' and I gained a huge family. It was because of those four years that I got to experience victory and loss. I will never forget how hard I cried in 2006 and 2008. I don't think I have ever worked so hard for anything before. Maybe it was because I had 160 other people working towards the same goal as me. Maybe it was because I felt obliged to work hard to uphold the name of TK Band. Either way, I felt really proud of myself and the whole band whether we won or didn't.
I was really happy that even though I only had the post of Librarian, I knew that I had contributed to the band a whole lot - whether in coaching juniors in drills, music or even in the running of the band.
SYF 2006
Rehearsal for SYF 2008
SYF 2008
KL World Marching Band Competition 2008
With Belgian composer, Mr Jan Van der Roost
With Dr Kelly Tang, a Singaporean composer who composed the set pieces for 2009's SYF
Being in TK Band was the best experience in my whole life and I wouldn't have traded anything else for it. While others may think that I was crazy for being such a band freak, they'd never understand how much pride I had in telling others, "I am from TK Band." *cue envious faces*
The next 3 years were spent in Temasek Polytechnic Concert Band where I became Band President. It was definitely a huge responsibility but being able to experience leading a band once again taught me a lot. It was undoubtedly hectic and thankfully I had my committee to share the workload. We worked really well together and it was a pleasure being able to work with them. My French horn section was always so fun-loving too and I especially enjoyed hanging out and having sectionals with them. My life as a student band member definitely ended on a good note.
TP Horn Section 2011
CCA Leadership Camp
National Band Competition 2010
Ensemble Night 2010
Open House 2011
Avec l'Expression III: Around The World
Avec l'Expression IV: In Jubilation
Photos from Avec l'Expression V: Ascending in a New Direction:
Had an amazing time with all of these people!
And also thanks to all who came!
Joining band allowed me to meet more people - whether it is band members from other schools or even famous composers, it has definitely been nice meeting them.
People that I met through a Singapore online forum, BandFusion
Mr Mitsuo Nonami! A Japanese composer who has composed quite a few set pieces for SYF. (P.S. I look really thin here hahaha)
12 years is a long time and it has really been a hell of a ride. More than half my life has been dedicated to music and I still see more years to come, even though it may be of a different genre. Through band, I found my passion and probably the only thing that I am good at (lol). And I have or never will regret. Thank you to all who have been my band mates (esp section mates), my friends and family who have always been so supportive of me doing my thing, all conductors whom I have been under the baton of, all teachers-in-charge and everyone else who has supported the bands that I was in before.
Hahaha here's a picture of myself with a horn.
"Where words fail, music speaks."
