♫♪I'm a happy 2nd Trombone!!♪♫

25 Nov 2009

Band practice 8-12pm! I forgot a lot already. Mr Yu asked why I change to bass trombone, I said I'll tell him later. I've changed for so long already. We played Irish Tune From County Derry, yay! I like this song! It's aka Danny Boy :) Last year when Band went to Genting, the instrument workshop instructors who are a brass quintet called B5, played the song. Er... it's very famous but I've never heard it before. If I hadn't remembered the title I wouln't find it familiar at all. Actually I don't find it familiar, I just know the title. Only until we played it then I can remember the tune. As in remember starting from now. Woohoo! Solo starts the song! Yeah! :D Fine, it's not trombone solo, it's trombone and eupho solo. ...the score put 'Solo' :( Wah, 3rd trombone no solo, rest a lot of bars eh. When not resting then playing accompaniment, but 1st and 2nd also accompaniment then. This is worse than earlier this year's SYF songs. One whole chunk of solo missed out on. That score comes with Shepherd's Hey where we rest about half the 100-bar song. Also, there's some parts where we rest then play a note or so then rest again. But we didn't play that song today. There was breakfast break again. Mavis gave me my belated present and card! :) Mr Yu asked why I changed to bass trombone, so I told him. Haha, I act so secretive, go look around to see if anyone's listening first, he said why top secret, lol. Josiah busybody go stand there, haha. We played Procession To Peace again. We played Ponyo! Nothing much la. Bye!

26 Nov 09

Band 1-5pm! Kevin didn't come. So I called him, but he didn't answer :( After a while at 2+ I sms him, and he replied. He overslept, into the afternoon -.- So he didn't come the whole day, which made things awkward for me during sectionals. Ding Cong's not back from Australia, Benjamin said he will be back on 3 Dec. We warmed up on our own and then went for sectionals since Mr Yu or Yeo were not here yet. Supposed to practise Mamma Mia! and Ponyo, but as usual la, didn't even finish Mamma Mia! once. How to each him?!?! I decided to get the metronome to give tempo since the beginning got rests and he's likely not gonna keep tempo, but then, it ran out of power -.- So I tuned using my ears. I said he's sharp, because it was sharper than mine, but I don't know if I'm in tune. I'm quite sure I'm right. So I lent him my handphone to play the song Dancing Queen since he can't get the rhythm no matter how I teach him. Then the conductors came, yay! So we went back in, separate into brasses and woodwinds. Haiz, sectionals was so awkward. I don't know what to do, then when he play wrongly which is most of the time, I also don't know how to teach. I think I made him very bored, haha, I'm also very bored ok. I should be more bored than him since I already know how to play. After that? I forgot everything, but it's nothing much. Eeeee... I realised without Kevin here, it's not fun :O Bye bye.

Labels: Band, Juniors, Seniors, Trombone

♫♪I'm a happy 2nd Trombone!!♪♫

21 November 2009

Today's Student Learning Festival/ Open House. Those performing report at 7.30, those not, at 8am. So I came at 8. I thought there's no practice but there is! :O Mr Yeo and Mr Yu came. All Xue Qi's juniors didn't bring their flutes, haha! So Mr Yeo made them get it somehow. He was shocked that they thought there was no practice. Those 10 performing (Band 10!) go to the auditorium while the rest stay to practise, haha. We warmed up till 9+ then Band 10 rehearsed while we listened. Wah, have to play standing. Need to bow even. The bowing and lifting instruments is Rebekah's cue. Kevin's very outstanding, of course :) Haha, then after Ponyo, I told him he played something wrong, then we didn't realise, but they all bowed and he didn't. Then Mr Yeo scold him -.-''' Tsk, wanna scold at least scold the right person la!!! Then they went down to the auditorium. Mr Yeo gave us a break and told us to prepare Mamma Mia! So I went to look for the 1st and 2nd trombone original scores. I found first, but where's 2nd? I kept looking but it's not there. Then later, I asked Benjamin and he said he didn't return it -.-''' so I lent him my own. The remaining band was sucky. Sounds totally ridiculous and we stopped almost everywhere. Finally at 10+ the Band 10 came back and we continued practising. Someone I thought looked like a senior (like Jezer) walked past the open door. Kevin said "Jezer eh." "Really?!..." I didn't know, couldn't see clearly. He walk past quite a few times... At about 11.50am we went for lunch 30min. We got coupons for the lunch. $2 coupon go exchange for the packet food, so it's free. We went to Jezer and I only said hi, haha. Then he asked Kevin what time we end. Then we (me & Kevin) went lunch (separately). Taufiq said no one told him to come. I thought Suky did, since she asked when there's Saturday practice cos NS men are free only on weekends. Hmm... I got his number from Taufiq! :D Didn't finish lunch, rush up and reached Rebekah at 12:20:00 haha! Reached the door a few seconds later :D

