RIMB Perculiars

brokerage.

2009-09-01T14:02:00.001+08:00

i break the silence again. how come the blog so dead arh. :D

everyone! POST. :D

investiture's this saturday. who's posting the countdown? i'm willing to do this time XD KENNETH. DO COUNTDOWN WITH ME STARTING TOMORROW. OKAY? :D

Brokerage.

2009-04-14T21:17:00.000+08:00

I shall break the long fit of silence that's been here on this deserted*sobsob* blogg.

PERC ENSEMBLE FOR CONCERT ON JULY 10TH!(refer to band blog [johnson's post on the concert] for more details.)

THAT'S IT!

LOVE YOU ALL!(:

Coda 4

2008-12-31T11:40:00.001+08:00

Thanks Arjun! How did everyone find Coda 4 (and the perc ensemble)?

P.S. should we add the ~~old people~~ RWinds perc seniors on the sidebar? >>>>

syf

2008-12-10T19:53:00.003+08:00

This blog has been dead for quite some time, so I am officially reviving it. yay! Well even the tag board is dead. xD SYF preparations in full swing, but attendance of percs is disappointing. I think skye thinks so. With our dear chiraag more than 100 miles away in india learning music, and Yu Chen being in (i don't know where land), something tells me that when school re opens we're going to have one heck of a time. You figure out why. Has anyone been able to find audio versions of Die Fledermaus yet? I mean the version that we are playing.

Well since Jerald and Benni still read, GOOD LUCK FOR CODA 4!! :D:D

Drumset 101

2008-09-20T21:08:00.001+08:00

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

0

2008-08-27T23:49:00.004+08:00

We shan't wait for "1" to come up. After all, time and tide waits for no man.

报章报道：今天休息时间，阿君（Arjun)前来说，我的博客内容因为缺乏照片而比不上旺良。对于这个个案，我感到十分震撼、震惊、惊讶、失望、愤怒、悲愤与汗颜，觉得自己被冤枉与误解。让我来提供一些照片，来反驳阿君的这一论点。

(Translation for Arjun: Newspapers report: Today the relaxation time, Arab League Mr. (Arjun) came saying that my blog content because of lacked the picture not to compare prosperously good (Jerald). Regarding this case, I felt that very shocks, the shock, surprised, disappointed, anger, the grief and indignation and blushes with shame, thought oneself is treated with misunderstands. Let me provide some pictures, refutes Arab League Mr.'s this argument. Translation provided courtesy of Babelfish.)

Batch of '11

Percs '11

Batch of '10

Percs '10

Batch of '09

Percs '09

Arjun

Jeremy Wong x2

Chiraag

Jerald and Lucas

Ignatius

Kenneth ran off too fast, so I couldn't take a photo of him. Everyone else... well I ran out of batt.

Our seniors, who have gladly taken precious time of their schedule to be with us on this important occassion.

185 words - does this number ring a bell?
PLUS
12,000 words worth of pictures. Beat that!

2

2008-08-25T22:51:00.003+08:00

er wat i don't write essays here, and that thousand words thing is copyrighted by me okay no stealing kthx. speaking of copyrighted, did you know that "uncopyrightable" is the longest possible english word that can be written without repeating any letter more than once?

On to my final post in this countdown, assuming 0 is a non-even number.

There are 5 core elements of the human being, namely the blood, mind and body, heart and soul.

Blood - signifies unity as one, a band of brothers. Great music can be achieved not only by playing together in time, but by helping each other when in need.

Mind - the ~~brian~~ brain, the organ capable of metacognition. It is required, even though band is non-academic. I hope none of my juniors are bakars!

Body - the medium of contact with the external environment. With your hands you make, refine and perfect music; with your ears you listen, analyze and appreciate music. Everyone has a body, question is, how do you use it?

Heart - the most important organ in our body. Have you heard of the phrase "play with your heart"? Play with feelings, with gusto. Inject the emotions and colours of life into your music. After all, playing without using your heart is merely playing notes, not making music.

Soul - most importantly, the soul. The soul embodies passion and love for the band. It is this locomotive that pushes people to strive for their best, to put in their utmost effort. I feel that only if everyone embraces passion will good music be produced. Only then, will we be truly bonded together, with a common goal in mind.

The five elements, working together hand in hand, synergising like 5 pieces of a pie to form a whole new, all better object/person.

3

2008-08-24T22:25:00.000+08:00

Guten Tag.

大家好，明天我们中四的就要被埋葬了。若您想支持我们，请为我们打扫坟墓，地点是在albert hong hall. 不见不散。

i shall post a picture, so as to write a 1000 words and pwn benni's posts.

4

2008-08-23T23:59:00.009+08:00

Palette of random stuff...

----------------------------------

Percussion is the backbone of the band.

There are exactly 42 keys on the marimba.

Glockenspiel should not be pronounced as "cog and speel".

The bass drum is the leader and the heartbeat of the band.

Leaders and heartbeats of the band should not stare at their scores.

The timpanist major should be the SL. Oh wait...

The shortest member of the section always plays the chimes.

SLs should preferably be short. *cough Jerald cough Kinchun vs Dhruv cough Brian*

Membranophones are skinny.

Always dampen the timpani after use. *ahem sky*

If you need wisdom from Jerald, close your eyes.

If your sticks are rotting in your bag, it means you haven't been practicing at home.

The table is a Sec 1's best friend.

The table should NOT be a Sec 4's best friend.

5 minutes a day keeps the sightreading problems away!

The pen is mightier than the sword, therefore write on your scores!

Save the Earth, don't waste paper, study the Exercises for Marimba and Xylophone made by Mr Oura today!

Why get a perc tutor when you have one right in your school?

Sandpaper blocks are said by some to be the most vital instrument of the section.

What the similarity between a band and a drumpad? (highlight text for answer) They're both made of rubber!

The glockenspiel needs cleaning.

Tuning keys open the door to quality music. Unfortunately, they instead lock the door for the novice user.

Maintaining a neat section shelf is the key to success. It is also a good way to prevent your SL from angsting all over you.

What is brown and sticky?

Don't leave your sticks lying in the band room, they might stop drop and roll away!

The Book of Boon was compiled by Boon when he was Sec 1.

First we go to Bishan, then we go to Yio Chu Kang, then we go to Pasir Ris. Where do we go next?

Clear the green beans, lest the roaches invade!

Thou shalt protect our sacred instruments.

Believe in your dreams, follow your passion.

Try, try again. Practice, practice, practice.

If band is just a CCA, you have failed in life.

There are no bakars in our section. I hope not.

One band, one sound. Band of brothers. Unity in strength.

Breath, Support, Sing (okay this is irrelevant here, but still...)

If you want to know how to be gentle, you know where to look.

COME DOWN FOR EXTRA PRACS!!!

We should! We must! We can! We will!

R-A-F-F-L-E-S!

-----------------------------------

(yes I'm late, do forgive me =S)

5

2008-08-22T20:09:00.002+08:00

we may be gone, but we'll be sticking around.

and li jiawei lost =( sigh.

rimb'09 we got our eyes on you.

6

2008-08-21T22:27:00.003+08:00

See the text up there? Not there, ALL THE WAY up there. The title of your browser screen.

"RIMB Perculiars: one big family"

Lets treat band as our family. To Jerald and I, band has always been our second home. Everytime we step into the band room, a smile always creeps onto our face. Everytime we see our seniors and juniors, we feel warmth in our hearts.

Because band is our home, and our bandmates are family. Through thick and thin, we'll always be there for each other.

Most importantly, we share joy together.

As a family.

7

2008-08-20T20:06:00.000+08:00

ok i missed out this countdown yesterday because i was mugging bio, therefore i'm doing it today, but i'll change the date anyway! =D Well frankly, i was mugging and fell asleep halfway, therefore i screwed up the test epic. Anyway...

there's one week left before we're gone and i think most of us would still find that we can't leave the band, it'll take a long period of time. You know, hanging around the band room, we'll just need a lot of time to get used to it. withdrawal symptoms?

recall JaWS (JayyH Withdrawal Symptoms) bwahaha.

8

2008-08-19T23:32:00.002+08:00

More on the "funeral"...

If you were told that you had just 8 days left to live, what would you do?

Day 8 would be spent calling to all your friends in foreign countries.
Day 7, you'd bid your farewell to your old schoolmates.
Day 6 will be hanging out with your pen pals.
Day 5? Slacking in front of the TV.
Day 4, you will want to travel around your country and see the sights for one last time.
Day 3, you'd gather all your close friends for an overnight party.
Day 2 will be spent fufilling your last wishes.
Day 1 sees you and your colleagues have your last supper.

On Day 0, as you are preparing to leave this unforgiving world once and for all, your final moments will be spent with none other than your family members.

And may these be the moments that you treasure the most.

9

2008-08-18T20:59:00.002+08:00

This will probably be the last countdown i'll do for an RIMB event. Well, i can't believe i'm officially going to be out of this band, and given the situation of this year's investiture i think "死不瞑目"would be the right phrase to describe all the secondary fours.

thank you RIMB for everything you have done for me.

10

2008-08-17T14:01:00.005+08:00

Well, by popular demand, lets get the ball rolling! Jerald mentioned that I haven't been regularly posting (unlike Sec 2), but since I'm leaving soon, it's high time someone else take charge. *Kenneth, share all the online stuff you've dug up! lol*

Previous countdowns were all fun and (usually) lighthearted, but this time it seems totally different. I mean, who counts down to their own funeral? I find it quite awkward to post a countdown for my own farewell.

On another note, yes Jerald, you're doing odd numbers again.

...

...

...

GO PERCS '08!

2008-07-20T00:58:00.000+08:00

To SIBF AND BEYOND!!!

加油us!

no matter what happens, YOU WILL BE LOVED! bwahahaha.

2008-06-07T02:09:00.001+08:00

we're going to NIPPON!

2008-05-20T16:07:00.001+08:00

Prometheum was the best concert i've ever been to, well people it's not the only concert i've been to, but then it was really good, although im sec 1 and I don't know what you all have gone through, IT WAS GREAT.

I still have withdrawal symptoms of the concert.

I wish it was tomorrow or today.

HAHA RIMB ROCKS!

0

2008-05-15T23:51:00.001+08:00

Whoo great jobs percs! Wayyyyyy too busy to write a long post but yes you haven't let us down :) Continue to work harder!

1

2008-05-14T22:30:00.002+08:00

-1-
(i dunno how to do the funny floating 1)
ok hello everyone...tmrw's our big day.

last night, i could barely sleep and i was so nervous i was tossing and turning in my bed. I was just running through all our songs in my head, from the perc soli in merry widow which we spent so much time on to our routines in day at the circus and all the other songs.

we've practiced so much and waited so long for this, so i say we play with all our heart and not have any regrets. No matter what happens on stage tmrw, let's have no regrets and do our best tomorrow night. This will be the last concert for our sec 4s and the first concert for the sec3s and us sec 2s, so lets make it a smashing one.

Prometheum XII
never let you down

2.

2008-05-13T19:41:00.002+08:00

The saying goes, "Think two steps ahead". Even though it's 2 days to Prometheum, lets think not just two days after.

Four days after: Open House. A commonly underestimated event, especially for this year since it's right after our dear Prometheum. Open House is the first step towards recruiting top talent in the music field, and we all know the dire need for such talent.

Consequently, we cannot afford to let our guard down. Even more so with the Japan trip coming up. We must not slacken even after Prometheum, even after Open House. It's really so many things to do, so little time. I urge all of you to continue with passion, to keep the good attendance, standard and effort up.

