♫♪I love NAS, Concert Band, Trombones and my seniors!!♪♫
Band practice today! I went to put my bag outside Band Room. Only Serene was there, and soon Chong Jin came. Then I waited there, thinking where I should go for lunch, haha. Then I went to McDonald's to buy take-away. And it was raining, so I got wet while going there. And when I came back, the drizzle became heavier and I got wetter. Then I sat at the table and ate while doing my Chinese worksheet, which I didn't do a lot. Then after I finished eating we talked about band. Then Chong Jin took out the conductor's score (with all the instruments' parts) then Germaine came and they went to eat. Then I was all alone there. I read the score because I wanted to see 1st and 2nd Trombone part. Then at 1.40+ pm, Kevin and Chen Hua came to put their bags down. Then Chen Hua looked at the scores and said "哇，好用功哦" (Wah, so hardworking) Haha, actually I looked at the scores because I was curious. Then they went for lunch too. I didn't feel lonely. Then more people came later.
I set up our instrument then went to take chairs. This time there were chairs for my section, haha. I asked Germaine, who's Assistant Quarter Mistress, for slide oil then she went to ask Yi Hui. Then I went to 2R6 classroom to get chairs. Then Yi Hui came and say "Rebecca, you're under arrest." Hahaha! She asked "Is this the thing you want?" showing me a bottle of slide oil. Then I said I don't know, never seen before. Then she asked me something I couldn't really hear although she repeated and I didn't answer then Germaine said "Ask Darryl la!" Then I said" Er...ask Darryl la!" Haha! So I took the chairs and Germaine went to look for him. She went outside the Band Room but he wasn't there, then asked me. I said in the room, if not there (Band Room) means there (M Room). If not there (M Room) means there (Band Room). Haha, but he wasn't in the M-Learning Room too. Where did he go? Then she asked if anyone saw him then just then he appeared outside the M-Learning Room, haha. He went to the toilet to wash the mouthpiece, haha. Then I don't know about the oil already. Then when I went into the room, Kevin took his stuff and threw a bottle of oil (a different one) on the table? Obviously I didn't take it.
Brayton lead in warm-ups today because both Ms Leong and Mr Yeo weren't here. Mr Yeo came at 4pm while Ms Leong didn't come. Started with chromatic low tones then B flat Major scale. We tried March "Blue Sky" first thing. I managed to play more of the high notes than usual for the melody part! :D Good! If only every time we tried any song I could do that. Still couldn't reach some, but I reached those in front. Then we played Novena. I flipped to North Bay Vistas, haha! And only after the music started then I knew I was at the wrong page, haha! The 2 songs both start with rests for me. Then we stopped on the 2nd page. Then Cliff came. He was late because he had oral exam. He wanted to hear us at the slow part of the song, which I think we're not very good at. We tried the last part of the song which I never played before. So, not too good at it. Then Mr Yeo came.
Still on that part of the song. Then there's once he asked me to move my stand to my right, then asked me and Darryl hold our Trombones above the table. I heard a banging sound but didn't know what it was. Then my Trombone hit the table and had the same sound. I think it was Darryl's Trombone. Mr Yeo asked both of us to hold the Trombone above the table then Darryl's Trombone hit the table then my Trombone hit the table, haha! I had to tilt my head upwards when I was playing with the Trombone above the table! Am I too short? For playing like that maybe I am, but for playing Trombones, I'm not :D Head up while playing?! And the part he asked us to play was new to me. But when he asked Trombones and 2 other sections to play, I tried. Then the Trombones hit the table one is when he asked me and Darryl to play only. So when he say "1st note" or "next note" then Darryl played first then I follow, just to make sure. We play together, I mean he start first. So for every note in the 2 bars, he started first when Mr Yeo asked us to play. Then also another time, Mr Yeo asked me to make some hissing sound before I play but must use diaphragm to support. So many other people kept making the sound then Mr Yeo said "You all keep doing that then she has no chance to do! Can you all let her have a chance?" haha! Then he ask me to go louder, until the whole body shaking then he demonstrate, haha! Obviously I didn't do that. Then later he said "Can hold longer?" Actually that's telling me to hold longer but I shook my head, haha, then he said can. Then when I played on the A flat on the instrument later it was louder than before! So I should do the hissing thing before I play next time, haha. And when I played, Kevin jumped??? As if I suddenly played so loudly. And I started to feel cold just when Kevin said "I starting to feel cold already."
