Philwind concert

Hi guys,
How are your preparations for the upcoming SA1? Need a break? Then go for this following concert! :)

Details are as follows:
Band performing: Philwinds
Place: Esplanade
Date: 3 May 2009
Day: Sunday
Time:7.30pm
Ticket prices range from $15 to $50
*student and bulk discounts apply!

Highlights: Reed's concerto for Trumpet!
AND
the pieces will be of high quality as they using them for a Japan Band clinic

So what are you all waiting for!? Get your tix now! Either contact Mr Chiang or me as soon as possible!
Thank you!

Nevertheless, heres wishing all MSSB members all the best for their mid year exams! Do the band proud once again! :)

James

hello all, this is to the junior band(sec 1s)

please be reminded that there will be practice for you guys this coming wednesday. SYF over liao so you all cannot slack liao.. hahas.. see you on wed (:

your sec4 BM

Message from Dr Kelly Tang to Mr Chiang

Guys,

Look at this!

Dear Adrian,

Congratulations on your fine performances and the prestigious Gold award! I really enjoyed your interpretation of Overture #2 very much. You really understood all that is happening in the score and made something very unique and special out of the notes on the page. Very tastefully and intelligently handled!

Kelly Tang

---

You guys did a very well! See! even the composer likes what you all have done! Well done guys!!
Listen to our recording yourself, we really did very well! We know we worth the honours. Never mind if the rest of the judges don't like what we played, we are playing music for the audience and NOT for judges. Music is not to compete but to soothe, touch/move and relax minds and hearts. So U GUYS DID VERY WELL BY PLAYING MUSIC!!

Don't be discouraged and continue to play well!!

MSSB and MSSBA must continue to be strive to be the 2 best bands in Singapore!!

GOGO MARISTBANDS!!

Fredy

Post SYF

Hi everyone!

(warning this post might be long)

SYF is finally over! This will be my last post for my entire band life in Secondary school. I have been with the band through thick and thin for these 4 years. I thank everyone for their guidance, especially my seniors. Although you guys made me very disappointed and sad a few days before SYF, but still my heart will always still be with the band! I hope you guys wont have the same feeling as me!

During the competition itself, I can feel the whole band's hearts beating at the same pulse and we did extremely well! Congratulate yourselves! You are not only winners of the SYF but more importantly over yourself! It doesnt matter what medal we obtained. Gold or Gold with Honours, it doesnt matter. If our fate is Gold for 2009, let it be and lets just work hard and improve further for 2011 SYF! Agree? Lets not blame anyone from your section for playing wrongly or what. It doesnt matter anymore. Its over so lets just get on and do better for 2011! I have faith in the sec 1 and 2 this year. 2 years down the road, you guys will be leading the band for SYF and I hope to see you guys as united as one people!

Result for today: Gold Be satisfied with this Gold because you all can proudly call yourselves a Gold Band for 2 years! Moreover, its our 3rd successive Gold in 6 years! Lets achieve another Gold in 2011 or even a GWH! YEAH! Let not get discouraged because we have done our best today and you all did splendid so lets continue with our motivation to produce good music. Lets show it to everyone that we are worth that GWH on sports day! JY guys!

I am proud to say that you all did extremely well and I am proud to be your major! Now to showcase our SYF band members!



~Lower Woodwind section~


~Percussion section~

~Trumpet section~

~French Horn Section~

~Saxophone section~

~Clarinet Section~

~Euphonium Section~

~Flute Section~

~Tuba and Double Bass Section (Loser)~

~Trombone Section~

There you have it... The members of the Maris Stella Symphonic Band who represented school on 8 April and Achieved a Gold award in the 2009 SYF Central Judging! I salute to all members for doing a fantastic and brilliant job on today's SYF! :)

Look at all those faces on the photos? You guys are the one that made so many of us proud today! Today, you all played music, not rubbish, not noise... a real music. Can feel it.