Short Visit

2008-05-12T23:22:00.002+08:00

Going home today, I managed to catch a glimpse of the Perc ensemble practice. It was pretty well rehearsed, and the choice of "instruments" was pretty cool. Very creative!

However, what struck me more was the lack of Percs. Where are the sec 3s, the batch leading SYF'09? Now is the time for them to shine. It is the time for them to slowly take over, and get a feel of the ropes. In the short run, we should aim for excellence in our performance. But at the same time, we must not neglect nor forget the long term goals of the band.

I hope that in the upcoming preparations for Prometheum, the sec 4s will actively engage the sec 3s in helping out, to give them the experience they need in leading the section or the band. The demands of hosting an event can only be learnt by experience, and experience alone. Let us not forget that ultimately, they will still be the seniors of the band in '09. The year of SYF.

I have confidence that RIMB will put up a great performance 3 nights from today. Next year, I hope that I will be able to say the same. Work hard and play hard!

3

2008-05-12T20:53:00.003+08:00

"Band was the best thing that has ever happened to me." That was what I said in sec 2 when i "fell in love" with band music and the people around me. 2 years later, it still hasn't changed.

No matter what happens, I will continue to love band, my batchmates and many of my juniors who have been through so much with me. The scoldings, the worrying, the sleepless nights of planning, everything! I must say it has been a busy time and a hell load of stress but looking back, I enjoyed the events that we have worked hard for (Band Camp, Community Day). This concert is the beginning of so much more to come. There's still Open House, Founder's Day, Japan Trip, SIBF and finally Investiture (back to where things started).

Nonetheless, let's entertain!

4

2008-05-11T21:05:00.002+08:00

Prometheum XI was magical. The only pity was that it passed by in a blink of an eye.

Prometheum XII: While we strive to play our best and to wow the audience, lets not forget to take a moment to stop, ~~drop and roll~~ breathe in the VCH air and savour the goodness and fruitition of our hard work. Don't forget: we play music, because we enjoy making music.

90 minutes is only so long. It flies by before you know it. Taste the present before it becomes history.

And on a somewhat relevant note, YIKES 8 months have passed since Investiture. Time does fly!

5

2008-05-10T19:54:00.002+08:00

5 DAYS LEFT!

i remember saying "10 days left! y'all can even countdown with your hands" now i'll say:

5 DAYS LEFT! Y'ALL CAN COUNTDOWN WITH ONE HAND!

i'm feeling a huge mix of emotions now, but on top of them all we have 'stressed' and 'excited'. stress, i guess it's natural for people to feel stressed, what's more its coming right up in 5 days. excited cuz i really wanna get up there and entertain my friends and family and of course, you guys! i must say we've come a long way, went through many struggles (although we havent seen the last of them yet), and now it's almost showtime.

gear ourselves up! and stay healthy!

6

2008-05-09T20:45:00.002+08:00

At this point, one wonders how many people are actually reading this xDD

Okay, we may all cheer at Tian Yi's "Never let you down", but lets take it for real. (Surely there must be another reason, other than for laughing sakes!)

Prometheum XII. 15 May.

Let's not let down our audience.
Let's not let down our friends.
Let's not let down our family.
Let's not let down our alumini.
Let's not let down our bandmates.
Let's not let down Mr Oura

But most importantly,
Let's not let down ourselves.

Footnote: I know that the grammatically correct phrasing would be "Lets not let ___ down", but for alignment sakes, lets keep it this way.

7

2008-05-08T19:57:00.002+08:00

1 WEEK LEFT! Oh muh god! Time to up some fuel to full boost now that bio CCT's over, although there are still 2 portfolios 2 PT and 1 TA coming up next week.

Please take care of yourselves, that includes our sick benni and our sick james and the half-sick me. how can we practise ensembles like that =( SLEEP! DRINK WATER! SLEEP!!! and to the rest of y'all stay away from the illnesses.

p.s. SELL YOUR TICKETS!

8

2008-05-07T20:37:00.001+08:00

I'm ill.

Sorry to all of you, for not putting my best in today and tommorow.

And thanks for all the care and concern.

9

2008-05-06T18:52:00.002+08:00

9 days left!
“加油！”-Shuhui

although things are a little tough now, especially for us sec4s, i bet we'll still do a great job next thurs! right people? work hard! and don't lose focus =)

10

2008-05-05T20:18:00.004+08:00

We're baaaaack! Jerald you're doing odd this year xDD

Alright guys lets rock VCH down! It's the last Prometheum for our batch, and for Sky and Yuchen it's your only Prometheum. And to Kenneth and Iggy, it's your first major performance. So lets make it a good and memorable one. Together.

Make every practice count! No point going down for pracs without full concentration and attention. The finish line is but 10 days away.

Lets make it happen.

谢谢。

...you're not supposed to be reading this...2008年5月5日

2008-05-01T21:19:00.002+08:00

In iTunes, I would enter the year in brackets after "Raffles Institution Military Band" under artist for each of the band's recordings. For example: Carmen Fantasy -- Raffles Institution Military Band (2006).

I'm going to remove all the years (and put them after the title instead).

You don't see rock bands changing their name or adding a year to it when members leave, do you?

RIMB is so much more than just the current members. It is also made up of at least 45 years of history.

2008-04-08T22:31:00.000+08:00

Tips on my favourite auxiliary instrument, the tambourine =D

Hi.

2008-03-29T21:49:00.001+08:00

Er.

Hi.

The first time i'm posting on the RIMB perculiars blog.

lol.

Although Im a seasoined blogger, I dunno what to write.

Oh well, this is a post by itself.

I HATE DRILLS.

BUT I LOVE PERCS!

lol.

Band is indeed home.

2008-03-22T18:15:00.001+08:00

we've got a merry widow soli to do.

i say we drill it, work it and own it!

2008-03-19T22:08:00.001+08:00

Ahhhh this is funny. Well it's not supposed to be but that man just cracks me up.

2008-01-26T16:49:00.000+08:00

Wow, long time since i last blogged here

Been already 2 years since i left... *nostalgia*

Anyway i just made a visit to HCI last week and saw the HCI percs having prac.

There was this girl i saw doing paradiddles at like what? 140 bpm? I feel so ashamed cuz i know i can't double her speed :S And she looked perfectly relaxed playing. And it seems that the others arent surprised one bit at that speed so they probably all can play like that... Dang :(

Looking from the trend of activities for RI peepz these days it does seem that things are getting more and more wimp/wuss oriented. (Serimbun orientation camp would probably be unthinkable now :S) But no matter what don't let your basic strokes training become slack... Remember those twinkies and sustained hours of firm strokes/paradiddles! They do you good. Like when you're stoning somewhere and you see a drumpad lying around just whack it. I know this sounds guailan, but wth don't lose to some random HCI girl perc pls...

byebyeee

2008-01-25T21:46:00.000+08:00

Let's welcome our newest member, Zi Kai (sec2). Iggy and Kenneth you got a new sbm!

And let's welcome back our WANG YUCHEN! hopefully you're recharged after your semi-retirement of 8 months. Main Band perc would have 8 people if zi kai learns fast enough.

2007-09-20T15:45:00.001+08:00

Here! Jim Chapin is quite funny. But very wise words indeed!

2007-09-17T20:59:00.000+08:00

Hopefully someone will continue blogging after me leaves. *glances at Kenneth*

It was great to see Kenneth turn up for extra band prac last Friday. Hopefully it wasn't forced by Jerald. It's wonderful to see a Sec 1 (Kenneth IS sec 1 right?) so dedicated to band. Awww...

Took some time out today to rearrange some stuff in the perc shelves today. It's dusty (whoa what a shock), and full of hidden stuff. A card containing messages from the batch of '02 O_O. Now I know how it feels like when Kinchun walks into a messy section shelf. Oh wait, you don't walk into a shelf do you...

EDIT: In case you don't visit the chatbox... http://maeglin.blogspot.com/2007/09/cute.html

2007-09-06T15:19:00.000+08:00

'A percussionist contracted to play in a symphony orchestra is paid a salary to perform repertoire that calls for a great deal of "not playing"... It typically involves counting rests with determined concentration... "Not playing" of this kind demands energy, and may be exhausting for a player, particularly during rehearsals.'

'You are wearing fully formal evening attire and for the last half-hour you have been sitting on a stage without playing a single note, or even moving your body except in the most inconspicuous manner. Suddenly, you alone must stand up among one hundred other seated musicians. You are holding two very large shiny objects, thus guaranteeing the focused attention of nearly everyone in the auditorium (including a conductor). At a precisely determined moment in time when most of the other musicians stop playing, you are to bring together the shiny, and, by the way, heavy objects so that their contact with one another produces a single soft and delicate shimmer of sound. After having done this, no matter how successfully, you must then return to your seat and wait an additional ten minutes for the conclusion of the piece. During this time you might reflect on the fact that the sound just made was the sole criterion for judgment of your musicianship by the conductor, your colleagues, the audience and, in fact, yourself. A performer who resigned his position as a percussionist with a major symphony orchestra once explained that, "Ninety percent of the time I was bored to death, and the other ten percent of the time I was scared to death."'

From here. Reminds me of the story Mr Oura told about him missing his only part in a long piece.. I'm horribly bored mugging!

0

2007-09-01T00:18:00.001+08:00

my first post on this blog ><
so it's finally today, investiture. Thx kin chun for guiding ignatius and i all this way and good luck to the sec 3s who will be leading us next year!
time passes so fast, we sec 1s are gonna be sec 2 seniors in...4 months?

1

2007-08-31T20:26:00.000+08:00

Whee, my turn!

Time has been flying by, too fast to be true. With the rushing of work in the middle few weeks of this term, all the performances and practices, it surprised me when I saw Benjamin posting the countdown to investiture. I even thought Ben made a mistake, haha. But there is no denying the time of the year is here again, where we have to say our goodbyes to the leaving batch.

Don't forget though, the ceremony is called Investiture, where we should welcome the new secondary one batch joining the main band!

So have fun tomorrow, don't emo! =)

2

2007-08-30T18:49:00.000+08:00

Better post before Kinchun claims his turn.

Everytime I visit the perc blog I can't help but pause at the namelist (aka memory wall). Can't help it, time flies. Seniors come and go, and leave a part of their spirit behind for us. Can't help but to reflect on the past, the experiences, the fun times, the lessons.

Oh, the lessons.

Brian once talked about drumstick physics. According to Newton's 3rd law, for every action there is an equal and opposite action. "Action reaction" as we call it. And I believe I learnt that from band. Preparing so hard for a concert, and getting the audience's support back in return. We were featured in RInspire... twice!! It shows something.

Action reaction occurs during Investiture too. Sec 1s come in (action), Sec 4s go out (reaction). Some argue it's the other way round, but there's a reason why it's called Investiture and not Farewell. Either way, it's saddd. As Jerald said once, we cannot afford to get all worked up and emotional like last year.

I vouched to do the same, but it gets harder to do so as Investiture nears. It's so hard to take it, especially since we're going to lose the numbers, the talent and most importantly the bonds we've forged.

Yes, the numbers are dwindling. Before you know it...

...and then there were two.

3

2007-08-29T20:05:00.000+08:00

3 years in the band, 3 more years to go!

sorry for this really really short post, but i've got loads of stuff to do, for example, i have to chase people for money before mrs tan lai lin come and chase me (uh oh...).

sigh, ive been so busy with other stuff like RD and everything in the world during band to practise for invest, and ripb's taking our drumset during our extra prac, i am so gonna impromptu.

ok can ask for a refund if u think this post's too short, but i gotta fly cya!

