Yeah chuhui organise..

Let's start talking about how we ended up in NYCB first alright? =)

Heh lemme first start with my recollections of NYCB as seen through my eyes.

Here goes...


I was young and as blur as a sotong when i first entered Nanyang. I had absolutely no idea of what eca to choose, I didn't want sports, please leave me out of sports. So I consulted my parents and my dad encouraged me to join band. Then suddenly I remembered that I had this fascination for band instruments when i was in primary school so I decided to join band. I was so afraid that I couldn't get into band and so under my 'previous eca' section which I had to fill up in the eca form, I wrote, recorder, dance.... Music related ecas down, hoping that the school will take into account that I used to be in a music based eca, I should be able to get into band. Band was my first choice, and I got into the band, then known as NYMB.

I remember the first day i stepped into the band room for this 'band orientation day'. I was pulled around by all the seniors, asking me to try this instrument, try the other instrument. Anyway, I aimed for the clarinet section first and I tried the clarinet (dad advised me to play the clarinet) then after my trial and being told that I've got "potential" as I managed to produce a sound :P I went to try the bass. Diana was there asking me to buzz, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a sound out. I didn't know that I had to vibrate my lips. I stayed at the bass section for a pretty long time but I still couldn't produce any sound. I stood up, and was pulled to the Cornet section by Qilling. She told me to blow and I used all my might and I actually managed to produce a sound. A G note. (freak accident i guess :P) and she said, I had "great potential"! and asked me to put my name down for the section and heh I ended up in cornet section.

Well, all I must say that the "great potential", "you've potential" lines are some of the very popular phrases that seniors use on juniors to get them into their section. I myself am guilty of this action when I became a senior myself. =) I had no potential, I was only able to produce basic sounds that sounded like a duck quacking to trained ears. To my untrained ears, it sounded like a note which kinda made me believe that I could play the instrument. I came to realise how lousy I was at the instrument when I had my first training session with Mr Teo.

A sweet old guy with a twin brother. He was our junior band instructor and he had no teeth left. But even without teeth, he sounded so much better than all of us junior band combined. He was my first true music teacher where I learnt all my music theory from him, learnt my instrument playing from him and learnt all my love for my instrument for him. He was also the person who managed to make me stop shaking my legs. I had this bad habit when I first started playing my instrument, I subconsciously brought my habit of shaking legs in. It was until Mr Teo pointed it out to me that I realised it and curbed this habit.

I remember Mr Teo teaching music theory and all of us trying to keep awake, I once caught Yi Pheng falling asleep though and I nudged her to wake up. I also recall him teaching us the concept of sharps and flats using do, di, re, ri, mi,fa, fi, so , si, la, li,ti, do. And the concept of semiquaver, 1 e + a , 2 e + a, 3 e + a, 4 e + a. Very basic and yet so important.

I also can recall when we juniors played together the first few times as a junior band. Whacking at the notes, and trying to play in time. At that point of time, I was actually impressed with ourselves , to actually be able to synchronise and play together. I can vaguely remember the sounds that we produced and on retrospective (now that i've better trained ears) I really think that it's hilarious. Imagine a group of people, whacking at their instruments, just like a farm, you hear pigs squealing, cows squirming, chickens screaming. And we were proud of that, thinking that it was music and yet wonder why seniors always scrunched up their faces when they heard us. =)

Anyway back to Mr Teo; I miss him, its been more than 7 years since he last taught me. Time passes so fast and I feel that although the time that he taught me was short. I respect him a lot and i will never forget him. The last I saw him was 2 years ago and he actually still remembers that I'm in cornet section! Boy, was I touched. I hope he's well and can't wait to see him again the next time...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------