Only approximately 3 hours of sleep and soon it was time for me to head down back Canberra Secondary and watch my fellow juniors from Band to take their final test of hard work in the Singapore Youth Festival 2009 (SYF09). Along with a few seniors, we were their morale supporters for the day as excitement and nervousness is filled around the atmosphere within the Band room. As a senior, I do not know how much they have improved over the past months but I believe that they should have been equipped with their best weapons to fight for this battle for that fateful day.

At the Singapore Conference Hall, some were mentally prepared whereas others were nervous. When the performance started, I begin to hold my breath and listened to the music piece as the Band plays the melody. Beautiful in the beginning but after a few bars of the scores, things started to breakdown. One by one, squeaking can be heard from some of the sections. Christina, one of the seniors, was showing how nervous she was as she kept mumbling “Oh No. Oh No…” While for me, I was trying to calm myself down, biting my finger as I anxiously continue to look at the performance. Overall, the first piece was a disastrous piece with a lot of mistakes and many breakdowns created by various instruments. That was the beginning the attainment of Silver is diminishing.

The second piece was much better compared to the first, as there were lesser mistakes but there comes another problem; articulation and dynamics. The flow of the music wasn’t as lively to the one I heard during some of the Band practices I attended. Plus, the feeling was not there at all, especially when the loudness and softness sounds the same after all. Maybe it is the lack of manpower that resulted to such a less emotional-felt performance but I guess, it is about how you enforce yourself to play how strong or how weak the sound should be in every bar of the music. No dynamics equals to ‘dead’ music. That is the second pointer that will skinned our own heads off, putting us down to final verdict in between of a bronze or C.O.P. (Certificate of Participation).

At the end of the day, when the verdict was out, we were announced as the Band who got a C.O.P. for this competition. Many cried but some were feeling fine. I helped to console a few of them but failed many times. Even when we were in the bus, sobs could be heard. I, acting as a senior yet do not know what to do to comfort them, end up distributing water to them, hoping they drink more instead of crying more. How bad could I be right? Well, that was not that bad till one of the juniors was crying so bad that I tried telling her to stop but failed.
Junior: *Crying*

Me: Hey, don’t cry already. We can still try this next year.

Junior: *Still crying, yet nod the head and cry*

Me: Aiyo… No point crying for now. There are still chances for improvement. Relax alright?

Junior: *Again, still crying, yet nod the head and cry*

Me: *ZZzzzz…* Okay, okay… Since stopping you can’t seem to work, continue to cry until you feel better then. =.=”

Junior: *Laugh… and back to crying…*

During the last reflection period in the Band room after we had returned, there were good and bad comments. Mr. Lee (Band Instructor), the good guy, with the ‘you have tried your best’ talk. Mrs. Lee (aka. Ms Pan), the bad gal, with the ‘have you put your best effort in it’ talk and Ms. Maria (another teacher-in-charge) with the ‘where’s your discipline’ talk. While for me, I do the ‘teamwork’ talk to say what my true feelings are and to the real meaning of a Band, instead of one person blaming for him or herself for what mistake that they made during the competition.

At the end of the day, a competition is a competition. They learn to succeed and learn to take failures. It was almost all smiles for everyone, with some bad memories behind but motivation to continue striving hard in order to achieve their next goal next year, and the following year for SYF. Now, that’s a relief for me as a senior, no consoling to be done and no crying scene to handle. Peace at last! Phew! =X

Not to make the members to feel turn off for the next few weeks but seriously, I guess more can be done to improve your play. I estimated that it was nervousness that makes everyone to make the wrong stuff during the performance but nervousness was not a very good excuse. I prefer to believe that it was an overestimation of your own talents that resulted to this. Base on the success of the previous year in the Marching Assessment, many could feel that you have improved. Yes, but this time round, maybe you feel that you are still that good, that is why you have produced a substandard performance at the end of the day. Overestimating yourself will lead to your chances to failure.

However, as what is mentioned by Mr. Lee, it’s all about experience. This time you faced it, next time you can work harder and obtain a better reward for better effort and hard work. Similar to sportsmanship, competition, no matter it’s a good or bad match, at the end of the day it’s a handshake with each other and smile always. The next few days is about learning how to improve and try again the next competition.

Lastly, I guess if everyone feels sad enough, think again, who is the one with a further blow? I guess, its Mr. Lee and the teachers; Mrs. Lee, Ms. Maria and Ms Hawa. They work with you people to ensure that you will attain the best from the Band. I guess, saying anything will be worthless but it’s all about reflecting for their effort for the Band. Think about the good points instead of the bad and that’s the first step of appreciating others. Instead of saying thank you, a sorry will be better for them. Why? That’s because, in Mr. Lee’s opinion, this is the best band he had ever created. You guys are his best students no matter what success you have gained or not.

A ‘sorry’or a ‘thank you’ for the next practice? You decide for yourself.