4

2007-08-28T19:40:00.000+08:00

four... what can I make with four?

I'll think about it when I get back home.

But I can't leave this blogpost empty.

So for now, lets talk about random stuff.

----

Learnt some lessons: My piano teacher claimed that the plural form is "timpanis". I insisted it wasn't, she went to check the answer key, and voila, it says there "timpani". Lesson learnt: don't argue with the specialist.

Two years ago, I could NEVER in my life imagine Kinchun in long pants. Seriously. Lesson learnt: be more imaginative.

On a somewhat similar note, one to two years ago I could NEVER in my life imagine myself outgrowing Jerald. Not-so-seriously, lesson learnt: don't take steroids.

After Invest '06, I thought we'd never get to perform with them anymore. But we will. Lesson learnt: get RP to organize more RPMs so we can have more RPCs.

----

My favourite hobby is quoting. As such... we have this extract, posted right on Invest Night.
"I love seeing you and Ben's reactions when I start on weird stuff (sex-ed?)."
Dedicated to what Kenneth and Jerald were thinking...

Next, lemme quote 2006 Invest Countdown Post #2:
"First time there were so many percs coming for extra practice! I'm glad, but where was Ben -.- Ok, the people who came were namely, SiKai Yuchen Jerald Kinchun and Brian."
Ah, the irony! Looking back I feel so ashamed.

Next up, similarly with 4 days to go, we have 2006 Invest Countdown Post #4:
"anyway, snow caps is as retarded as aerodynamics. gg."
Ah, the irony!

Finally we move forth in time and grab a quote from SYF '07 Countdown Post #6:
"from tmr onwards it's gonna be hardcore rehearsal, let's do everyone proud. we only have that one chance, make good use of it."
I find that soooo applicable now. Perhaps to a lesser extent, but all the same, one last prac left.

----

We conclude with some funfacts: first, the fact that Jerald is spamming his MSN logins as I am typing.

Second, that it has been an eventful journey that I'll never forget. Oh wait Kinchun that's your line.

Thirdly, OI!!!! WHY THIS YEAR NO SECTION PHOTOS???

Lastly, thank you for reading this 4x4 post.

5

2007-08-27T14:52:00.001+08:00

ben's getting horny.

i think im forseeing a very lonely blog in the future. anyway since ben's already doing the recollection of the past, i shall do the erm... spirit for the future!

ok, well, our section's gonna be very very small and if ken becomes a prefect, we are gonna be even smaller in quantity and quality. how is this spirited? i don't know! =) well, next year's gonna be like 06, which means crazy juggling of all the parts.

kenneth if u really become a prefect, get ready to pon prefect stuff for band! don't leave your ignatius in the lurch.

6

2007-08-26T22:25:00.000+08:00

No homonyms for 6, thank you very much.

Our three largest events of the year:
SYF '07: 16/4
Putrajaya Wind Orchestra Finale: 24/6
Con Brio: 6/7

These events (and more) were summed up by Jerald: "the prometheum flame burnt bright, and then the ocean glew, then came music with spirit and vigour".

Through these years, we, along with our seniors and our juniors, have withstood turmoil, blood sweat and tears; joy, laughter and fun. As one. It's a treasure, valuable like no other, the times we had, the things we shared.

With merger comes inevitable separation. Though we may have broken up, the great seniors going in pursuit of higher dreams and hopes, we will never forget the good times, the memories and this whole exhilarating experience. We may have been separated, but our hearts will remain together. Forever.

We'll miss you. For a long time to come. It is only fortunate to be able to reunite with the perc concert coming up, and perhaps in RJCSB too.

7

2007-08-25T22:38:00.001+08:00

whan an angsty post benni, oh wait all these posts are supposed to be angsty. hello? PSL will only take the last few pracs of dec hols who knows maybe its our break.

anyway, 1 week left before investiture!! the next few days are gonna be insane! so people, let's do it! oh wait, why am i talking to the batch XD.

oh well, why not for once instead of angsting let's radiate confidence woo hoo!!!

to percs'08 and beyond! ben and jerry + james are gonna have a busy year ahead!

8

2007-08-24T22:22:00.000+08:00

Jerald left his pencil case in the band room one day. I 8 it up. I've apologized to you already Jerald, MSN me if you wish for me to write an 800 word essay regarding this. Not that I have a ton of free time to spend. Anyway last band prac I left my water bottle in the band room. Today I went in and was astonished to find it still there, not eaten up by Jerald.

Oh, and I finally remembered how to do marquees from looking at earlier posts. Now why didn't I think of that?

Now on to my main point. Lets do some math. This is the 5th (do correct me if I'm wrong) time I'm going out for a LAN trip! Yay this is so exciting! Except that the previous time it was really messed up with people wanting to play CS and all that. I sincerely hope it won't happen this time, and more importantly get to play other sections. LANning in my opinion is for fun, but also for section bonding.

Speaking about bonding, batch pracs are a great way to bring a batch together, through numerous arguments on what song to play, and in our case Investiture planning. Sadly, I find that almost all the time my Jerald isn't beside me laughing his head off (positive connotation). Why? RD work. And I do not question the demand of RD work; I understand that the sec 1s require attention as much as we do.

But this isn't about RD... it's about PSLs. One fine recess I went to the raja block foyer, and guess what? Surprise surprise, Jerald was enlisted. Jerald! Don't become a PSL! Of course it's very selfish of me, but don't forget: it's a LOT of pracs you're going to miss. And when Prometheum is in MAY, every prac counts. Not to mention the countless PSGMs (omg I actually remembered that), which if you remember in our year were held on Wednesdays (omg I actually remembered that), which causes even more conflict with band times. I won't stop you, just do the right thing. Anyway I think I'll fail in my conquest to kick you off from learning German, just like Brian did.

Next is the 6-for-$100 courses held by the carbon monoxide instructor. As pollutive as it was, it was very informative. Quote Jerald, "it was better than TKWO because they spoke Jap meaning that I didn't understand them half the time". Seriously speaking though, we were very fortunate to have a 1-on-2 lesson. Awkward, but it was GREATLY beneficial.

We got to learn the basic strokings, harmonic melodic natural minors (or rather, that was what Jerald learnt: I knew that already), Lonian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian (which were the group names for band camp when I was P6), and 4 mallet holding. The instructor was like, reluctant on teaching 4 mallets to us at first, when he said that we both gave each other that "Oh how could he?" stare. Then Jerald requested that later, thanks Jerald.

Can't wait for Timpani course later. Jerald: "At least now we have some teaching materials!" Me: "Should've done note taking."

I guess that's all I have to say. Countdown posts aren't usually so packed with words or informative. And yes I did say I'd touch on emotacular stuff today, but I'm feeling happy as it is a Friday, and will thus leave it to next time. So till then, tchuss!

9

2007-08-23T21:47:00.000+08:00

6 little ducks went out to play, fat ones (hmm), skinny ones, short (hehehe) ones too!

"I mentioned that we were the most close-knit section, and I think there's no doubt about that. Everything just works out when we enjoy playing with one another...Why did we get one stick for each person, not a pair? Besides the cost factor, it's significant because.. we ar- we were (argh!), and you are, a section."

"RIMB PERCS 2006 FOREVER. May the future generations preserve the prestige and reputation of the percussion section."

"It reminds me of the sectionals we had.It reminds me of the jokes we laughed about.It reminds me of the ego of you seniors.It reminds me of all the performances we had.It reminds me of lanning.how well we bonded.how well we played.how well we try to learn.how well our attendance is :)"

And then there were two.

10

2007-08-22T23:12:00.000+08:00

Jerald! I'm doing even this time!

Lets weigh this year's Investiture.

Getting a bigger coat: +0.01
Knowing who gets what position: +0.1
Being mostly unprepared for Invest pieces: -1
Leadership power: -10
Section Dinner: +100
Sec 1s entering: +1000
Sec 4s leaving: -10000 (FOUR zeroes)
Kinchun leaving: -100000 (FIVE zeroes)

What's the total? Approximately the last two figures added up.

It won't change much even if you log₁₀ it.

I know, I know, the above looks like a stock market. I wish it was so: I'd invest (pun intended?) my money in the 6th item from the top.

Next episode, we'll reveal the true meaning of emocracy. But for now, tchao!

EDIT: Forgot the marquee. Or rather, forgot how to do the marquee. No comp studies this year.

2007-08-08T20:34:00.000+08:00

When Brian suggested creating a section blog, I was thinking, oh great! A place to write all things perc, all the quotes. Not a place for me to emo, that never crossed my mind. Investiture date isn't even confirmed (as of my knowledge), yet Jerald and I are emoing left right centre. I'm refraining myself and trying really hard to save everything I have to say until Investiture comes near (you know, the x,(x-1),(x-2)... countdowns).

(Most of the) stuff that happened today. Point form for the win! (NDP = Nat Day Celebrations)

Keeping time during parade: NOT easy.
I think "Ichwan" sounds like "Yuchen"
Nice, old quote from Lucas: "Eins, Zwei... Four"
Crash Cymbals. Thanks Brian!!! =)
How To Fold a Flag: Lesson #1
Us wondering how many hours left till our performance
NDP... final performance with Sec 4s. *sighs*
!Why did we play Gershwin! for NDP!

This One's For Ya

2007-07-13T21:49:00.000+08:00

Hmm. Where should I start? Ah yes, after Con Brio!!

So that day my piano teacher was testing me on aural. So she was playing this jazz song, and she said: "You know Gershwin is a famous composer of jazz songs?" And she continued rattling on about wanting to make me play more jazz songs, while I just stood there and gaped.

Tuesday, waited outside band room. No extra band prac.

Wednesday, went to band room. Told by Kinchun that prac was cancelled.

Thursday, went to band room. Again, it was closed. Until Matthew (I think) opened it. Thanks Matthew!!! =)

Friday, went for practice. Full day batch prac. Sighs. It was pretty much a disorganized group of people waiting for a disaster to happen. I thought the scene would've been much more peaceful without the noisemakers Lucas and Samuel (ok sorry sammy, you aren't noisy, just saying that your absence was missed). Wrong was I. Rampant vulgarities and all that nonsense.

And it is about this time that I also remember Brian the Great. For allowing us Sec 2s to have batch prac in the band room. Not because of the air-con, but because of the instruments. That move was probably targetted at me, since there's no option of moving 4 brand-new timpani out of the band room for a couple of hours of batch prac (and they Sec 4s needed it anyways). Did I take it for granted? Honestly speaking, yes.

But not this year. Ain't going to plead/beg Kinchun for the band room. Instead, we'll move the glock out and take it as a makeshift superhigh-pitched timpani. Or just go for more extra pracs and practice.

Looking back, I have absolutely no idea why I didn't find time to go for extra band prac. Not a single extra prac. Was I too lazy? Or perhaps that sense of commitment only came about when I became a senior?

Hmm. This warrants reflection. Mirror anyone?

Con Brio

2007-07-07T11:27:00.000+08:00

eee such an unoriginal name. I wonder who came up with it.

Dhruv: "I can't wait for Saturday. Because then it'll be over..." Of course I wanted to smash him up when he said that...

But anyway it's concert day. And what better way to start it off than to come for band prac late?

Jump to ~~rehersal~~ rehearsal. That stage was small! Note to self: bring a pack list, and use it to pack everything to fit in the stage. Besides the humiliation (right in front of sec 1s) and the multitude of scoldings, we got a laugh during WWYW rehearsal.