You all have worked very hard throughout these few months... I pity Brass + Percussion being the 2 big sections that always come for my sectionals and getting all the scolding and shouting and YET everyone still present for every single sectional with me (even the extra sectionals). Seriously, I am very happy with the performance of the Brass and Percussion today. Awesome. There were mistakes but which band doesn't make mistake while playing on stage? Even professional does screw up too.

Brass and Percussion >> Thank you for enduring all these tiring, painful, stressful and demanding sectional of mine. I know ALL OF YOU put in a lot of effort in doing this well. Really. You guys really a wonderful bunch. The improvement you all have made really impressed me. I guess you all still remember how bad you all sound when I started to take you all. As we go along everything just get better. From always getting scolding during full band to being praised during full band. See the improvement in you guys? Really nice. I like the spirit in Brass section this time round. Very united. Percussion as per normal, noisy, restless but never fail to make me feel proud of you guys. Brass and Percussion, YOU GUYS ROCK!!! Continue this spirit!!!

PS: To Percussion, I am sorry that I focus less on you all this time round due to brass but seriously, you guys are the one that I am less worried cause you guys can give me what I want fast and good. So changing anything can be done even up to last minute. So ya. I heard some "complain" from Percussion sec 4 that I less focus on percussion and focus more on brass. Sorry... anyway you guys did great. ^^

PS II: To Trombone, you all made it! J to K was nice! Really in sync and nice. ^^

Woodwinds >> Even though I have only taken you all for a few sessions. So I can't say much but you guys peak a lot during the last 2 weeks before SYF. That's something good. See as long as you all practise, you all can sound good.

I think all of us will need to thank Mr Lin, Mr Chiang for spending so much time on the band just to make sure the band sound good. Remember to thank them when all of you see them.

Of course to teachers, they spend so much time opening band room for all of you and preparing so much stuffs. Remember how good they all are to you all. please don't give them trouble.

Lastly, Gold with Honours or Gold. I guess it is ok. We are NOT up to the judges Gold with Honours standard, never mind. At least a lot of people in the audience thought we worth that award. We have captivated Audience's hearts but not judges. It doesn't matter. Audience is more important. We play music for Audience and not for people to judge.

As long as we moved/touched audience heart with our music, we have won this battle.

So Gold alone is good. Honours? We are good enough to be able to captivate the hearts of the audience and THAT WILL BE OUR HONOURS.

Our SYF ends here but our Music Playing Journey still continues. We are here to play music and produce music, we can't stop this duty of ours. Everyone, let's move on and play to our best from now on.

MSSB will definitely shine and be the best it can be!

and ALL YOUR ALUMNI MEMBERS ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS! So continue the good job!!!

remember we are the Maris bandits!!!

GOGO MARISTBANDS!!!

James & Fredy

if you're reading this post,

TURN OFF YOUR PC AND GO TO SLEEP NOW!!

But of course, i wanna wish all of you guys a good night's rest, don't be so pressured until cannot sleep.

As long as you enjoy yourselves tomorrow can liao.. hahas

ALL THE BEST FOR TOMORROW!!

Your sec4 BM

SYF

Hi guys,
This may be one of my final posts. It is an incredible journey i have taken in the Band from 2006 to 2009. In 2 days, I may not be around with you guys to practise anymore. Well, maybe for those who hates DMs will love it, but I will miss you guys. :) And to all Sec 4s, Lets make a legacy of being the first graduating batch to get GWH!

Here in this post, i just want to highlight to you all about the importance of this SYF in the first part. This year SYF 2009 is a very competitive year since 8 bands have been awarded with Gold With Honours(GWH) after only 5 days of competition. So I hope you guys know whats going on. This year is very crucial because it determines whether we are a Gold or GWH band for the next two years(2011). Well this award is important to all Sec 1 to 3s. It will determine how other bands will look at you. If you are a bronze band, I think others may look down at you, vice versa.

