Wednesday, December 29, 2004
I have finally decided to blog.
Maybe it's because it's the end of the holidays. Or perhaps it's the starting of New year and the school. Or maybe it's the deep cut I got on my left index finger that I'm challenging myself to use the finger and not wince in pain.
But nevermind. I've got alot of things on my mind right now.
Firstly is the Sec 1 orientation performance. I have tried to come up with something impressive for the percussion walkthrough that Eugene suggested, but so far all I've managed to create was a short thing lasting only about 20 seconds.
Next is the choice of impressive songs we will be playing. Note the word IMPRESSIVE. Seems like the Majors want more boys to join the band, so they, naturally, are placing the Drumset right smack in the middle. Of where, that's their problem. And the songs will naturally include Disco Lives. Apart from that, some of the majors have already considered taking out our traditionally-played-at-orientation Latin Gold. Grease might be included as well.
But apart from those, there's nothing we can play that wouldn't need more than 2 practices or is simple. So, as may people can infer from my words, we are in a terrible situation for orientation.
What's more, I'm a PSL, in charge of orientation for 1/1. That is a huge clash with my schedule for band practice as the orientation takes place in the afternoon. Why must it be in the afternoon??? Why not in the morning? During Class time? Then the new Sec 1s will have the wonderful opportunity to see how masterfully some of our teachers handle their classes, and how badly others fare.
This also gives the PSL's in Band a good schedule. Able to skip classes in the morning, and not be absent for Band practice in the afternoon. Isn't it a good idea? Although the skipping lessons part is not so good, but it's only a week for goodness sake.
Thirdly, I'm thinking of the way I'm handling my section. I'm starting to lose the confidence someone told me I wouldn't have for long. I didn't believe him/her. I thought I could keep on trying to make them realise the way things are going. The somebody said, it's all a matter of maturity. I retorted to him/her that my section was very mature already.
Maybe I couldn't see it then, but after Eugene made a passing comment about them, it revealed to me the severity of the situation. It's damn ironic that they could still continue talking and giggling under the severe gaze of Malorie, Eugene and Haojie, and not feel ashamed about it. Those were 3 of our most strict and respected majors, and still.... I myself, had I been their age and position, would have immediately scrambled for my instrument and start practicing.
It shows the level of handling he have over his section, as Haojie said to me once, when I questioned him about the role of SLs last year. After the first bringing-me-down session I had from my section, I told myself to be patient and tolerant. It's not in my nature to be patient, but being tolerant is something I had to endure since young, so no problems there. Jokes, snide hints, and direct insults from the section is something I have beared with since the start of my becoming SL. But I guess I'm the first SL in history to be made a cuckhold in front of the previous DM. To use Haojie's words, "Mr Glosz scolds us(the majors), we scold you(SLs), and it's up to you to scold your section, but it's not recommended for you to scold."
I have kept that wonderfully reasonable phrase in the limited memory of my pitiful brain. I always ask myself when i talk to the section whether I am starting to scold, as it is a family trait to have a loud voice and be domineering, as passed down from my paternal grandfather.
I prefer letting them realise I am waiting for them to get ready, to hurrying them to get up and pushing them to their instruments. If I'm not wrong, Percussion is the section taking the longest breaks. And what's more, we only use our hands and arms, which have been seasoned to perfection motion since we started our first solo step at a young age. Contrary to that, the blowers use their lips and tongue, something that needs practice. Lots and lots of practice.
My percussionists take for granted their own ability to play. If they had been to MJC's Juxtapose! concert, they would have seen people with barely a full year's worth of practice play things that would have amazed them. Agreed, their handling of the instrument may not be as good as that of ourselves, but then again, it took them about a year and it took us twice that long. Why?
Maturity, the ability to see when things are right and wrong. The ability to sense when majors are staring at you. The ability to keep track of time and to tell when break time is over. The ability to know how to restrain from exploiting loopholes in the rules just for personal comfort. The ability to know the seriousness of a situation. The ability to know when to sacrifice personal comfort for practice's sake.