Ben: "Welcome to No Brainer"
Mr Oura: "No wonder whistle so lousy. I don't blame you..."

I wonder why we didn't practice Small World. I wouldn't have screwed it up due to memory... lapses.

Dinner quickly passed. Jerald you still owe me $1.20-50c! I fitted into my undersized coat, and we headed out...

Premature entrance? We were stoning there for like 3 minutes, while watching the audience come in. It was super tense! When I saw seniors like Paul and Aaron I was like, omg... not that I didn't expect them to come, but it was their hopes they had for us. And judging by what Mr Oura said earlier on, we're probably going to let them down.

We start Carmen off with a bang - Ferdian's snare drum timing was off. Eep. But anyway. Carmen. The song that the Sec 4s have been playing since Sec 2.

Ben: "Next year we shouldn't play Carmen"
Jerald: "About time!"

Mononoke. The song that I don't remember playing before.

Mr Oura: "Who sung ~~Mononoke~~ WWYW?"
Some guy: "Snow White!"

Snow Caps!!! =( If there was one thing that night I'd really wanted to hear us play Snow Caps well, and bowl over the audience, and to make Mr Oura happy. That clearly did not happen. We screwed up big time. I screwed up too. And at the end of it all I was really sad. I really hope there'll be a second chance to perform this.

Dunno who: "This author likes perc solos"

Ocean... dates all the way back to SYF '07. Seems so far back, doesn't it? Then we played it out really well. But it's a different story now. Perhaps we've lost the emoness of the song. Anyway during the June hols I went on a cruise... where around you was water, water and water. So like David I wanted to take a picture of a sunrise out in the ocean. On that fateful day it rained, we were forced to stay indoors. Anticlimatic.

Forgot who: "Lets create an ocean on the stage"

Interval was the peak of the night. Ventured out there, to be greeted by Zhuf, Jianwei and Brian. Awww... another reason why your seniors are so great. They're behind your back supporting you every step of the journey. Everyone recieved a flower and a pencil. Flimsy flowers =S but it's the thought that counts, as always.

Then after retiring back to the backstage, I realised that this was going to be my last concert with the sec 4s. In particular, Kinchun, since this is going to be the second time we're going to be separated. If things go well we'll get separated a third time (irony, irony). Anyways investiture is looming around the corner, and before we know it leadership will be in our hands. But back to the Sec 4s... as so many seniors have said, treasure them while you can.

Okay nothing much else happened in the other songs xD Me Kinchun and Jerald were gagging backstage with every crash Si Kai made. The Double Encore featured Small World, which I believe took the audience away. Even the audience started singing! So touching =) that probably was the main part of the night. What a wonderful ending.

Mr Oura: "I got rhythm, I got rhythm..."

Supper with Kenneth Jerald Daobo Matthew Eric. *yawn* hey people need to sleep you know.

Keeping the beat

2007-07-06T23:25:00.000+08:00

WELL DONE RIMB PERCUSSION 2007!

Obviously I have a few bones to pick (can't help it!) but I shan't write them out.

One thing I can definitely commend all of you for is that you guys are much more well-rounded. I don't really see certain people fixed to certain instruments anymore.

Very proud of all of you for the giant leaps of improvement on technique, musicality and to a smaller extent, showmanship. Also glad to see Kenneth and Ignatius so far ahead. Hope they're well-grounded!

Yup.

Edit: I hope all of you enjoyed it. Enjoyed the music, enjoyed the playing, enjoyed one another's company.

Day 3 + Day 4

2007-06-29T23:12:00.000+08:00

VERSION 1.1 RELEASED

Cliffhanger! 4 days should be enough to create some suspense. Oh wait I didn't end the previous post on a cliffhanging ending. Sad =(

Not that I like bungee jumping.

Where were we? Oh yeah second night. Haha... more interesting than the first. We showered and all, and Dhruv went over to the sec 4 room to chat (and do their stuff).

Mystikal: "...gershwin dance"

Okay anyways we had an early night. 10pm, 11pm, not sure, no clock. Probably 11pm, because Eric and Si Kai weren't done with their books by the time I finished my diary writing whee! Then it was lights out for us.

Somehow I just couldn't sleep. Whirring fan or noisy next door neighbours, I was kept awake in bed while Eric and Si Kai were blissssfully dozing off. I snuck into the corner of the lockers. CORNERS YIPPEE anyway they started playing music on their mp3s/ipods (not sure which). Ocean, Institution Anthem, Centuria... awww... so touching. ~~I fell asleep in the corner~~ Alastair soon discovered it, and me do what mice do: scurry back.

Dhruv: "I came back at around 1am"

Day 3, by far, was the worst of the four. We went back to Putrajayyh to prepare for the big event. We started off with a super screwed up rehearsal, which I do not bother elaborating on. I believe it is more useful if I come up with a glossary:

Layman's Terms - Actual Name
Suite - Unlucky Freezer (yes I am triskaidekaphobic)
Stage - Bush Fire
Corridor - Runway
Escalator - Doesn't Work

They had 5 hours to kill. I was killed by 5 hours. Where's Ben? There. In that corner. Foetaling. Literally died at the end of it all. I'm not used to being deep-frozen!

On stage it was wayyy better. Lights were on, you could feel the heat! We played our songs one by one, demonstrating to everyone what we could do. I felt that it was quite screwed, but surprisingly many people around me said that it was quite an impressive performance.

Backed out of the timpani after our finish of Gershwin, remembered to NOT drop the crash cymbals, before heading off stage. Thrilled and excited, we headed to supper. Supper? No sleep? Okay no more "thrilled" or "excited". That is, until I met my weakness... TEA!!! Sugary tea, with milk, just the way I like it. Tea, tea. Yum.... fresh scent, armoatic, a beautiful cup of dolce tea. Floated out of the cityscape of Putrajayyh into SMSS. When we arrived at SMSS, I seemed like the only one who is conscious, in fact quite energetic, thanks to Tea. Sleep at 2am. Wake SMSS up while doing so.

Day 4: 40 sleepyheads on the coach. 1 fell down, and then there were 39~

Finale of the Finale. What I enjoyed about the Finale (of the Finale) was that we were made more dignified. Dhruv mentioned that we were being "left out" because all the booklets they gave us were in Melayu.
(It was so bad, we needed Jerald to translate for us)
Well at least we got appreciated. It was nice to recieve the goodie bags, but more importantly to talk with those from other schools.

"only the abdul razak guys were friendly" --Jerald

More or less a complete agreement of the above statement. They were very... nice! Even voluntarily took the satays for us to eat. Very very nice of them. Okay I've ran out of words :P go ask Si Kai.

Back to Singapore, back to reality. Sigh. The reality of having to pack up (not that many items to pack actually), hugging our marimba (in-tune!), and on a personal level, impacted by a devestating hit... but that's a different story.

Nothings complete without quotes?

TL^2: "I will jaga your barang barang"

Jerald: "Coffee coffee coffee"

LJW: "Let me enlighten (?) you with my speech..."

Ben: "Ichwan = I want"

Mr Oura: "You (Jerald) in your home country very happy issit"

*Mr Oura showing his body to the whole Putrajayyh xD*

*Bryan's Deadly Camera*

Mr Oura: "Toilet no toilet paper... culture shock"
Ben: "Shower room no door... culture shock"

Jerald: "Coffee + Tea + Water = Milk"

Clearly this journey of a lifetime was much of a bonding experience. Getting to know your batchmates better was certainly a plus point of this trip. Unfortunately unlike most people I didn't take advantage of the golden chance I had. Looking back (literally) I see everyone behind, chatting, playing cards: all of them, bonding and having a great time in the coach. Me? Look at the scenery, sleep, all while contemplating what to write in my diary and going through all the quotes said thus far.

The grouping of the dorms was quite an eye-opener too. Noticed how some people tend to stick together. (And how efficient the splitting of dorms went: sec 3s spent a whole lot of time dividing rooms xD). Of course the leftover group is the "main thing": Si Kai (or wassit Dhruv?) said that he opted out of his batch group. Kinda surprised that Eric was chosen to come to the leftovers as well.

From there we branch out to the seating during the Finale Finale (Day 4). Forming pairs, I obviously had no choice but to pick Si Kai.
Random Guy: "Pick Han Sheng"
Me: "You crazy?"

Well I guess that wraps up my say on our trip to Malaysia. It was certainly fun, and was a great experience. (classic)

v1.1 additions: I'd like to thank the following people...

1) Everyone who kind-heartedly willingly helped to lug the percussion instruments around everywhere we went.
2) Kinchun, for helping to tune the timpani for me for Gershwin
3) Ichwan, for taking time off to come help us.
4) Instrument providers, who gave us such great instruments to play with
5) Coach drivers for accompanying us for four days
6) Coaches for such comfy rides around
7) SMSS for their hospitality, food and beds
8) James and Ferdian for supporting us even as they are in foreign lands
9) Dunno who, for all the mineral water bottles you gave us
10) Si Kai for covering his feet at night so I won't be spooked out by his three toes
11) Eric for his pencil case, without which this blog entry would not exist.
12) Dhruv for.... being Dhruv?
13) TKC for housing us for an hour or two
14) Jerald for his fun and laughter

Day 1 + Day 2

2007-06-25T18:28:00.000+08:00

You didn't expect me to make one big huge post about our trip did you?

okay fine maybe you did.

Anyway I'm back in one piece, and it's time to take time off to post!

6.30am: hustle, bustle, pack, prepare, stone at atrium for an hour before departing to Malaysia. Forgot to take pen from band room (oh shoot still haven't claimed it back yet!). Jerald Si Kai left sticks in wonderland. Didn't bring diary. Writing in broken English.

Yong Peng: People eat small food. I eat no food, only milo. Saw Ichwan eating chicken rice, deducing he has a big appetite. Bryan bought fries. Fries-assault ensues. No fries left.

TKC: Transit. Exchanged with 11 other percs. Ichwan sat out. Talking about RGSSB members. Jerald gets vocal.

TKC girl: "How do you find them (RGSSB)?"
Us: "Okay..."
Me: "How do you find them?"
Them: "Okay..."

Jerald: "...some of us keep in touch with them (RGS percs)"
Me: *AHEM*

SMSS arrival: Whee new home. We split into dorms, and unpack. Was left with the leftover group (too bad, no rightover group). Felt happy that I was not stuck with hansheng.

Went to have tea. Was stumped by the hospitality of the girls at SMSS. Ate little food. Was stumped by how "tea" was the anagram of "ate". For some weird reason felt something missing. Something was supposed to be there, but wasn't.

Band prac followed. We were supposed to sit out, no perc instruments. The truck came later, carrying a 4-octave horrendously flat (out of tune) marimba, a couple of a couple of timpani, and a bass drum. Had 3 people playing on one marimba. Saw Jerald with his makeshift drumset. Disappointing.

Dinnertime @ 8pm. Sat with Bryan and Ryan, and had a musical dinner with Bryan's glass-rubbing. A trend was created! Kinteresting. Supper was at 10pm, which was laksa. Dhruv complains, and doesn't eat much. I didn't eat much either. All meals since we've arrived were spicy. Me no like spicy.

Time for bed. But before bed comes shower. Toilets at top level were marked with "Singapore Raffles Institution". Those toilets had no water. Meh. Went downstairs to shower. 5 cubicles, yay! Went into one, closed the door. No door. Went back out, astonished. Had to shower in toilet cubicle with small bucket. Preserved dignity. (I remembered Malaysian Montage: as we went through one toll gate, there was this advert: "Say no to p*rn, press Alt+F4". Well sadly, not applicable this time round.)