The award GWH is only released in 2005 and that was the first time our alumnus attained Gold. Then in 2007 the limelight was given to Chien Teng our impressive flute soloist and thus attained another Gold, sustaining the Gold. This year, 2009, we have no impressive soloist. Thus, its all up to all of us to acheive that Gold or possibly GWH! Its a good chance. Lets not let it slip out of our hands. Lets work hard ok?

I also realised that some of you have no enthusiasm in Band at all. What you all do is come for band just for the CCA points. I know that way of thinking. When i was in sec 1, i was to the trombone. I wasnt very interested then. I didnt practise hard and concentrated on my work. Likewise for sec 2 where i almost got cut from SYF. But still i managed to scrape through and played in the band for SYF. But when i was in sec 3 last year, I realised that Band is actually a very fun place and it is where many people will just come together and play and do things together, like one united community. Thats what i saw when i was made as a DM. From then on, my interest in band grew until i joined into Alumni where i was drilled like mad! Every practice was like a painful experience. It was really torment and i ever thought of quitting seriously cause it affected my results. Imagine full day practices on Wednesday and Saturday, especially when u have school in the morning on thursday. However, i perservered and stayed on and finally played for the alumni band for the first time at the national band competition 2008. That time i was playing the bass trombone and was the worst player. I felt that as a DM i should practise hard and improve my standard.From then on, I practised hard and harder, especially during the December holidays. That was when i improved most, all thanks to fredy's harsh comments. Now thats my story to where i am today. Whats yours? If i were u, i wont make the mistake i made last time. I made a big mistake for slacking when i was sec 1 and 2. So moral of the story? PRACTISE!

It doesnt matter if I am a DM or what. A DM is not the most important player. Everyone is very important. Even a triangle player is also important. Everyone hold equal weightage! So all please practise. I know this post is kind of late to motivate you all to practise, but i hope it will be of some help. I tink if we perservere and work hard for the next 2 days. I tink GWH shouldnt be a problem for us. So lets just hope we play our best on the SCH stage ok?

Currently, as you all can hear from the recording please go and settle all your problems! Such as togetherness and intonation! So all please play your part and practise the problematic parts!

Lastly, i just want to convey a message: please do change your attitude. It is very bad. The scence where fredy and i dramatic and me walking out of the band is bad enough. I was disappointed that day with attendence that i walked out on you all. I know it was wrong but put yourself in my shoe. Nicholas Chew and i have friends who are in Band such as Anderson, SAS and SCGS. All of them have gotten at least a gold. It will be really very malu for me and Nic if we were to get a silver. I am writing about this not because I want my face. But, i feel that if other bands can get Gold, why cant we? Afterall, we are the angels in disguise, loyal friends and whatever Mr Kwok say about us. But most importantly, we are marist gentlemen! We will stay united! Want your GWH? SIMPLE! BE DETERMINED AND PRACTISE!

All dont be pessimisstic and this especially goes to Joshua. :) Be optimistic! Afterall, like the advertisement that was shown before: Always look on the bright side of life! ...(and so on).

Last final few sentences: Jia You all Marist Bandits! You can do it! Everyone have high expectations on you guys. Be sure to accomplish them! I WANT EVERYONE OF US TO BE SATISFIED WITH OUR GWH AFTER THEY ANNOUNCE THE RESULT! CHEERS!

Jia you and all the best marist bandits!
~Aiming for Gold with Honours in 2009!~
~Legacy of MSSB continues to the end!~

James

Important information.

ALL Majors, Committee members, SLs + Members take note,

I have sent email to Majors, committee and some SLs (as I do not have all SLs email) regarding recording.

They will be forwarding you (all members) the email.

Please listen carefully to them. Like what I said yesterday morning. You all did well for beginning.

Continue to work on the 2 pieces.

I think it is very important for EVERYONE to know their OWN mistake. Make sure you know your own mistake and solve it. No need to wait for others to tell you.

Fredy