Then continue practising Mamma Mia! Haha! There's this incident that's damn funny! :D Our band room door was closed then someone open the door and straight away step in, then Josiah (Sec 1 clarinet) went "AIYO!!!!" and the whole band burst out into hysterical laughter HAHAHAHAHA!!!! But she's like so thick-skinned. I think she's a student leading a group of... outsiders. She just come in with the group and stand there. All the others who came by didn't even come in, she just step in like it's her house and stand there. Rebekah said they wanted to hear the band when we were having lunch. So we played Mamma Mia! At bar 41 (just finished the 1st page), Mr Yeo stopped the band, and then said "Oh, we're not performing for you. We're just having our normal practice." Haha. Doesn't she feel paiseh at all? -.- Then they left after a few seconds. Idiots. We're supposed to end at 2 but Mr Yeo said he's been listening to us the whole day and doesn't wanna listen anymore, so we ended at almost 1pm. Josiah still continuing about the girl, say what she looks like the kopitiam auntie...... haha! Bye :)

Labels: Band, Break, Concerts/Performances, Events/Occassions, Juniors, Seniors, Trombone

♫♪I'm a happy 2nd Trombone!!♪♫

13 November 2009

Band practice, 3-6.30pm. Only Mr Yeo came today. Combined practice first. The 3R3 people came later, I heard that only 3R3 was having POA lesson. No wonder when I walked past the toilet earlier, only 3R3 was being used. They came slightly before 4pm. We combined in Procession to Peace for a while. Then went out for sectionals while the people performing for SLF stayed in with Mr Yeo to practise the songs Ponyo and Big Bands Play Folk Songs. Haiz, I also want to perform! If we (lower sec) are not performing, we still have to come to school. Do nothing. Kevin came out later and joined us. We were practising slow from part H, Procession to Peace like what Mr Yeo asked us to do. He practised himself first. Then after a while I asked him to practise together, whole section. Then nothing much. Mr Yeo came out and asked us to go back in. But we didn't combine. Mdm Yanti was there, and she briefly briefed us on the band camp. She said this is a training camp, so if we're hungry at night, we're not allowed to call for (food) delivery, HAHA. We have to get our own lunch everyday outside school and we're not allowed to being back food. There's 1h and Kevin said he can go home and eat and bathe! Argh! If I lived so near I also want to go home and eat and bathe. Benjamin was asking me whether need to bring sleeping bag. I said don't think so, not necessarily sleeping on the floor. He said "Then got bed meh?" -.- Lame la, on the tables la! When I told Kevin that, he was like -.o Haha, then dismissed before 6pm, yay.

