As a Band Member

BPS Band

I became a member of the school band when I was in BPS. The story on how I did that was in an earlier post.

Being in the band was such a novelty then. I mean, who else (outside the band) would get the chance to touch and fiddle with those shiny and intricate brass instruments and the opportunity to learn how to play them? And have fun playing as a team altogether??

Anyway, life as a member of the BPS band was a very relaxed one. Only on special occasions like Teachers' Day celebration, Children's Day celebration did we have to perform for the school. Other times, it was mostly practices and parties. No SYF, no competition, no stress.

TK Band

The decision to join the big, great TK Band when I went to TKGS, was a very straightforward one. In fact, it was just a very 'natural' choice.

I remember that one day when we were still a freshie in Sec 1, there was special assembly where all the uniformed ECA groups showcased their 'specialties' to us in the school hall. The Red Cross demonstrated some bandaging, stretcher stuff on the stage while the Girl Guides showed off their tent-pitching skills etc. Then, there were the NPCC and NCC groups who, of course, marched and marched; the 'cadets' doing drills in their all-impressive uniform were indeed quite impressive.

But none of these could beat the awesome TK Band who went on stage to play us some marches and other music. We all know how the (lack of) 'acoustics' of the school hall was like; so when the band played, it sounded so 'surround-sound' and grand that it was no wonder that so many girls became very excited by it! Many of my classmates also wondered why there were boys in the band - weren't we all in a girls' school?

I wasn't surprised about the boys part of the band because YP had already told me briefly about the combined band in TK. Rather, I was impressed by all the happy faces amongst the players sitting on stage, music-making and seemingly enjoying themselves. In fact, they all looked like they were enjoying it more than us, the audience! And the smile I saw on the face of the lady conductress helming the baton - it was so inviting and inspiring. Simply irresistable.

So it was without a hesitation at all, that I signed up to be a band member straight after that. Somehow, I didn't feel share my classmates' concern about the 'excessive' band practice hours which would be required (band practices were notorious for being time-consuming), etc. For me, it was just a natural progression and a logical extension from my band experience in BPS.

The year when I was in Sec 1, Singapore hosted the 12th SEA Games. So there were 3 major events in the band's calendar: SYF Outdoor Competition, National Day Parade and the SEA Games.

As the majority of the Sec 1 recruits had no previous band experience, most of them could not be roped into playing the instruments. Instead, we became what was called 'the pom-pom girls'. Basically, 'the pom-pom girls' took on a sort of 'ornamental' role in the marching formations. We were told that in earlier years, our equivalents were the baton-twirlers! (Baton-twirling may look more suave and pretty but we tried it, it was tedious work 100x tougher! Batons could hurt, too, if they suddenly slipped but we were 'safe' with pom-poms!)

One of the 1st things we learnt at TK Band was foot drills. TK Band was, afterall, a marching band. So I started to learn to obey the various Malay commands, turning left, turning right, turning back etc etc. Later, we also progressed to the various 90-degree, 180-degree and 270-degree 'spins'. Yes, there were also those 10-feet-8-steps repetitive trainings! These fundamentals were essential for formation purposes. Some were more 'fun' than others; some were more demanding than others. But we managed them all and trained hard at TK Band' signature 'lift-your-legs-and-point-your-toes' style of hanta kaki.

Discipline was of utmost importance during our foot drills practices, which were almost always done along the corridors. Sometimes we went out the fields and into the sun. Life was tough during those drill practices but nobody complained. We only dashed to the water-coolers (or the 7-eleven opposite TKGS) as quickly as we could each time there was a break. I think somewhere in our minds was this firm belief that all the aches and pain we got from the torturous drill practices were part and parcel of being a member of the big, great TK Band - it was a 'package' we had undertaken. It was also, in short, our faith in our unofficial motto: No Pain, No Gain!

And the camaraderie that we all built in the band was just so indescribable. We shared all the pain and sore in our legs and feet, the anguish whenever seniors/leaders shouted at us 'unjustifably', the relief at being allowed to fall-out from the drills and formations when the sun was really too scorchingly hot and of course, the joy and pride when we won at the SYF competitions. Unhygienic and incredible this may sound, but we even shared the Big Gulps (usually Coke) that we so often grabbed from 7-eleven opposite the school gate during breaks and after band practices.

Typically, our Saturday band practices (the 'main' practice in a week because it is a combined practice for both AM and PM sessions) started at 1pm. The 1st 1 hour or so would be drill practice. After that, we would have a 20-minute break before the 45-60 minutes of Sectional practices followed by the combined practice which typically went on until about 6pm.

As one of the Sec 1 recruits who were 'pom pom girls', I didn't have to join the trumpets in Sec 1. Most of the work of the pom-pom girls were to 'perfect' our drills and the pom-pom works. We also made and repaired our own pom-poms.

