Today's entry is simply about Band... why?? Well, I just want to tell others about my story on how much CSS Band means to me during the past 5 years. I will explain my feelings, my thoughts about the Band and the reasons to my expressions... Most of all, I will explain why I still continue to go for Band... even if I had graduated from CSS.

YeAr 2001
When I first join the Band, it was really a big 'family'. There are more than 80 people in the BAnd, approximately to 100 people. During that time, I really dont know why I'm in the Band. First of all, I think it was Joshua's idea. I remembered on that fateful day, Josh and I were unable to join NPCC as we could not pass the Marching test. In the end, we were told to join another CCA instead.

At first, I was thinking of joining SJAB but most people thinks that joining them would not have a bright future... Why??? That's mostly girls stuff, not for boys... (However, my opinion changed as I get to understand how important life-saving skills are...) Anyway, after joining Band for the first time, I learnt... nothing. I actually wanted to play the French Horn but the teacher in charge, Mr Leong, put me into the Tuba section. At first, I hated my instrument as it's too big for me. It's bigger than my size, maybe heavier than me. Each time I had my sessions in Band, I will have aches on my muscles. I hated Band alot during that time... Haha...

Another reason that I hated Band was because I dont like music at all. I dont listen to music all the time. Believe it or not, I bought my first CD album when I was in 14. Serious!! During 2001, I was just 13 years old... maybe younger. Haha... My music skills really suck. I dont kno how to read the keys, only know how to play the tune with 1,2,3... Haha.... I was really a weakling during that time... A quiet weakling... I dont speak much during Band practices... There are very little friends around me. I was not fond of talking to the other members, who were mostly in the Express stream... One example is my Tuba section. During that time, there were all Malays except for me, the only Chinese. I hate it when they keep mingle among themesleves. Worst of all, I dont even know what the hack they were trying to say, so I was considered as an outcast during that period of time. Band, to me was a boring CCA. A CCA with no hopes and future for me...

YeAr 2002
I stopped myself from going to the Band practises. I lost the confidence among the people, the teachers, my instrument and most of all, myself. I felt lost all the way. There seemeed to have no turning point. In the end, my attendence was 65%. I hate it when Mr Leong, still then the teacher in charge said, "Just look at your attendence, I'm not giving you any CCA points..." During that time, it seemed that the teacher was trying to tell me, "IN YOUR FCAE DUED.... HAHAHA...." It was getting kind of boring by then. The whole Band was nothing to me. I was willing to give up Band even if I dont recieve any money.

I hated Mr Leong for that year as he was an @s$hole and I really mean it. He talked to us with his problems taht he faced at home during a Band practice. Furthemore, it made all the Band members to be angry as his talk was held on a Saturday... During that time, Band practice was held on Saturdays... From as early as 8.30am to 12.30pm. However, thanks to Mr Leong, everyone got to go back home by 1.30pm. As you look at the faces of the Band members while Mr Leong was speaking, you dont like the way they were behaving at that moment... haha...

Another incident, maybe not incident but known as the fact, the leaders of the Band were having ahard time under Mr Leong. Each time they had a meeting with Mr Leong, they would end up sobbing when they came out. The sobbings were mostly the girls while the boys had their faces looking downwards, with their mouths murmuring the bad things about Mr Leong. Now you should know why in the past, Band was not famous at all... Soon after, Mr Leong left and Mdm Tan took over, which was a good sign after all... hehe...

During that time, I also experienced a terrible time, also known as the terrors of Band. There was this guy in my session, called Farhan... Maybe you dont know who's the Farhan I'm refering to but it's alright, that's not important at all. Anyway, Farhan was a Drum Major and a Tuba Sectional Leader. He's talented in music and was a pro drummer and tuba player.

Many people envy his talents in music; a great musician in the future. However, he got some attitude problem... That's my opinion again... hehe... For instance, he would get to touch a gal... Maybe the shoulders or hand but it sounds like aguy should not do that if he doesn't had the gal's permission to do so. Furthermore, he always love to whack people hard on their backs. I mean it. Each time I see him whack Ariff and Fazil, I feel the rage in my body boiling. The rage that I'm going to unleash... anything... anywhere... but on him only... Time and again, I see my friends being abused by him, as well as me, I really feel angry and pissed off. One day I told him off, in the end, we end up fighting... sort of... he just pushed me at a corner but I didnt do anything to him. Not being a coward but I dont like to punch people... I prefer to slice him into pieces.... haha... Kidding... But I just try to control my temper at all means... hehe...

YeAr 2003
I began to work hard in Band, try to be punctual for Band practices and not to miss any sessions. I just wanted to achieve my CCA points that's all. Farhan left at that year, not turning for Band punctually. That's what I like. Without him, I have peace... haha...