Labels: Band, Juniors, Seniors, Trombone

♫♪I'm a happy 2nd Trombone!!♪♫

Band practice today. 9-12pm. I reached just time. No Sec 3s again, but they'll come next practice, cos it's 3pm-6pm I think. My juniors were earlier than me. Today's supposed to be sectionals, but since Mr Yu hadn't come yet, Andrew the assistant student conductor conducted warm ups for the 3rd time only. We did Chromatic Low Tones and Total Training. After that the ADM asked whether we wanted to try and combine play a song or sectionals but no one answered, so she asked Larry. He said sectionals, I also said sectionals. So we went for sectionals. We went outside, because I said there's no O' Levels today. Actually I didn't know, but I saw the board beside the stairs downstairs, it said 10 Nov but today's 9 Nov, so I presumed it's for tomorrow. The calender's for O' Levels, got the word above it. So we went to the usual spot, but got a bag on the table so decided to stand. Benjamin did his homework, Mr Yu asked him to memorise all the positions. He said he memorised then he forgot. Haha. So I tested him a while, only got to test a few notes. Some (or one, forgot) wrong (very far, haha) some correct. I think 2. A natural and high B natural. Then they ask us to go back in already :( No idea why. Mr Yu appeared and disappeared immediately :O Purple shirt again. First time I saw him he was wearing purple shirt, I think 2nd time also. Haha. We were doing our own stuff again when he reappeared. He ask us to play tuning note but never really tune. Then Great Band Workout. And then Procession to Peace very slowly, he conducted in 2/2 but the speed is 4/4. We didn't finish the song, we played until the piccolo solo where no one play then we stop for sectionals inside.

At first I teach them the whole time (and didn't play together with them) on Procession to Peace only. We're supposed to do that and Big Bands Play Folk Songs, but they don't even know how to play the whole song how to do both? Mr Yu came some times and he only work on Benjamin. He said he don't know how to breathe and it's surprising he can survive until now, HAHAHA! Special needs, haha. Because he didn't breathe enough I think. I taught the whole first page then Mr Yu ask me to take a break (from teaching). After that we (my section) self practise. I noticed DC kept slacking by talking to Tuba, so asked Benjamin to tell him stop slacking. And he did. Then Jaslyn's junior who was already slacking by not playing turned and talked to him. And I asked Benjamin to stop slacking. Then he say he's resting. I said he rest so long. I got braces he don't have then he said braces can what. Then I said something like "You try go put la!" Then I told them to change places and they argue with me. Walao. Then I 大声 already (although not scolding) and this time, it's command them to change, which they did after a lot of rubbish between themselves. Jaslyn say I very strict. Crazy juniors, haha. Later Jaslyn and I went toilet. We went to music room to ask Mr Yu and I said our juniors are slacking. After we came back, I noticed they changed back their places. And DC was slacking. I asked Ben "You ask him to change?" but he thought I was telling him to tell DC to change, so they change back.

At about 12pm Mr Yu and those who went to the music room came back and we did Procession to Peace, again stopped abruptly at the flute part. I said today DC wash bowl. Then after I kept my stuff and came back out, the bowl is still there. Benjamin was telling him to wash, then he raise his hand (???) and call my name to say he doesn't wanna wash it. I told him to wash then he said last time he washed, now Benjamin's turn. Then I scolded him :( I yelled "Just now I ask you to stop slacking then you don't want to stop slacking. I ask you to change place then you don't want to change place!" Then he went already. Actually I remembered he washed last practice, but that's a punishment for slacking. I actually didn't want to scold them, and I didn't scold because I felt like it. But with that attitude, my section's gonna be a disaster after I leave in Sec 4, so I had no choice. I've never even yelled so loudly in band until now. I don't usually scold people so loudly (I don't even scold them usually) but hopefully this'll prevent them from slacking again. Haiz...

Labels: Band, Feelings/Emotions, Juniors, Trombone, Tutor

♫♪I'm a happy 2nd Trombone!!♪♫


Like a perfect flower that is just beyond my reach, gone too soon...

(Warning: This post is long. Anyone who does not like words or reading is advised against reading this)
Band practice today. Starts at 3pm. I finally brought back my bronze bass trombone today. I had to wait for new bus, because the old bus has steps and not enough space. So I missed 3 291 buses and I reached the bus stop at 2.30pm but waited till 2.55pm -.- and I was late. And that's a valid reason ok! I looked through the little window at the door of the band room and saw Mr Yu! And he saw me and motioned for me to come in so I did. Ding Cong and Benjamin were there already, Kevin not yet because he had HMT lessons. I brought the scores that I forgot to bring last practice too, haha. They were doing warm ups, by the time I settled down it was 3.15pm. We continued warming up. After a while Mr Yu told us to go sectionals, but Sec 4 seniors are having O' Levels in the hall, as Rebekah told him, so some went to the music room and we stayed here. But before we start, Benjamin asked for slide oil. In the end, DC's the one who needs it -.- Yeah, so Benjamin went to the store room to get a stand and I made DC go in and oil his slide.