When it came to NDP, however, somehow there was a shortage of trumpeters. As I had trumpet experience, I was roped in to the section for the NDP. That year, there was a road march somewhere from the Jalan Bersah stadium out to the 坡底 region. I think we went past Lavendar Street, North Bridge Road, Victoria Street etc - I was a little more familiar at these places because I had been going to F's office long ago, mah.

The experience of doing a road march with the TK Band was an unforgettable one. I learnt that it was possible (and it seems, allowed) to have 'reserve players' stand-in for anyone in the contingent who was too exhausted along the march and who wanted to drop out of the march - there were so many 'reserve players' including ex-members who were dressed in the band uniform, marching alongside the band when the band was on the road. These ex-members would promptly replace the exhausted members in the contingent who opted to drop out.

I thought the road march was a breeze (maybe because I was only a junior, I was still very blur so was unaware of what was happending around), so I couldn't understand why such 'cheating' was allowed. But the jokes and singing that the 'reserve players' entertained the marching contingent with, were funny and overall, I enjoyed the march.

One day during a band practice in Sec 1, the band instructress, Ms Irene J, suddenly became very furious with the librarian. I think some scores were not in order. She yelled at the poor librarian and scolded him sternly. Then, to the shock of the band, she sacked the librarian on the spot!

Almost immediately, Ms J pointed at me and said, "You! You be the librarian." Everyone was stunned, especially me. I could only nod my head meekly and leave my seniors to deal with the 'sudden mess' that Ms J created.

It was a 'mess' because all the leaders in TK Band were appointed after they had been voted in by the band members through a democratic election process. So such sudden sacking of an appointed leader was unheard of. Also, the sudden replacement of the librabrian by a Sec 1 recruit decided only by Ms J herself (ie no democratic voting process) left the entire committee of band leaders in a big state of confusion. I, myself, wasn't sure of the legitimacy of my appointment either.

But the words of Ms J could not be disregarded. And so, after some confusion and hush-hush discussions amongst the leaders, the band major called a meeting which I was asked to attend. At the meeting, I was 'accepted' by all the committee members, albeit a little reluctantly and awkwardly. And that was how I 1st became involved as a band leader.

The committee comprised 2 sets of leaders, one from TKGS and the other from TK Tech. The officer bearers were: Band Major, Drum Major, Secretary, Librarian, Quarter Master/Mistress and the various Section Leaders. Very often, my TKGS classmates would ask me how different the role of the Band Major is from that of the Drum Major.

I would summarise: the Drum Major takes charge when the band is outdoors and marching; the Drum Major holds the maze and is responsible for the drills of the band. The Band Major, on the other hand, is in charge when the band is indoors; the quality of the band's music and discipline are the responsibilities of the Band Major. The Band Major is also the overall leader in charge of the band and acts as the representative of the band vis-a-vis the schools and so is the link between the band and the schools, too.

When I was in Sec 2, I was nominated for the post of Secretary. And I was voted in. Since the Secretary was in charge of the logistics for band practices, I also had to call Ms J to 'remind' her of the date and time of each band practice. So through the phone calls and closer communication with Mr J, I got to know her slightly more that year.

Ms J is unmarried, but she is a very loving aunt to her nephews/nieces. At that time, she lived in Yio Chu Kang area, and she sometimes invited us to her house. There was once when we accompanied her to the supermarket before going to her house and when we reached her place, she showed us how she would wash the minced beef under running water, which I thought was weird because M always asks the butcher to have the meat rinsed before mincing it.

Although Ms J may appear to have a very short temper, she is really very sweet. And she is always very careful to make sure that the band practice did not overrun. It was a common grouse amongst parents of band members, she had explained to me, that band practices took their children away from their studies and so it was important to make sure that we didn't hold the members back any later than necessary.

But sometimes, it was really unavoidable that we dismissed the band late. Each time the SYF outdoor competition drew near, the members would voluntarily stay back late or come early for extra practices. But no one complained. In fact, there were times when the leaders needed to shoo the members to go home. Members who couldn't wait to go home were the exceptions most of the time.

There was no Outdoor Competition when I was in Sec 2. So that was a relatively 'light' year in the band's calendar. Ceremonial obligations at the schools' respective Speech Days etc filled the calendar.

I became the band major when I was in Sec 3. Before this, this leadership position was always held by a Sec 4 member. Initially, it didn't feel very different because it was like a natural progression from the Secretarial duties that I had been carrying out in Sec 3.

All the members were very very supportive and because this was an 'Outdoor' year for us, we all geared up to make sure our standards were maintained at all times - drills became more intensive but band practices became more 'competition-focused'. But amidst the physical challenges, we found great joy and 'purpose', so it remained a very enjoyable time nevertheless.

On the suggestion of my PE teacher in Sec 3, a Mrs Kong, I started to encourage band members to build up their stamina through more regular exercises (outside our PE lessons, lah!). Only a handful was keen because most 'protested' that the twice-weekly formation practices were already tiring them out like anything! I also didn't press too hard on this since the formation practices later also became a thrice-weekly, and then daily-evening, affair. I remember that my classmates asking me, "Tough, hor?! I pity you all, leh!"

