Time to say something in here...

Swiss Serenade - Swiss Cottage Secondary Winds Symphony Concert

It's been a very long time i enjoyed myself in a wind band concert. I had previously attended the NUS's concert but it put me to sleep. Even though the NUS band members have better technique playing their instrument but their repertoire really puts it's audiences to sleep. After that concert, i decided that i should look at the repertoire of the band concert before deciding whether to attend or not. That's why my friend invited me to go watch the NIE one which i rejected because of the repertoire again.

Back to the serenade, i decided to go for today's concert is because the conductor was my teacher when i was in secondary school. He's a very good teacher but a bit too fierce - his voice still sends shivers down my spine today. But well i think i owe a lot to him as he not only teaches music but also teaches us soft skills to be used today. As his wife and me discussed when i met her just now, his favourite phrase is 'fail to plan, plan to fail' and these things you dont understand as a kid but as you grow older, they come back to you.

The first part of the concert was ok, like the wind band concerts we attend day in day out and frankly, it's not very good, quite 'messy'. I think they lack something that they used to have - teamwork. However, as i was listening, memories of how we trained started to come back - good and bad ones. It's a miracle how we could endure those 'verbal abuses' thrown at us back then hahaha.. but that, somehow had bonded us as a team and i can bet my last dollar that is what that conductor had wanted from us. And now i heard he didn't lose his temper that much already. but well.. he's still a very good teacher in my mind and he is one of the people that really has my respect.

The second part of the concert was what i was looking for all the time in a concert - creativity. The second part was really something different from conventional concerts. It consists of a combo band ( small band of about less than 10 and a few vocalists). And in a society where creativity is so scarce i think this is something that really opens up the window for the creative minds of the band( every concert from that band has different things). The combo band played and sang oldies like memories, quando quando quando. And the audiences really enjoyed the show even though there was a few screw ups here and there but hey, they are just students.

The final part of the concert was a tribute to the sec 4 and 5 graduating pple, where they march in and played a few songs they had been playing. It's also a creation of that conductor. Well, he got lots of pattern la haha..

I really hope that that teacher really continue to teach students how to lead and the importance of creativity. And i also hope that future band concerts will play some pieces that let its audiences enjoy and understand what they play and not play pieces that are technical throughout their concerts. These pieces should be kept for them to display their skills during competitions not entertain concert audiences. Hope that there would be creativities to be displayed during concerts too hah..