This is the end of my long post.
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Maybe it's because it's the end of the holidays. Or perhaps it's the starting of New year and the school. Or maybe it's the deep cut I got on my left index finger that I'm challenging myself to use the finger and not wince in pain.
But nevermind. I've got alot of things on my mind right now.
Firstly is the Sec 1 orientation performance. I have tried to come up with something impressive for the percussion walkthrough that Eugene suggested, but so far all I've managed to create was a short thing lasting only about 20 seconds.
Next is the choice of impressive songs we will be playing. Note the word IMPRESSIVE. Seems like the Majors want more boys to join the band, so they, naturally, are placing the Drumset right smack in the middle. Of where, that's their problem. And the songs will naturally include Disco Lives. Apart from that, some of the majors have already considered taking out our traditionally-played-at-orientation Latin Gold. Grease might be included as well.
But apart from those, there's nothing we can play that wouldn't need more than 2 practices or is simple. So, as may people can infer from my words, we are in a terrible situation for orientation.
What's more, I'm a PSL, in charge of orientation for 1/1. That is a huge clash with my schedule for band practice as the orientation takes place in the afternoon. Why must it be in the afternoon??? Why not in the morning? During Class time? Then the new Sec 1s will have the wonderful opportunity to see how masterfully some of our teachers handle their classes, and how badly others fare.
This also gives the PSL's in Band a good schedule. Able to skip classes in the morning, and not be absent for Band practice in the afternoon. Isn't it a good idea? Although the skipping lessons part is not so good, but it's only a week for goodness sake.
Thirdly, I'm thinking of the way I'm handling my section. I'm starting to lose the confidence someone told me I wouldn't have for long. I didn't believe him/her. I thought I could keep on trying to make them realise the way things are going. The somebody said, it's all a matter of maturity. I retorted to him/her that my section was very mature already.
Maybe I couldn't see it then, but after Eugene made a passing comment about them, it revealed to me the severity of the situation. It's damn ironic that they could still continue talking and giggling under the severe gaze of Malorie, Eugene and Haojie, and not feel ashamed about it. Those were 3 of our most strict and respected majors, and still.... I myself, had I been their age and position, would have immediately scrambled for my instrument and start practicing.
It shows the level of handling he have over his section, as Haojie said to me once, when I questioned him about the role of SLs last year. After the first bringing-me-down session I had from my section, I told myself to be patient and tolerant. It's not in my nature to be patient, but being tolerant is something I had to endure since young, so no problems there. Jokes, snide hints, and direct insults from the section is something I have beared with since the start of my becoming SL. But I guess I'm the first SL in history to be made a cuckhold in front of the previous DM. To use Haojie's words, "Mr Glosz scolds us(the majors), we scold you(SLs), and it's up to you to scold your section, but it's not recommended for you to scold."
I have kept that wonderfully reasonable phrase in the limited memory of my pitiful brain. I always ask myself when i talk to the section whether I am starting to scold, as it is a family trait to have a loud voice and be domineering, as passed down from my paternal grandfather.
I prefer letting them realise I am waiting for them to get ready, to hurrying them to get up and pushing them to their instruments. If I'm not wrong, Percussion is the section taking the longest breaks. And what's more, we only use our hands and arms, which have been seasoned to perfection motion since we started our first solo step at a young age. Contrary to that, the blowers use their lips and tongue, something that needs practice. Lots and lots of practice.
My percussionists take for granted their own ability to play. If they had been to MJC's Juxtapose! concert, they would have seen people with barely a full year's worth of practice play things that would have amazed them. Agreed, their handling of the instrument may not be as good as that of ourselves, but then again, it took them about a year and it took us twice that long. Why?
Maturity, the ability to see when things are right and wrong. The ability to sense when majors are staring at you. The ability to keep track of time and to tell when break time is over. The ability to know how to restrain from exploiting loopholes in the rules just for personal comfort. The ability to know the seriousness of a situation. The ability to know when to sacrifice personal comfort for practice's sake.
This is the end of my long post.