Turned lights off at 11pm. Only 4 people (Me Dhruv Sikai Eric) in our room, very spacious. Noisy chattery batchmates next door talking non-stop. Couldn't sleep till they shut up. Relating to chem, we call them "irritants".

7.50am: wakey wakey. Heard that David (sec 3) didn't get any sleep. Hah. First unspicy meal! *release confetti*

Workshop: I thought we were the ones attending the workshop. And while we weren't of much standard, it was nice to see how Mr Oura teaches. He's funny, isn't he?

Meanwhile, me was happy. Vibes + Marimba-in-tune!!! If we're going to use that for the actual performance we'll do well!

Malls: Berjaya Times Square + KLCC. I believe we did way better in KLCC. There was no aircon, but I believe the pressure of the thousands of people gathering outside was enough to make us play well. An estimated quarter of them were wielding a dangerous weapon... the camera. *shudders* Very hectic, busy, lots of carrying, shifting, arranging. But we enjoyed it all in the end.

Free Time ad lib: Whoo~ I mean, omg. 4 people wandering about in a mall. Can't get any more boring, can it?

Anyways we merged with the sec 2s in Burger King. They arrived there first, but spent so much time counting money that we all returned with our food before them. You could see them with their sheet of paper chock full of grandfather workings... lol. Inefficient. On the other hand, my whole group was commenting on my decision not to take fries and the amount of money saved by doing so.

And thus our troupe browsed through Kinokuniya (spelling -.-) and a VCD shop. *yawn* going up the Petronas towers would probably have been more fun. In the bookshop I picked up two books from the comic section: "Micrographica" and "I Want To Be Small" (ask Dhruv). Now if only I had enough money...

Me: "Hey look up there... it's the roof! It's you!"
Dhruv: "Hey look up there... I see nothing, it must be you!"

Return...: ...back to SMSS for a good sleep, only to get rounded up by TL^2, got a good scolding, and a card game ban. Doesn't affect me though. Wonder what pissed her off so much though.

Supper... still felt that there was something missing, just couldn't identify it.
Ryan: "Scrambled Eggs = Brains"

For the whole day, no spicy food was served. Yay ^^

2007-06-20T23:42:00.000+08:00

Dear diary,

Benni snores alot at night, it turns out that he's really having us on with his foetal position, which by the way is taken to another level from 1.14am onwards.

Love,
Benni, son of Ni (courtesy of brain)

P.S.
Benni is in a very complicated relationship with hips.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
btw, benni er its "who can speak HUN" you didn't watch night at the museum!?!?!?!?!? *if your com had a face it'd be sticking a tongue out at you, like, right now*

MORE QUOTES!!!
Mr. Oura [Hun]: Afo Ero obae kld o we;klr ??? 2? 3 ?f? fA?e ?? c?
Mr. Oura [Hun]: Lfo pvpoer bpp lc pwer pboro sd ?!2 ? D? ??? c ??
Mr. Oura [Hun]: pr boapelr kj ooo blajspeor lad se fa se ?!?@ ??
Mr. Oura [Hun]: ~~benni sozz cuutesSs w0rHxXx~~ dsfapewr bpvpsoer bovfpe

1?

2007-06-20T18:36:00.000+08:00

First last band prac before trip! So many more things to do, so little less time!

Quotes for the hungrier...
Theme of the day: Jeraldian Quotes

Jerald: "Ben is a b****"

Jerald: "Who's playing the timpani... oh it's you xD" (TMMITFM)

Mr Oura: "Who can understand Han language?"
Jerald: "Me"

TL^2: "...otherwise we're gonna taupok you" (quoted by request of Jerald)

Jerald: "Ben's trying to be elusive"
Ben: "Dang failed"

Jerald: "My scandal is so out"

---
Hmm. I don't usually make such short posts. So I shall add in this paragraph to lengthen it. Will there be computers in M'sia? I wanna blog! (And I hate diaries)

2007-06-18T20:23:00.000+08:00

2nd last band prac before trip! So many things to do, so little time!

So today we had early concert (emergency concert as I call it). We started off with Ocean. The last time we played it was Open House (bleh). Sad to say, it sounded pretty bad. The only improvement we made is that (insert name of alumini) did a pretty good job with the bass drum: for once I actually notice it. Other than that it sucked.

Jerald's triangles today were kinda out of time (granted he's a first timer), but it still lacked the essence that Ferdian brought out. Gong was kinda screwed, with (name of alumini) whacking it so hard xD Last but not least claves! So important... I missed those times where James did his expressive crescendoes and decrescendoes. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hehe, I miss Ferdian and James. Not that they were the best players, but they did a nice job with their parts.

It's not that (alumini) and Jerald played less well than the scholars. It's just that it was played soooo differently today. And I don't like different. Some parts, when the triangle/gong wasn't playing, when there was supposed to be a bow-on-glock part: it sounded empty; there was something missing. Something that we are used to having, now taken away from us.

I probably don't have the right to say all these, because I didn't take any extra part (triangle, claves etc.). In fact I was the only one who had to play less than for SYF, because of the loss of...

*observes 1 min of silence*
*sniff sniff*

Ocean is the "emo song" (at least the emo-est of the lot). How can we play it?

2007-06-07T10:18:00.000+08:00

Quotes for the hungry.

David: "First things first..."
Winston: "First things are obviously first what..."

Matthew: *vulgarities*
Matthew: "Oops, sorry ma'am (TL^2)"

Dhruv: "It pays not to know paradiddles"
*Kinchun scolds Si Kai and Dhruv*
Ben: "It pays to know paradiddles"
(I'm sure Wentao will agree with me on that one)

Dhruv: "Stop playing my score!"
*Ben closes score and plays xD*

Ignatius: "Horizontal Saucer"
(No prizes for guessing which instrument he's referring to)

Kinchun: "Don't quote me"
(How classic.)

Kinchun = Daddy Long Fingers
Dhruv = Daddy Long Legs
Ferdian = ???

Mr Oura: "You play like a goldfish"

HELLO

2007-05-31T19:33:00.000+08:00

Whee. Haven't posted here in ages. Expect the obligatory words of wisdom now and then here for our dear percussionists, in lieu of my new post.

What drove me to post, I don't know. I just wonder how we're all getting along in life? It has been a while and I am missing alot of things. RIMB, you guys, my sec 4 class, even, well, my teachers! It's strange really.

When us sec 4s tell you all to treasure your time, we really really mean it. We mean it more than you can ever imagine. And I know you all are capable of alot of imagination. VALUE YOUR TIME IN RI! AN RIMB! And breed true manly love for each other. Keep the fire burning and be true men of substance! SIGH :/

Calling All Mallesians!!

2007-05-30T22:14:00.000+08:00

omg quotes!

Jerald: ""snow caps" is THE cool!"
EDIT: it's 3 exclamation marks not one.

Dhruv: "What is "stupid" in german?"
Ben: "Schtupid"

*Eric making "RIMB" in the ~~bean drum~~ ocean drum! We need a picture of that! [HINT HINT NUDGE NUDGE]*

Mr Oura: "Maria help you hold lift door"
*points to Johnson*
Mr Oura: "He looks like Maria. Go help them count."
*Mr Oura counts in Maria-style while we stare at Dhruv xD*

Mr Oura: "Lucas, help him (Si Kai)."
Seriously though, nothing difficult about that triangle part. I have absolutely no idea how he made it into perc section.

Dhruv not being able to mute the last notes of the song. Sometimes you have to let out your laughter~ (but not during concert eep)

Jerald: "Benni i want to have your brain" (hmm pun?)

Jerald: "Are you British?" (in Brit accent)
Ben: "Isn't Kinchun British?"
*Kinchun shakes head*

Jerald: "Ahoy mates!... oh wait, that's Australian"

Free Lunch: 0 out of 3 Ah Puis attended.
Kenneth: "later the whole percussion no more food left"

Hmm... I dunno why people hate it so much when I mug their (mallet) scores. So a certain someone tries futilely to seek revenge...
Certain Person: "Where is your score?"
*walks past it, picks it up and tries to play it*
*doesn't sound correct to him*
*drops score and goes to store room while I laugh away*
Ben: "Kay good, time to mug his score"

Ben: "Bye Jerald!"
Jerald: "Bye!"
~~Myst~~ Matthew: "He dao-ed me!"
*short while later*
Matthew: "Bye Ben!"
Ben: "Bye!"

Kinchun: "Remove the chairs and tables!"
Dhruv: "No, there'll be a conference later"

Kinchun wants me to replace my marimba fff perc soli with the snare drum one! But the marimba one is important too! Solution: play both at same time?

While a really really big map is loading...

2007-05-28T22:09:00.000+08:00

(Not so) Alternate strokes

Our favourite QTS!

While waiting for dota to load...

2007-05-26T22:32:00.000+08:00

Qn: What's the difference between a drumpad and a mousepad?

Ans: Hm. Good question.

Edit: and more of the same randomness. this time with paradiddles

Fantastic Final Friday!

2007-05-25T19:42:00.000+08:00

Today's theme is "Dhruv and Jerald: Their Dark Side".

I wanted to dump all of today's quotes here, but a lot of it was forgotten due to excessive mugging of my mar-imba part.

*me plays strokes badly*
Jerald: "Ben is lipids, so he has a stroke"
*me showers everyone =P*

Dhruv: "Why do I see a snail?"

Some guy: "度如腑"

Wentao: "Wait till you catch up with my speed!"

Kinchun to Matthew: "Ben said he wanted me to chase you out!"

Ben: "What does TD stand for?"
Jerald: "Tambourine Drum"
Kinchun: "It's toms lah"
*flips to introduction page: TD = tenor drum*

Jerald pokes me (as usual), Dhruv rarely pokes me (but now he does), and all my years with Kinchun I've never remembered a poke from him... till today :O
Can't imagine Ferdian poking me.

I believe Jerald got up to #10 for his list. Forgot everything within it, waiting for someone to do it. *hint hint nudge nudge*

*Ferdian, Kinchun covering ears*
Kinchun: "Lets observe 3 mins of silence"
Kinchun, later: "I can hear which air-con is the loudest... *points to Jerald* ...that one's the loudest!"

Champion of instrument playing while sitting on floor contest: Jerald on mallets!

List of instruments we really need to replace:
1) Bass Drums
2) Snare Drums
3) ~~Timpani~~ Marimba Mallets

List of instruments that would be nice to get replacement (I'm tempted to close this section with "everything else", but I'll restrict myself):
1) Vibraphone Motor
2) Toms
3) Bongas
4) Some mallets
5) Many, maaany more

If only we could...

Woohoo Wacky Wednesday!

2007-05-16T19:33:00.000+08:00

Dhruv + Kinchun = 2 out of don't-know-how-many percs there are that came early. I was surprised when I marched in so late, only to realise that two other sectionmates are here xD David Wang came O_O

Concert. Quote time!!!

Mr Oura: "One - Two - Three - Four - Five - Six - Se...ven~"
Later, Mr Oura: "One - Two - Three - Four - Fi...ve"
Mr Oura: "One - Two - threeeeeeeeee *Spastically imitates that maestro guy (copyrighted Jerry) - Four"
Mr Oura: "That's why there are less ang mos in SSO~"
Mr Oura: "Wintercap (Snowcap)"

Kinchun: "My parents are not in Singapore (issit?)"
Some guy: "Ask Brain to sign"

David: "Sec 4s must stay back to take Sec 1s..."
*Dhruv counts himself out*

Time Machine! I'm a Sec 1, Jerald's a P6 (looking at his height, he sure is) and James is a university grad o.O lookie at his specs.