So we continued practicing Novena. Then at the end of practice, they asked who doesn't have a pencil. Then we raised our hand and they gave us one. So good. Then when Liang Rong gave Darryl a pencil, I was going to stand up to take one then Darryl gave me that one. So nice right? :) Then Liang Rong wanted to give Darryl another one but couldn't get it out of the box. Then when he did, I think the lead broke then the guys there started laughing and I didn't know what happened. I think it broke after he took it out, not sure. Then Liang Rong didn't know what happened and asked "Huh? What? What?" Then Darryl just said never mind and kept that pencil. That broken one should have been mine...Darryl is so kind. He got a broken one but didn't ask for a change but I think if I got the broken one, he would ask Liang Rong for another one. Mr Yeo said we should bring back our instruments or else when we come back the Clarinets will go to him and say the cork drop out, the Trumpets will go to him and say the valves stuck...bla bla bla. And Trombones would probably have the least problem (yay) but we also have a valve so it might be stuck. (I was thinking since when did Trombones have valves??)(And when he said the Clarinets will go to him and say the cork drop out, they started laughing. Don't know if they are thinking the actual thing or another word) Then I asked Darryl the Trombone slide need to put oil or not. Then he thought I said I need to put on my slide and asked "You need to put?" then I said "I asking you." but actually I do need to put oil on the slide. Then he say just put and later he pass me the oil. Then Mr Yeo wrote on the white board "Mr Yeo Band" and asked us "Who plays the instruments? Who makes the sounds? Who needs the correct articulation?" All answered the band. Then he asked what the band needs to be a good band. We started listing things like responsibility...then someone said "punctuality" and don't know it's same person or who said conductor also then everyone went "Oh..." because the conductor was late, haha. Then went on listing and Darryl said commitment(one of our 4 core values), then someone else said "Integrity...respect" then everyone laughed because those 2 together with responsibility are the other core values, haha! Then Mr Yeo stopped after a lot of things were listed (mostly under "Band") and said that commitment means punctuality, responsibility...(and said everything on the list except the first 3). So actually he only needed to write one word instead of the whole list, haha. And Darryl only needed to say that one word to mean all the other words they said, haha.
Then after we were dismissed I kept my instrument and while waiting for Darryl (because the Sec 3s and Band Committee stayed inside) I decided to loan my instrument although it's very heavy. Jaslyn loaned hers too. Then Darryl came and passed me the oil. Finally I get to oil my instrument! :D At least I didn't have to wait so long like the last time. Then when I gave it to Yi Hui she asked me to keep inside my section cupboard but when I went in, the percussion had already kept their instruments so Rebekah said she'll keep it in her cupboard first... I hope it's in there so it doesn't get lost. I found out that oil was given to Darryl by Yi Hui so it belongs to our section now. Then we went home with our instruments. 3rd time loaning my Trombone :D I thought I'd never loan it again... Today is the last practice before the exam break :(
And just when I started blogging this, a window popped up on my screen "LR says:hey" then when I opened it, 10 people were in the conversation! 11 plus me I think. I think it was Cai Yan added people to the conversation, asked us to go for some Soka Centre performance which has Band performance. Then Assiddiq (Trumpet) asked who Trb Jr was. That's me. My display name is Trb Jr - Trombone Junior. I thought it'd be obvious. Well that means that he doesn't have Kevin's msn. Because Samuel was in the conversation too and only lower Sec are considered juniors. And today was the last practice before the exam break from CCA starts. 1 month of no practice :( I'll miss the trombones and my seniors...Mr Yeo said when the break is over, it'll probably be end of October and by then the school should be done. Then we'll have a new music room big enough for the whole band to practice in! Yay! :D And we'll practice in the auditorium too since we'll be performing in the auditorium. And we are probably the first aesthetics CCA to use it for a performance! Yay! Bye!
