Inspiration

I had the privilege to attend NUS Wind Symphony’s concert tonight…as a spectator. Tho i am one of the performers with the wind symphony, due to certain reasons, i coudn’t be with them physically performing though spiritually and morally i supported them. And a splendid performance it was! Am very proud of all of them…

However, during the performance, a sense of nostalgia swept over me. Honestly, during the performance, memories of my days in the ACS band came pouring back to me….the good old days… some of the greatest time we had. How i really wish i could be back in secondary school, with all my fellow band members. To all who knew me, you would know that the band was a big part of my life…taking up 30% of my daily time for 7 years and still counting. Life then was either school or band..or sleep there wasn’t anything esle. For those who din’t know me…now you know.

I missed the days we played together. Although the music we performed was not in tuned and definitely far from perfect, we played it through the joy of our hearts. I still remember one particular practice…a saturday in the school canteen..the conductor was Yoke Li. And somehow that day, we played Abba Gold and it soudned so perfect. I was totally surprised…it sounded like a pro band honestly, very in tune and very balanced. I called Yoke Li up after the practice and we both agreed that’s the best of Abba we’ve ever heard. I missed the time, when we had free time and hanging out in the band room, one person would be practising..and suddenly we had an ensemble playing..it normally starts with a clarinet…then a trombone will join, a trumpet, percussion later…and pretty soon, the clerks from the office will be scolding us for causing such a racket. I miss the cold drinks during funeral :p oddly so…haha or the crap we used to talk although it waws quite sombre then. I miss collecting ang pao during funerals (especially when u’re low in cash and suddenly there were 3 funerals tat week).

I still remember the camps we used to have, the passing of the flame…the tarik tali after that the next day. I missed marching under the sun for hours (and surprisingly no sunburn). I miss doing degree turning…and having some $#@!@ new junior bang into you cause he doesn’t know what degree turning is. Haha i miss being evil and giving extremely hard sequence of degree turning(pray hard that u dun get me as an examiner)

I miss seeing the band bond together, from a bunch of rag tag people….when the challenge came, everyone rose to the occasion. Everyone was dead serious 2 weeks before the competition working their asses off….never had i worked with finer people (of course the rest of the time all band members were absolute devils).Haha i still remember being surprised…at how a junior which i had given up on, suddenly became the best trumpeter around …

I miss ’shaking’ up the staidum whenever we performed at TLDM…i miss marching…i miss marching with friends. I miss all the crappy stuff we used to do…like sing late into the night. I miss challenging my fellow drum majors into high throws of the mace…and breaking 3 maces in the process….    heck i even miss the silly dance we did with latin gold…definitely miss the perverted and horny hornist and the sick stuff they used to do (never approve of it…still don’t approve of it—imagine them sucking their mouth pieces)

i miss hanging out in the bandroom…long after band practice is over….until the jaga had to come chase us away. but most importantly, i miss all the members of the band. And i miss the whole band experience.

It’s not about the medals, it’s not about the trophies, it’s not about the competition.

It’s about the sweat, it’s about the tears, it’s about the experience (very few knew that i almost cried when we got 3rd in 2001..i felt very disappointed for having disappointed my fellow members who i knew worked very hard…we deserved better but only if i were more skilful with the mace)

Do you miss them too?

You see, the fact is, the band is not a living thing. It is alive only becuase of the people that form the band. Every band member’s experience is unique…which makes up the overall band experience. You do not need to depend on the leaders to create that experience for you. How your band experience turn out, is totally up to you.

I have no idea what is the condition of the band now, but i certainly hope that everything is going in the right direction. Because i certainly miss you guys and playing with you guys…

Well but what can i say, everyone has to go on in life. Now i can only make full use of what i’m given now and appreciate it more..lest i look back in regret again.

Music is only beautiful…becuase of the people you play it with.

One Band, One sound!

regards
Kelvin da Kachuak DM
DM 2000/2001 Conductor 2000-2003 CDM 2003
but most importantly
Band Member 1997 - infinity