*David Wang makes his grand entrance*
Dhruv (?): "A mirage!"
David: "I came because I have nothing to do"

Kinchun: "Now, QTS with your left hand..."
Ben: "Oops."

Kinchun: "Where's Dhruv?"
*Ben points to piano"
Kinchun: "Oops."

*James and Dhruv stoning infront of mallets while playing that symphonic book*

Gershwin!
Jerry: "Gershlose"
Ben: "歌寻"

David or TL^2: "G6PD..."
Jerald: "Glucose-6..."
Matthew: "OKAY I DON'T NEED THE BIO HERE"

------------------------------------

Till next time, t'chao!

Oh, and guess who Kinlong's brother is? Kinshort! No offence.

2007-05-08T20:59:00.000+08:00

NEXT UP ON PERC SPOTLIGHT!

nothing says emo like a brick wall, a pose and an angle. (picture: lucas)

a response from the student population to our incessant pulse-blasting afternoons

oh romeo, romeo. i luVxXx eUuUuuUu w0rHxXxx

the paradiddles strike back, this time with style spas and a little rust

our guest model: a person from the matrix dimension: Brian Anderson (talk to the hand)
(picture: lucas)

so, tune in next time to PERC spotlight!!!

2007-05-03T19:54:00.000+08:00

Jerald was being very pokey yesterday xD

RJ percs! Haven't really sat in for a chat for quite some time. Old nostalgic memories.... Jerald: "scandalous". I've no idea what's going on, but I don't think it's very good... lol...

Yuchen you said you'd come for extra prac on Thursday! Why didn't you. Promise breaker.

Can't think of anything else to post, so here goes a quote...

Brian: "Hi Jerald, son of Han". =) =) =)

>_<

2007-04-27T22:40:00.001+08:00

:O BEN PLAGIARISED!!!

--Ben's Reply: Oops bad habit. You should go look at my RE report one day. =)

I lost count.

2007-04-27T20:24:00.000+08:00

Yeah, this is the most active RIMB section blog =)

Q: What happens to Brian's clothes?
Answer will be revealed later.

Arrrgh Yuchen's not coming. Lets cut him. No lets ignite his fats. Ewww...
Timpani! As a wise sage once said to me: the three important things needed to master the timpani are practice, practice and practice. Monday is an off-day, meaning more time to practice. But Tuesday is labour day! Will the band room be open on Tuesday? Or Monday? What about tommorow? Someone please open... =(
SYF's over, but this year is far from it. We can make it to the end together: there's still the Malaysia trip and the July Concert to prove our mettle. This year is going to be hectic. Whee~!

A: They get brainwashed! *chuckles and laughter*

-1

2007-04-17T20:59:00.000+08:00

Someone didn't do 0 *ahem ahem* =)

Frankly speaking, I am relieved that we got our Gold. It didn't come easy. Looking back, we changed choice piece TWICE (and very late too), didn't work hard much and almost got pulled out of SYF. The Gold reflects a little miracle. We've exceeded Mr Oura's expectations.

However, after getting that Gold, I'm sure everyone has a tinge of disappointment. The failure to obtain the Honours. Not like it was going to be easy anyway. All bands have performed; 3 got GwH. Given our effort and time invested, we'd probably thank the judges for being biased, should we get the GwH. But as Brian has said, the history of that of RI (and RIMB), is to do your best, aim for GwH, I mean, Top Band. Rizal said we could do it. And yes, we really could have. That minor error there, this thing that shouldn't have been done... yes we should be disappointed for not obtaining GwH, but be grateful for getting the Gold.

Screw the medals. For those of us who played our hearts out, dedicating the music to Mr Oura (or some other person), will be the ones who will be feeling satisfied, knowing they've achieved their goal. Those who've done a lot, I am very sure it has paid off well.

*hold on, need to reply to Jerald who's calling me a leewser xD*

Well... I believe the performance I put up was the best ever (ignoring the crash cymbal dropout). For some reason. Maybe it's due to the pressure of SYF. Maybe the bow complemented the glock really well. And I loved it. Every single moment of it. I was, during the rest periods of 12-17 sunrise and 119+ ocean, enjoying our stage time. Feeling the pride of playing, not playing a solo, but playing as a band, producing good music... together. We united in the 10+ minutes we had. That was an awesome feeling. Why don't I remember feeling like that in Prometheum last year? (too busy contemplating on how to tackle Fossiles?)

Okay, Ben & Jerry free cone dayyh and SYF may be over this year, but we'll have many more to come.

Our tradition of excellence

2007-04-15T15:28:00.000+08:00

It must be very pressurising, knowing that RIMB has a tally of sixteen consecutive SYF Gold awards.

It's a tradition of excellence that all of you must believe you are continuing. Strive for anything less, and you'll stumble. Whether or not the band gets the Honours, all of you must give your best. Aim for the best. If you don't think you'll get the Honours, then you won't. Don't let it be a pleasant, added surprise if you get it.

I know it must be confusing with all these different and seemingly contradictory messages from different people about what you should really do, whether to enjoy your music, to aim to beat the other bands or what have you.

I believe that, first and foremost, a band should always be making good music. Once you've achieved that, you will know that you deserve the Honours.

I'm beginning to sound a little abstract ><. I have no doubts at all that all of you will play well tomorrow! All of you sounded very good together the last time I heard. Remember that you're giving a performance, not competing. Play with pride, not nervousness. Always tell yourselves that you've practised for months; you won't screw up. You won't screw up. Look confident, sound confident. Be confident. You're a performer. You're performing to entertain the judges and audience. You're performing because all of you have put in so much time and effort, and you don't want to let any of your bandmates down. You're performing to show Mr Oura that the band cares about making music. You're performing to tell us, your seniors, that you've built on everything we taught you.

And at the end of your performance, give yourself a little smile (like what Mr Oura does sometimes at the end of a piece), because you've played well.

Do us proud!

Love,
Brian

1

2007-04-15T10:49:00.000+08:00

This is it.

100,000s of litres of tears, sweat and blood shed.
-10,000s of scoldings, remarks, and lessons learnt.
--1,000s of hours spent worrying about this day.
----100s of hard, hard practices.
-----10+ minutes: the time taken to play both pieces.
------1 SYF. It all comes down to this.

But whether we clinch the pivotal GwH or not, we don't care. For it is not our main priority. As Aaron has once said to me: it's not about the medal. It's about enjoying your stage time. Because we enjoy making music, because we want to pass this joy on to the audience. To show the time and effort we have put in. Like RGS, our goal is to be happy with what we have played, not to aim for the Gold.

This is it.

2

2007-04-14T23:02:00.000+08:00

less than 48 hours away.

to ben and i it's our only SYF with RIMB.

i think it's about time i got over the nerves, and start focusing on what i should really do, what we should really do.

Singapore YOUTH FESTIVAL. it's a festival, it's our festival. it's not a blood-sucking, muscle-tearing, limb-shredding competition. It's a celebration! a celebration of music! so we are gonna enjoy it.

what say you?

3

2007-04-13T21:22:00.000+08:00

Quote time.

"Ok on to more serious stuff... The band got "lectured" by Rizal, an old boy, a percussionist from the batch of 88. He had come in the morning and watched us all the way to when we fell out. He started off with saying how he had been disagreeable to the band changing its name from "Military Band" to something else. But after examining today's band prac, he thinks that we are not fit to carry that name. The name of the band which has won 15 consecutive SYF golds. Then he went on to talk about our lack of discipline and our lousy playing. Jonathan thinks we're at Gold standard but Rizal said we're still at Silver.

It was really quite a blow to hear him say that his section, percussion, played terribly. I guess he formed his first impression from sectionals, which he observed quietly. We were, of course, not very serious, as usual... Concert with Mervyn conducting was not very good at all. Perhaps he noticed my playing of the timpani, which was initially off-tune... He was, after all, right behind me when I was playing. Perhaps he noticed Faizin's disastrous crashing for Vogelhandler. Perhaps he just noticed the general attitude of the percussionists. And the other sections. We're not very serious at all. Which is bad in a way, I guess...

I don't think he has a very good impression of us, watching only one practice. I mean, would anyone in the band actually think the clarinetists are a well-disciplined bunch? But even though he might not have an accurate impression, I have to say Rizal is mostly right. We are not fit to carry the name "Raffles Institution Military Band" if we don't uphold the standards. We aren't focused enough.

Obviously, I myself am (is that gramatically correct?) not that committed to the band, but... we have to buck up..." --quoted from http://maeglin.blogspot.com, as requested by the writer for me to do so =)

He strikes again today, coming in the late morning and not departing till prac ended. I'm quite touched by how he's still visiting us even though he graduated like almost 20 years ago. Of course we were expecting trouble from him. Our standard has considerably dropped since '05 and '06, and for the first time Mr Oura is expecting a silver.

But no. Rizal actually had a few praises for us. He said that we had potential to obtain the GwH, or at least the Gold. He just said that we lacked focus, which is seriously imparing the whole band. As Mr Oura said, we lack discipline, and because of that, we have no hope. Devestating but true. Such discipline includes fidgetting during band, and not having the right posture. Small little things make a big difference. Hmm doesn't that sound familiar?

Extended prac today. First half we struck with full force (well, everyone was present). I guess we were lacking the spirit to play, such that by the time we reached Sunrise (later half of prac), we got a hell of a time with Mr Oura. Second half was better though, way better. By the end of prac, I was feeling happy. A feeling I've haven't felt for the past months of pracs. At least Yuchen stayed for some time before going home in the afternoon, along with James and Ferdian. It's pretty sad to see only me, Kinchun, Jerald and Si Kai left standing at the end of the day though. To Dhruv, Ferdian, Yuchen and James... hopefully you can justify why your afternoon activity was more important than the second last prac before SYF, your only SYF.

We should, we must, we can, we will. Haven't heard anyone mention this, but hopefully we can keep our band motto in vision during these 40+ hours left. Rizal said we had the potential, and I believe we do have it, if we only try.

If we only try.

4

2007-04-12T21:33:00.000+08:00

marquee skills +0

last few days left. we don't have much time left and i think we all know how we are doing. the important thing is to stare at mr oura all the time. like what he said stare until he can become apu neh neh.

and sikai, stop spasticating with the susp and look at him pls. and stop saying i know all the time, it gets irritating. u still should get ur peaking right, and don't forget what mr oura says.

ok i have juz moved from fear to kanchiongness.

5

2007-04-11T19:35:00.000+08:00

Marquee skills +4!

We definitely have improved after today's intensive concert. Finally it's a concert that's actually intensive.

Too bad Ah Pui x2 missed concert. Okay Jamie came in halfway through donning a red shirt (defecting, by any chance?), but our Ah Pui #2 is absent for an anonymous reason. Dear Ah Pui #2, we aren't going to force you to come for band; we'll just tell you that you have missed a good opportunity to polish your skills, and you were the only sec 2 that was not present today.

Miracles. They occur with a stroke of luck. Eg. Ben getting into RI was a Miracle. But Miracles can also occur with skill. Not just plain old skill, but lots of skill, refined and polished up over time. Thats one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Every little effort by each and everyone will produce a great result, only known as the Miracle. We CAN do it.

So what if the current standing is 1 GwH and 7 GoldNoHonours out of 63? So what if Mr Oura said that we should be aiming for Silver? We can do better, wayyyy better.

