A big "HELLO!" to all from Singapore!

Sorry for the LATE post.

I am so encouraged the youths of my church on blogging that here I am once again!

Dunearn

So my 2nd (secondary) school life began.

Nothing much has changed expect from white to blue pants. My textbooks were almost all exactly the same.

Day 1 - Fear

Went to school early (cos I think mom sent me) and sat around. Shared my table with this Indian guy Ashwin. Guess what? It's his 1st day also. We were to find out that we were classmates later in the day too!

Assembly was an experience for me. There were Ah Bengs with outright blonde/ yellow hair and the Discipline Master (DM) seemed to do nothing. I thought to myself: "I'm dead. I will be hacked to death by one of these Ah Bengs."

Yes, I had the "Ah Beng phobia".


Into the classroom

So into the classroom I went. I chose a corner seat but it was in the 1st row. After introducing myself to the guy (Shimin) sitting next to me, the 1st qn is asked was "How are the Ah Bengs here ah? Will kenna beaten up or not ah?"

He replied "no lah"


Metallica and Band

During the holidays before I entered Dunearn, I was introduced to Metallica the band by my cousin [who used to be from a Satanic cult but now (2007) turned believer!], and I loved them.

I bought their "Reload" album and was blown away by the majestic drum sounds in the 1st few tracks, especially "Fuel". (YEAH, u guys know who u are…)

There are arguments whether they are an ungodly band but the lyrics never really hit me. (I couldn't figure out what they were singing without the CD booklet!) So it was really the music. Therefore I do not if this was in God's plan or not.

Nevertheless, I wanted to learn the drums becos of Lars Ulrich (Metallica's drummer) and with this new life that I had, I joined the band. Maybe it's God's plan to put into 3E2 becos there were so many band members in my class! And one of them was from the percussion section. *TADA*


My musical journey

Childhood

I have to go all the way back to my childhood days in this section. My father was and still is a (bass) harmonica player. He loves (classical) music and has a good grasp of music theory (although in chinese).

His 2 sisters, my aunts are also piano teachers and most of my cousins are pianists. So naturally, the person I am without an identity, yearns to be like my cousins and play the piano.

In my primary school years, there was a violin course and my dad signed me up for it. It was fun with all your fellow classmates, like the lesson we gripped the violin with our necks and kept jumping.

But when I started learning from the teacher 1-on-1 at his house, I lost interest. No heart to practise, coupled with my dad's forceful attempts to make me prac (and even take picture of me playing violin when I am crying) made me hate music.

This is made worse by the fiercest teacher of my life - Mdm Yap.

She was a music teacher in my primary school and my interest for music was totally gone after experiencing her.

(But now that I am a teacher myself, I actually appreciate her! More on my teaching career later.)

I never would have thought I would join a military/ concert band especially after my time in SJI where the military band was SO strict on discipline that the leaders literally pumped their people every 3 steps when doing their drills.

(I witnessed these cos I was with the NPCC in SJI - lonely cos I am the only person from my class.)


DMB (Not Dave Matthews Band) - Dunearn Military Band

So there I was in the music room. Newbie. Taught by my classmate, section mates and seniors. There was no official training.

There I found true close friends. Music really bonded people together.

I can vividly remember one evening where me and my two good friends (Ben and TCS) just sat by the pull-up bars and talked about life and death. I was so lost and afraid of death becos everything was uncertain.

I fell in love with music again...

I practised and practised until there was an incident where my Section Leader chose me to play snare drum ahead of my classmate. She was so devastated that she cried. I didn't know any of these until someone told me about it and I felt bad.

I was well-liked by my conductor Mr Leong. Here I must stop and thank him for being a big support to me in my own personal "Renaissance of music". I can remember him pulling me aside after practice when everybody else was falling in to give me 1-on-1 lesson on Conga drumming.

He also specifically wanted me to conduct the band when we (Sec 3s) were all supposed to audition for the band major (ala student conductor) post. He said "Rock the band." before I started. I remember it was the lower Sec's recess time or something and TCS playing the drums for me as I conducted "That Thing you do".

It was an experience I will never forget. I guess it was prob it that made me want to conduct further in my life.

I was given the post "Function Master" eventually. Guess the system (or people) would not want a newcomer to be in a high position. Well, I guess that's fair cos I would have hardly known the school or band culture with just a few months' involvement.

I was part of the band's 1st ever public concert held in the school hall where the fitting opening song was "Jesus Christ Superstar". It was really Him who gave me music again! Praise Him!

I would never forget the pieces we played: "El Bimbo", "Swinging through America", "Jurassic suite" etc and the ENORMOUS percussion ensemble latin piece featuring a drumset solo "El Cumbanchero".

We had no extra suspended cymbals so I was standing by my senior at the drumset. Boy, I dun even know if I can play as well as him now! Malays just have the groove and feel!

The piece remains my ALL-TIME-FAVOURITE percussion ensemble piece. It just felt right with all the "veteran seniors" coming back to help play and conduct the piece. We bought a marimba specifically for the piece. Everybody was simply playing their best instrument and it really ROCKED.

I remember me starting the percussion solo section with my agogo bells. (I just feel like going back straight to the moment!)

The power of music!

I played Timpani for our SYF pieces