To this, I replied, "It's only when you are in it that you will realise the joy and the satisfaction of our sacrifices."

In the last 2-3 weeks before the Outdoor Competition, many of my classmates and schoolmates lined the field and the surrounding areas, eg the overhead bridge right outside TKGS, to cheer the band on during our daily evening rehearsals. The outpour of support for us was really quite overwhelming, and remain very vivid even today.

Naturally, we put in our best efforts and won glory for our schools at the Outdoor Competition. When we clinched the gold award (the highest award in those days), the cheer of the TK Girls, TK Tech and other supporters was thunderous! That wave of pride that filled our hearts and minds was something completely irreplaceable and indescribable.

For NDP in that year, there was no road march. Instead, we had a combined formation display with other school bands at the National Stadium. I got to know some leaders of other school bands, but because we were 'rival' bands, it was an unspoken 'rule' that they must be kept at an arm's length. Such was the culture of TK Band. Now that we have grown up, we know, of course, that this had been unwise because it is always better to have a friend than an enemy. But like they always say, we learn mostly on hindsight.

In the same year, the MEP teachers took over as school teachers in charge of the band. There was a Ms Koh and a Mrs Kooi. Ms Koh was very uptight about the property of the band, and would occasionally remind me to make sure that all our scores and instruments are always accounted for. She also conveyed certain complaints about band members not returning canteen benches to the canteen 'neatly' after use etc. So I often had a earful from her.

After a while, I got a bit tired of such complaints. So I 'delegated' the responsibility of ensuring tht benches were returned promptly and 'neatly' to the canteen after band practices, to the sectional leaders. It became the job of the sectional leaders to check the benches and hall after our practices. On accasions when the 'bench-duties' were not satisfactorily carried out, I would make those reponsible return to arrange the benches properly again.

The various sections later also devised, amongst their respective groups, some sort of duty roster for these bench duties. So it all worked out well and our school attendant, Abdullah, was happier.

At the band camp, however, I came to realise that some of my committee members were unhappy with me. They felt that I had become too authoritarian and a little too stern with the band. We had an extensive chat that ran through the night (whilst we did sentry), and it suddenly dawned upon me that there was an undercurrent of dissatisfaction amongst them. Amongst the various 'complaints' they had against was this accusation that I, myself, was taking all the credit of our achievements. A good example, they said, was how I had 'accepted' the compliments of the teachers in charge of a camp well organised, by myself! Meaning, I didn't attribute it to all my other committee members etc!

I was quite taken aback by the revelation of their unhappiness with me. In fact,I was quite shocked and very, very disappointed. So, to their 'delight', I offered to absent myself for 2 band practices and let them 'run the show' all by themselves.

For those 2 band practices, I went briefly to make sure that Ms J had everything that she needed and that the general schedule of drills-then-sectional practice-then-combined practice was in place. Then, I left the band alone with my committee members.

During those 2 sessions of 'free time' for me, I took a long walk in the East Coast Park to reflet upon myself. Did I really do badly? Was I truly getting too 'tight-fisted' and overbearing? What did I do wrong?

It was really a very trying time for me because I did not normally have to ask myself such questions. At a point, I became somewhat disillusioned because it had never crossed my mind to 'grab' all the credit for myself when the band did well. All along, I had been very task-foucsed and all that mattered to me was that the band did well. And it did.

So, I concluded that I must have been too stingy with my thanks and encouragement towards the band members, especially my committee members. I resolved to 'soften' my touch and show more outwardly my appreciation for the hard work and contributions etc.

Immediately after the 2nd 'absent' practice, Ms J called me and demanded to know why I had not been around. I reassued her that everything was alright and in order, and that I would be back at the following practice.

When I did return, some of the more junior members asked me, "Where were you? We thought something might have happened to you. We always looked out for you - but in the last 2 practices, we didn't see you, we were worried!"

These simple and innocent words meant a lot to me. So, they had been concerned. When I spoke to my committee members, it was mix of feedback - one sub-group said it was 'refreshing' to be running the show alone (without me), the other said it was better that I returned quickly.

And so, whatever they wanted to say, I let them. Then I set off to work as per usual, albeit with more care when dealing with the people - a 'softer' touch, you know. :)

Weeks later, my Secretary called me aside and told me, "I think you are ok. What we told you about you being bossy was last time. We see that you are a 'changed' person already. So don't worry about what we said, ok?"

Although I thanked her for her encouragement, I could never forget the committee members' 'confrontation' during the camp. And my resolution to improve my 'leadership style'.

After this episode, anyone would have thought that I would probably no longer be the Band Major, right? I was prepared not to be elected on the election day.

But alas, I was wrong. I was returned unopposed. And so, I continued life as Band Major in Sec 4.

That year, it was a watershed year for the great, big TKBand. See next post.