If only we try.

6

2007-04-10T20:26:00.000+08:00

ok we all know this syf's insane.

but since we are already mentally insane, our job's halfdone. let's just channel the insanity from our brain to our limbs which will then translate into insanity in music which will in turn result in perfectly coordinated sound.

comprende? comprendo.

from tmr onwards it's gonna be hardcore rehearsal, let's do everyone proud. we only have that one chance, make good use of it.

7

2007-04-09T19:55:00.000+08:00

Marquee skills +1!

Quote David Lee: "It is now exactly one week before our SYF, correct to the day, hour, minute, second." And it sure is. 4 more concert pracs to touchup... (excluding SYF day)

Another quote, or rather a fact: that two GWH bands got silver this year. Even if it is going to be a trend, we shall be the exception. Hope I scream on SYF day. And the next day. And the day after. Scream for us getting Gold, then GWH, then Presentation, then top band! Lots of you will be like, you're nuts, but anything is possible. We have a whole week left. Anything can happen. Oh and by the way pardon me for the bad pun.

Arrgh I need to know how loud my chimes are! Everyone keeps saying ocean is too "noisy", but too soft and no one can hear!

But lets cool down. Stress leads to illness and unwanted pressure ontopof schoolwork. Like how Mr Oura tells me to "relag" while playing Fossiles. The only person who should not be relaxing is Yuchen *ahen ahen sffz hint*.

I shall close this post before the telepathic freak starts chasing me with a bowgun, shouting at me to submit my post. xD

8

2007-04-08T09:12:00.000+08:00

rawr 8 days left.

i'm getting sleepless, i'm already feeling nervous!!! AHHHHHHHHH.

*takes the bowgun and shoots ben XD*

1 sectional left to clean up every little detail

5 concerts/rehearsals left

ADD OIL!!!

9

2007-04-07T22:18:00.000+08:00

Why do I always get the odd numbers -.-

Quote some guy: RIMB percs are gonna make an ocean during SYF, literally.

Yeah the above quote sounds silly, but well, lets do it.

We're gonna play with such wrath and power. kinchun's cymbal is going to spoil the timpani.

And Yuchen will damage the bass drum.

That's what we'll do. The might and power of RIMB.

Three squared more days. It's never too late.

Never too late to realise that you are following an identical paragraphing style as that of Jerald.

ROCK ON!!

10

2007-04-06T09:55:00.000+08:00

10 more days and the stage is ours.

let's own it!

but first let's work on all the crescendos :D

let's clean up every speck of dust!

let's eat up some sodium chloride to taste the sea :)

let's flood the SCH

go RIMB!!!

*ben u're doing 9 juz like investiture XD

2007-04-01T17:37:00.000+08:00

A message I sent in reply to other messages from my RJCSB batch which I thought applied to all of you too.

It's a shame how contrived that concept of an "ownage" concert is. I'm sure that after four years under Mr Oura's guidance all of us know perfectly well that, as a band, music always comes first. Our objective is to entertain with our music. Sure, the gimmicks and "creative ideas" add to the degree of fun and entertainment, but ultimately it is our music that must determine how successful our band is. Which is why it is encouraging that most of us know SYF should be our main priority, and that practice is the only way we can play well.

And there's the competition. It is very much agreed upon that competition can only push players to strive for better results, but as musicians who are we competing against? While each band (and each musician) can and should learn from one another, should our aim be to "own" all the other JC bands? Such an ostentatious approach to making music -- surely it's not what we seek?

I hope we are not in this band to beat all the other bands, win cash prizes or gain fame and reputation, but because we love making music and wish to perfect our music so as to provide entertainment of the highest quality.

So, practise for that SYF Gold with Honours and aim for the top -- not for the bragging rights, but to prove that we're good musicians and have entertained.

SYF Rehersal

2007-03-25T23:46:00.000+08:00

I have the urge to blog! I'll sleep after this, finished mugging most of Physics, can study for the unmugged tommorow.

Being on the lorry with Jiawei and Kinchun was... stone. Me stone, they two talk. Random guy: *psssst so antisocial*
Me: Okayyy... can't hear nor talk anyways. Too noisy. Oh and did I mention the free music on the lorry sponsered by our very own Windchimes? Yeah time to learn a lesson. Luckily it was not damaged.

Unload, check, push, shove, carry, stumble, assemble, ~~aim and fire~~ play. There was A LOT of echo in the hall. I hope everything won't sound blurred out by the echo. The bass was very much amplified (hey we only had 3 tubas), and if I am not wrong the glock and chimes were quite "shining" (whats that word... grrrr). Then there was this big big red digital 24-hr clock up in the hall and I was like staring at it half the time lol.

Evacuate, push, shove, carry, stumble, check, load. James is in the lorry! The lorry will tip over! So evil. Wonder who said that.

And a new record: TWO wheels off the bass drum! I'm stupified.

------------

Hmmms... so the other day I was chatting with Si Kai about the seven deadly sins (wow so random). A lightbulb popped up in my head, and I began thinking about who in our section commits such sins...

Lust: Jerald. 'Nuff said.
Gluttony: It was originally a tie between Yuchen and James, but the judges decided to save the best for later, so Gluttony goes to Yuchen.
Greed: It's tough to find a candidate for this. So my definition of greed would be trying out something wayyyy further than your capabilities are (eg. Sec 2s yearning to learn the double stroke). I guess we all were "greedy" at some point. So there you go =)
Sloth: James. Magic number 22 is the record for one concert's duration.
Wrath: Kinchun! My back still stings~ ouchie T_T
Envy: If I had to choose which sin I commite the most then it'll have to be this. Ben lookie at other people and am jealous of how they do so well.
Pride: From RIMB, it's clear-cut that Jiawei nabs this award. But if we limit it to our section... I'd say Wentao. Yeah he's in J1, but it's obvious that he has lots of pride in his paradiddles ;)

-------------

Lastly should we clean up the link list?

OHOH ALMOST FORGOT QUOTES!

Jerald: "Take (bus) 410 how many stops?"
Lucas: "Which stop you want to go to?"

Dhruv: "Which is more important, the Sun or the Moon?"
Answer can be found with him. Please forgive him for his lack of logic.

Poor Kinchun has to take a cab home! Awww... so rich.

Jerald: "D (Kirk)"

Me, my fellow mouse friends, and microscopic fonts on the perc instrument checklist.
Kinchun: "Inefficient use of space."

Augh amnesia. Forgot the rest of them.

2007-03-20T19:04:00.000+08:00

neeeehh, group 6 rocked harder =)

anyway someone hinted ahem... so here it goes.

SJIMB EXCHANGE!

move-rehearse-screwed-lunch-play-back

ANGLICAN HIGH BAND

move-tune-watch-play-watch-play-back

hope that was vivid enough :)

ok i was sick 75% of the time at the exchanges so yea... sorry. XD

Matthew wants an update...

2007-03-19T22:52:00.000+08:00

...and an update he'll get.

Wheee band camp was fun! Especially with Group 7 (rox!) Me-James-SiKai-Kinchun, perc owns =D With Leonard, Glenn and 2 other sec ones.
(Warning: following text contains many fast forwards.)
Points of improvement: No drinks but mineral water (Milo for breakfast was a relief). Also no sec 4s telling how they felt about the band. I've learnt that I am not fit to be a leader. Hey being a leader is tiring and mentally stressful you know... oh well band camp is supposed to be fun.
Group soccer? Goals 5 Losses 2. Oh wait reverse that. Our team was weak! No morale to play at all. Yay for night games and jokes! First and foremost I'd be thanking Matthew for giving us one clue for the cheer. No fast runners for the ball chase game... Second and soremost we caught a big stash of gold leaves on the floor, everywhere. Ask Si Kai! Everyone was picking them up. Third and thornmost Jerald found the tennis ball before me, made me lose a lot of face... somehow relatable to the guess-the-price-of-triangle-clip game played like 2 years ago lol. The answer is so obvious, yet I overlook it. Fourth and... foremost? Anyway as for Kinchun's game station, it's comedy to see James and some sec 1 pit against Andy and Alastair.
Kinchun: "What section is James in?"
Sec 1: "TUBA!"
And I lost to Russell in scissors paper stone! Now you can imagine how defeated I felt.
----
Gold Leaves: 198
Clues: 2
The watching of sunrise was nice, I don't always focus on listening birds. Too bad it was not well planned: the sun didn't appear even after 7.40. As for Phantom of the Opera, it was a nice ending to band camp, but gave me nightmares for one week after. And ~~chaliender~~ chandelierphobia.

Skip the exchanges. I'll let someone else *hint hint* talk about it.

So rehersal is on Sunday. Only 75 minutes. And lots of preperation. Making an instrument list shall not be easy. Lets just bring the whole band room over, shall we? ;)

P.S. im gonna kill whoever's playing the drumset, along with his bandmates. sikai/yuchen please tell me who those lazy peeps are. and yeah we'd better get paid for our carrying job.

P.S.2 happy bday yu chun! lol so insultive. But don't celebrate yet; must work harder! Oh and don't fool around during sectionals, or you'll get it on Tuesdays. Reciprocal =)

P.S.3 we need to teach our sec 1s more interesting things. Downstrokes and rebounds don't seem too appealing to them... are they lurking around here? *glances*

P.S.4 is it even out yet? =P

A Tempo XVIII

2007-03-11T11:17:00.000+08:00

Finally, a short period of breaktime to blog about this.

I screwed it up! Everyone seemed to be performing well, especially on Saturday.... except for me. I feel so guilty for ruining everything! I shan't list the details here.

Too bad we did not get to watch RJC perform their pieces. I really badly wanted to see my seniors play. Hopefully I'll get the chance to do so next A Tempo. And the PAC was nice, except that I believe they could have used more air-con. I was sweating profusely in there.

*yawn* band camp coming up *sighhh* no time for homework, no time for play T_T

101st post.

2007-02-23T20:07:00.000+08:00

GOOD DAY MATES!

yay we got a tutor, i don't think many of you know him. he's called Mr. Takehiro Oura who has first discovered his love for music when he played the triangle in primary school. He then moved on to Tenri High.... lol.

ok lar, he's not our tutor only for today, cuz we need help.

so we did everything until allegro (36) and i think sikai learnt alot today. At least he learnt the purpose of the susp cymbal and correct some errors. Timing is still his biggest problem though, got Mr Oura quite worked up lol cuz he came in too early for his crescendo. At least he changed, i hope he doesn't forget -_-.

AND OUR DEAR YU CHEN or as mr oura would say AH PUI.
mr oura has cut yuchen's claves part cuz of PONNING *makes gay noises with mouth*. PON SOMEMORE, AND EVEN YOUR BASS DRUM PART WILL GO TO JAMES!!!

please lor, its not cute any more when you look at us and try to escape with that smile. from now it's cutting and more cutting :) .

ocean box --> ocean drums!!! YAY.

quote of the day:
"UNCLEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" - Mr. Oura

100th post~ yawn

2007-02-21T22:15:00.000+08:00

*yawn*

The Foot Concept:
Foot = Rest? Footrest?

Helped more than half of you by holding open the band room door while we were entering for concert. Only Dhruv made the effort to say a small "thank you". Where has basic courtesy gone to? *yawn*

And I'd always wonder why it is Yuchen and Sikai that sit down first, and immediately, after Mr Oura greets us during concert. 1 minute --> 4 minutes *yawn*, I'm sure slow and steady wins the race.