Anyway, I begin to love music as I started to blow wonderful pieces with my Tuba members. I really had a wonderful time with Fazil, Ariff and Clarence. For instance, the piece 'Everything I Do, I Do It For You", the Tuba would play at the 8th bar... So, since everyone is playing the first 8 bars, we would start acting like crazy people, acting to cry in a errible way... Why?? The tune of the 8 bars sounded sad... Like a funeral was going on... haha... So we keep acting until it's our turn to play from the 8th bar onwards... hehe... Furthermore, we would spend our time playing Scissors, Paper, Stone with each other when we are not paying attention to what Mr Lee is teaching. Mr Lee was the new instructor... He came and joined us in 2002.. late 2002... hehe...

Furthermore, my love to music began to develop as my buddy, Yong Hong, made me to join him in singing lessons. Before that, I dont like singing. I was not a good singer and I dont like music at all, not to talk about singing.. However, we started singing together as a duo make me realised that my singing was not bad at all.. maybe... hehe... Just praising myself that's all... haha... Moreover, I also had my gal with me, supporting me... all the way. In the end, I ended my relationship soon after I realised that the 'N' Levels were important to me... very important to me... HAix... What's past is past... None of business anymore... I'm free from relationship at that time... happy... haha... I dont know why but I prefer to be a loner, as I always do... all the time...

Anyway, that's how I get abck my interest towards music... A support from friends and a never die attitude would do the job. I started to tell myself that I must work hard to make sure that I could be a good Tuba player but still I failed to do so.... HAix... haha... but it's alright for me after all...

YeAr 2004
I had Band practices for 4 months... During that time, I was only close to the Tuba members and not other members in the other sessions. As I wrote above, a loner for sure... haha... Anyway, for the past 4 months, my mind was thinking that I must leave Band as soon as possible... The answer to it was simple... I do not want to waste time to be in the Band, I wanted to do my own stuff instead of playing my Tuba every week...

However, I began to learn how to engage with conversations with the rest of the Band members. It turned out to be quite successful at all... In the end, I befriended with Chris, Yun Ting, Xin Ying and some of the seniors... I feel more like being in a family... hehe... I dont know why... When I have problem, they would ask me what happened... Like wise, if there had their troubles, I would ask them if they need any help... It makes me realised that Band was not bad after all.

After I leave Band, I had this feeling that I missed the people in the Band room but not the instrument... hehe... I dont know why.. maybe I'm just too paranoid about palying instruments... maybe its my weakness and I dont dare to face it, to challenge it... Anyway... It was then I began to learn that music was in my life everyday, now and then... I began to compose my own music... my own songs... I got to know more singers instead of one or two ONLY... hehe... Most of all, I learn to be a stronger person, to be brave enough to face all the challenges in front of me.... hehe... sounds like I'm boasting but it's the fact.... My love for music, not Band, would not change during that time... hehe...

YeAr 2005
The year where dreams were made... the year where history was made... the year where legends were made... the year where CSS Band was known to the whole Singapore... We participated the SYF. In the ebd, we ended up Bronze... Alright, I dont like it when we got BRonze as many of us aimed for Silver... However, I remembered the lessons that we had learnt from 2004 to 2005. From the camp in 2004 to the day we know the result of the SYF, I relaised that we had been putting alot of effort on playing the pieces... This is what I call 'teamwork'. It make me realised that as a team, as a family, miracles could be created... Hope would be there, as always...

Mdm Tan was the mother hen while Mr Lee was the Father... Both were giving us encouraging words to motivate us no matter how bad we play...Most of all, Band members got to know each other more better.. I got to know more members instead of that previous few... I had the courage to say 'Hi' to them... hehe... Life was just as amazing as before... More friends.. and my dream of being a good musician... as a good composer and singer... some sort of... hehe...

By this time, I realised that Band was important for me... Each time I see the Band members, I feel very happy. I dont know why... It's some sort of a sense of belonging... A place where I could call it 'home'... My problems or stress would be free and I feel much better, no matter I feel terrible... The music would be there to kill my problems instantly... Maybe that was the reason why I wanted to continue visiting the Band even if I wanted to skip my work, or evn spending my free time with them...

YeAr 2006 onwards....
I will continue to show my contribution to the Band, mentally or physically... Even though I know that i'm still a weak Tuba player... also known as the worst Tuba player in CSS, I still want to say that Band is not bad after all. Now, the teachers might be demanding but it is not like before. All the problems I faced were solved and what we could do now is to play an active role in the Band... Likewise, maybe I'm just talking crap but it's my opinion... hehe... The lessons I learnt in Band make me to e a matured person... Something like that...

For me, just like those who hated Band, what matters most is that we put our heart in the instrument we play play.... I believe you guys can do it... At least we give it a try... If not, we wont know that how good or bad we can play and find the way to make sure that we improved... So, I hope you would not give up... believe in yourself... then you would know that music is part of our life too... A system that makes us breathe everyday... hehe... So we must think positive... With Mr Lee and Mdm Tan, the Band would not collaspe... and I mean it... hehe... So everyone, work hard for the marching assessment... Good luck...

*So Mei Qi, I hope you would be like me continuing Band and not giving up easily... Are you up to that challenge??? trust me for once... you can do it... trust me... and most of all... yourself...