Then we started sectionals. I had to stand between the two of them (while they sat) since it's so noisy inside. Mr Yu said practise Procession To Peace (I was already at that page) and Big Bands Play Folk Songs. But we only did Procession To Peace because not enough time. We started at 3.45pm and end at 4.30pm. I taught them in 4/4 time. Someone opened the door, and when I turned to look, my jaw dropped. Cliff saw me and waved hi, and I smiled back. Of course I thought of Darryl Kor Kor too. Quite surprised he came, must be the exam finished. Kevin came but didn't teach them, he was cleaning and oiling his slide. Oops, forgot to tell DC must clean with tissue first. I'm not sure what time he came, I was teaching them so didn't check my watch like I usually do. His lesson ends at 3.30pm, he came at... 4pm maybe. It's actually only the first time I take 2 juniors together without Kevin. Last time there's once I thought I'd have to take them alone, but Kevin came later, and Mr Yu came also. This time also I'm not entirely alone, but considered since Kevin didn't teach. I haven't even finished the whole song but it was 4.15pm already, so I let them practise by themselves while I practise on my own, because I haven't even practised yet. Then Mr Yu came and it's so noisy I can't hear anything he said, so he had to like come right beside my ear and talk, haha. Percussion is behind. He asked me to teach them I said I teach already. Then he asked me to play together with them, but I said I also can't play properly, so even if I play with them it's like... But he said they'll have more confidence if I play with them. Really? Never knew that, I was never like that in Sec 1. Ha! Kevin only settled down when sectionals was over. Mr Yeo came.

We didn't even touch on Big Bands Play Folk Songs today, just Procession To Peace. So before sectionals it's Mr Yu take, after sectionals is Mr Yeo take. He did in 2/2 time. He asked what accidentals is, no one knew, even if they knew, they didn't say. Well, everyone he asked didn't know. Then he asked Jaslyn's junior to open the Essential Elements book. Accidentals is any sharp or flat (or natural) in the song that's not stated in the key signature. Ok. Then before we played he said whoever cannot play he'll send them out with Mr Yu and Mr Yu will whack them, haha! Then half way in the song he send my juniors and Jaslyn's juniors out. Then I said they go out and Mr Yu whack them, but Kevin didn't hear, and I didn't repeat, hehe. They were out for quite long, just to practice the main melody. Then we came to the trombone + eupho part F. He said I never relax enough when I play, and he can see my neck moving or something when I play. :O Ew. Aiya, because my braces la :'( (Don't worry I didn't cry) DC came back first (yay) and Mr Yeo immediately asked him to play. Not the best sound he can give, sounds... like me now... I bet that's how I sounded when Mr Yeo said I didn't relax enough. His position 4 is so wrong, and I told him and it's still wrong. I think Benjamin improved since the last time, which was more than a month ago -.- During sectionals his rhythm is better, but still got a whole lot to improve. So DC played and Mr Yeo took a tissue and put at his water key, it's leaking. I told them before to always put a tissue there. I told Kevin "Remember, like Darryl? Addicted to tissue paper." Mr Yeo asked if there are other trombones with trigger that we sent for repair the other time. I said bass trombone, he asked for tenor trombone, Kevin asked if it's the one he used last time. Mr Yeo said yes. Kevin say "Got, without slide" I say "What without slide?! Hahaha" "Eh! Without trigger" Mr Yeo say to let him use that one next time. Then Kevin say he was like "Trombone without slide.... Why?" Haha! Trust a trombonist to say that :D We ended at 6.30pm today, Kevin's complaining, he thought it was 6. Haha, bye!

Labels: Band, Juniors, Seniors, Slide oil, Trombone, Tutor