NO TUTOR?!?!? *yawn* This sucks sooo bad. How unfair, why can't we get one when we really need it. Oh well, at least the $600 (issit?) can be spent on something else.

*yawn*

Sigh

2007-02-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

*angsts*

Lets all jump down! Whoo!

Change in choice piece

2007-01-31T19:57:00.000+08:00

It is our fault. Yuchen's screw up of solo, Ferdian's offbeat, Sikai's late starting, my wrong notes, Benjamin's slowing down, Dhruv's early starting. It's our section's fault. Even though Mr Oura might not say it, so as not to disgrace us, it is OUR fault.

One last chance.

zvdifo

2007-01-30T22:34:00.000+08:00

"So... you have 3rd lang?"
"Ya, but I feel like quitting..."
"Good, after you quit you can come for Tuesday and Thursday extra pracs"
"Oh then I shall not quit..."

I don't care whether you are joking or not. It clearly shows the amount of passion you have (or rather, the lack of it) for band. You know you are way behind "best", and not even close to the bare minimum standard. Yet you still show no desire in improving, in striving to even budge or to crawl one step closer to the goal miles away. Where's the battle when there are no troops? And I have little more to thank you for other than your ~~amount of~~ lack of determination.

10 hours per week isn't a lot, especially for you. Do you give up just because it seems like you cannot make it? In that case then what's the point of coming? CCA points? Fear of losing face? It's total nonsense. Attendance isn't the only factor now (and you're losing out even in that aspect). So you told me you've practiced a bit at home. Whether that was a lie or not, I can't be bothered to go on to debate about it.

At the end of the day I know that you won't be reading this. Even if you do I bet it won't get into your walnut head. But just take in this: no point coming if you have nothing to do. You're wasting my time, your time, and our time.
------------------------------------------------------
Why is blogger forcing us to use a gmail account >.< me =)

Who do you answer to?

2007-01-27T23:46:00.000+08:00

You answer to your seniors. Those drums you held. They were carried by bandsmen at least 18 years ago. They toiled, sweat, bled, teared for glory.

But of course, you don't even know any of them. So, closer to our time, you answer to us. The newly-graduated, fresh-from-school seniors. Those of us who played The Merry Widow and Der Vogelhandler for our Central Judging Gold and Gold with Honours. Most of us had a hand in passing on to you the techniques and knowledge required to be a percussionist. We stand separate from you now, independent of the band but never disassociated from it. And we will always be watching you.

You answer to this band. Whether you have been in it for one, two or three years, it does not matter. You are now part of its illustrious history, its 43 years of excellence. Have you read the essay titled Competition Day? It describes precisely the feelings felt by both performers and supporters when the band succeeds. You will know in three months time when you hear the announcer saying 'Raffles Institution - Gold with Honours'. We can, just as we always could.

You answer to your conductor. Mr Oura has directed this band for 16 years. He has seen batch after batch, faces after faces pass. His wealth of experience is, obviously, unparalleled by any of you. When we were recruits, he was like this wondrous, magnificent man that all of us held in awe. Strangely enough, we met him very rarely (except in music lessons), and only heard stories about him. Once we entered the main band, we learnt much more about him.

His praise is rare, but when you get it, it keeps your mood up for quite a while. On the other hand, when he points out your mistakes, you feel as if you've just committed a deadly crime. The best moments, those that are quoted so much it's almost a cliche, are when he smiles or nods at you during a performance.

He has seen the band change and grow through these years. He has, undeniably, seen its standards dropping. Does he ever blame himself? Does he ever get frustrated thinking about why the band is so lousy? One can only guess. But this man has put in so much for the band and taught every single one of us so much. We must do him proud.

And of course, you answer to yourself. Do you put in effort? Do you practise? Do you go the extra step to improve yourself? Do you ask when unsure? Whatever the announcer says at the end of the day, who is to blame, or who does the credit go to? Will you be lamenting over that wrong note or will you be proud to have perfected your part? Will you let yourself down? We should always answer to ourselves.

Pfft.

2007-01-26T21:15:00.000+08:00

Lazy. Defensive. Rebellious.

What's the point of going on? Time wasting?

Life would be much easier if everything was just assigned to Ferdian instead.

Non-commited.

Raffles Trail '07

2007-01-06T21:47:00.000+08:00

Sec 1s raffles trail today,
fat ones skinny ones just like you
but the one~

Haha... the whole thing at the Rajaratnam block. Good because the band room is usually missed (remember last year only 1-2 classes visited us in the band room =[). Bad because we need to carry the instruments AND THE HEAVY HEAVY GLOCK *cry*. Lol I feel guilty for depriving RJC percs from the instruments (luckily we never decided to steal the snare drum, Jerald regretted it later, but... poor Jian Wei + Zhufeng! lol)
Back to raja block. So when the cute little kiddies started streaming in at ~2pm, we realised we had no lunch. So we went for lunch in two clusters, our cluster taking about twice as long as the other one. Shan't elaborate too much about what happened when one cluster was having lunch and the other cluster performing together with poor guys like Jerald whom never get lunch till five in the afternoon. Playing: 1/10? Probably less. *cry cry* Not saying anymore.
So then Matthew wanted us to play some perc solos (kinchun why didn't you come?). Then during free time (5pm+), Mr Oura distributed some new books for all the sections!!! Mallets, timpani, snare drum... (kinchun why didn't you come?). Then came the waves of parents. Up to now I still wonder why didn't I hide in the project room. Then there was this tough parent. As some guy was explaining the history of RIMB, the parent cut him short and said that he doesn't care about the history at all. Rude!
Sad thing is that we got badly owned by RICO. They had wayyyy more people than us. While our pathetic ensemble... comprised mostly of sec 3s, and even so around only half the batch went for trail. Poor David (Lee), lost his voice and looking all tired, together with Winston and Steven...
Arrrgh Mr Jee still remembers me! Don't really dare to talk to him, but he approached me.
I wish we didn't have to show off. I'm shy! Matthew and Jerald are like, constantly pressing me to go out and JAM WITH THE TOMS!!! Lol how I hate showing off. Perc's about showing off, but it's really scary and pressurizing with two people.

Lots more to say, but I think I'll end for now. Numb hands, numb legs, and an OBS in 2 more days. Time to get some gooooood snooze.

EDIT: Thank you Jerry for reminding me: RINSPIRE DID NOT WRITE AN ARTICLE ABOUT PROMETHEUM. Screw them.

2007-01-04T20:31:00.000+08:00

-brian gave birth to a leprechaun called foki monoka putoloki (my pm)
-jerald married the leprechaun called foki monoka putoloki (his pm)

I'M HIS SON-IN-LAW

:O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O

2006-12-30T22:03:00.000+08:00

Jian Wei ~~finally~~ speaks like a true SL on his blog! xD

December 30th post.

2006-12-27T22:57:00.000+08:00

First and foremost, blogging about the last prac of the month. AKA last prac of the year.
Mr Oura ain't letting us play night songs for SYF. So now we are left with Sunrise Carmen. Which will probably mean that the sec 1s will be relieved of their duty of playing the set piece. Only 3 people needed to play it, nothing much to worry about actually... except for ad lib :(
Carmen.... GO YUCHEN!!! lol. He'll probably get stage fright or something. Just today he went catching butterflies and turned up 5/10 minutes late. Or was he helping an old lady cross the road? Forgot which.
We need new flutists, as said by Mr Oura. Well at least we won't be targeted at. We're already small enough. 5 of us.... and the scholars. Speaking about them, somehow I have that feeling that they (not including Dhruv) won't be performing in their one and only major concert of their RI career. Carmen should be jugglable with the 5 of us. As long as no one gets a major bout of screwup. Somehow what Kinchun said was right: Ferdian and David have lost a whole lot of concert experience. Going back to hometown, 1/3 of SYF practice down the drain, literally. Dhruv can always make up for lost time at home, easily.

Commercial break! *strays away from band stuff*

I'm back! What do I have to say... well I can't believe it... that's the very last band prac of me being a sec 2! (Jerald too) Eeek... the prospect of turning into a senior is scary. One look at me and you know I will never be able to command any respect. I mean you just look at the sec 1s chit chattering away during concert in front of Mr Oura and Matthew. Shutting them up THREE times does not work. Neither does giving them that "What are you doing?" stare work. Either their past life was spent being a cockroach, or my commanding skills = 0.
BRIAN CAME TODAY!!! lol.
Next year. New year, new challenges, new juniors, new songs, same old trouble. Sheesh. If Ferdian/David can take care of Yuchen and Sikai... HAHAHAHAA. I'd wish. And Jerald will be busy taking the freshmen half the time. Which leaves me to take the sec 1s since Kinchun will exercise his evil mind. Cry cry.

Commercial Break: Free tip: NEVER eat tuna for breakfast. Today's experience was horrible.

Welcome back... and now I shall present to you... The letter meme! Tag if you want me to give you a letter.
I got P from Brian. Ten things I like/hate that start with the letter P:

1) PERC!!!! OMGOMGOMG. Thank Brian for giving me a "P"!

2) Pants! Gosh time sure flies...

3) Pinky and the Brain :P

4) Peace. Always the best thing. No wars, no loud loud noises (what contrast to Jerald.)

5) Pasteries.... pie is yummy. Chicken puff, curry puff... ...

6) Poke. That's on my HATE list. Grrrrr....

7) Posture. Sorry Brian and Kinchun... my feet like to close up, and spinal hunchback :(

8) 3P '07!

9) Procastination :( It's so tempting to procastinate my chinese book report =(

10) PRESENTS!! What right timing~

And that's all I have for you this evening. Have ~~a Merry Christmas and~~ a Happy New Year! tsk tsk psssst.

2006-12-22T15:38:00.000+08:00

Hi!

Hmmm lemme do a recap of this week.

Set piece distributed, very "Singaporean", "Singapore Sunrise, Night Safari"? Probably taking things too far~ And Kinchun loves scaring us, so he proved to us that there is a semi-long perc solo. Full Day Sectionals. So We Practice The Set Piece. Well not "we". Yuchen was still (lagging behind) at Carmen. Sikai is trying out his marimba part, and always falls out of timing. Wow my snare drum part suuure is tough! Horrible rhythm to play with. And OMG Jerald is taking the toms *gasp*

Wednesday was our only performance for the entire holidays. With only 5-6 hrs of practice with our new set piece, we had to perform in front of a live audience. And I assure you, it's scary knowing how much you can screw up. Luckily Winston saved us by asking us to play only till the ad lib portion. No need to play Safari :), or to improvise. Oh, and now Kinchun traded his part for mine, so now I get the bass drum. The only motive was to continue Kinchun's streak of not playing da tambourine for a performance. :( Why, why did I switch parts with him?

TODAY! First concert with Mr Oura in a long while. It would probably be the boringest one too, if not for the wacky and comical Mr Oura o.O And he screwed up the trumpets nicely, together with Sikai. *gasp* Sikai is soooo out of timing. If he was trying his best to follow "big brother #2" and Mr Oura, it wouldn't be a problem. Apparently he (Sikai) was very much exhausted and out of energy. So he pretty much screwed up our section, and Safari. Not to mention the sec 1s' incessant talking. Throughout concert. Wonder why Sikai cannot get the timing right... and I still wonder why I swapped parts with Kinchun :(
So the tambourine seemed broken, the bass drum wheel came off, and a whole lot of fun playing ad lib. Did Mr Oura mention about playing either Sunrise or Safari? If we played ONLY Sunrise then we won't have to worry anymore~

Hmmm.... I shall leave Mr Oura's wacky jokes to be told by some other perc.