TK Band 1986

When I was returned to office unopposed in Sec 4, I knew it would be the toughest year there would ever be to lead the band.

In that year, there was an Indoor Competition. No Outdoor. The sentiments of the band had always been that it was essential that the band remained as a single, combined band. At no cost would we agree to split and go separate ways.

The thinking of our new TKGS principal, however, was the direct opposite. In a way, she despised the loud and 'rough' outdoor marching band TK Band was. In her own words, she had told Ms Koh and myself one day that her dream was to set up a TKGS symphony orchestra, drawing members from the existing band and from the music students from the school's MEP. But to achieve this, she would have to 1st split the band.

I had never shared this with my band members. I only told it to my committee members. How demoralising this was, right?! And scary.

So, initially, when Ms J asked if we wanted to participate in the Indoor Competition that year, we did what our seniors and predecessors had done - say no. We said no because it was set forth to us that if we agreed to participate in the Indoor Competition, we would have to do so as separate bands.

At first, we were a little confused why MOE would suddenly oppose combined bands. Then, Ms J explained to us that this was the regulation - for Outdoors, combined bands were ok but not for Indoors.

Naturally, we declined to take part. Our (at least, my) thinking was that it was no big deal not to take part in the Indoor Competition since our strength was in the Outdoors, which remain the inspiration for us all. So, that was our consensus.

Sometime later, the bombshell came. The TKGS principal offered the band an opportunity to travel to New Zealand on a perfomance tour.... but in order to enjoy this, the band would have to participate in the Indoor Competition (which means we had to enter a sseparate bands!).

At first, we just dismissed the idea - how could we give in to this thing?! But later, in a discussion with Ms J, Ms J confided in me that this was a golden opportunity for the band. Afterall, all these years, the band had never been able to enjoy the overseas experience that some other less established bands had had. And year after year, she had had to break her promise to us, the ever-eager-to-travel band members about going overseas. So she was keen to take up the offer.

It was a heartbreaking decision. I knew what the principal's plan was heading, and I knew we had no choice but to take her bait. Ms J had already taken it.

And so, the decision was made and we submitted our application forms. I remember now that my fellow Band Major in TK Tech, called R, became really 'panicky' because how to survive as separate bands?!

The band set about the music pieces and the task of ensuring sufficient membership. Many new members signed up because they heard about the impending trip. We took them all in, even those whom we knew were interested only in the trip.

Because our standard of 'fine' playing had never been good, it was a struggle to deal with both the compulsory piece and our choice piece. For many of us, it was like learning to play 'properly' from scratch, and it was challenging especially for those who didn't read the manuscript well. Some of us couldn't even make head or tail of our respective scores.

But we kept at it and tried our very best. Slowly but steadily, with the guidance and encouragement of Ms J, we eventually 'figured out' the music pieces. And gradually, we began to enjoy ourselves.

For the compulsory piece, we needed to buy chimes. We never had one because chimes were not typically used for Outdoors. So I checked with Ms Low, one of the teachers in charge of band, but she told me that there was no budget for such a purchase. She also said that the school wouldn't put up such money.

Left with no choice, my fellow band major from TK Tech, R, did the same checking with his teacher in charge in TK Tech. Fortunately, somehow they worked it out that it was TK Tech's turn to make the purchase (the 2 schools took turns to budget for purchase of new instruments and scores etc) and so eventually, we managed to secure the funds and got our chimes. We called those chimes 'bells'.

As we never had a 'band room' for ourselves for practices (unlike the sound-proofed rooms school bands these days enjoy), we could not really know how we had progressed. One day, I suddenly got an inspiration during my MEP lessons - hey! we could make use of our 'sound-proofed' MEP rooms, right?! That way, we can really feel how we were playing - our usual practices in the school hall was so 'unacoustic'!

So, I sounded Ms J out - she was all for it! And so, I approached Ms Koh and Mrs Kooi, the MEP teachers about it. Both were super reluctant - Ms Koh (who, incidentally, was one of the teachers in charge of the band!) was particularly unwilling because she feared that we would almost definitely cause some damage etc.

I said all I could and pleaded and begged, and after a while, with some support of Mrs Kooi, Ms Koh gave her nod. But I shall always remember how heavy her words had weighed upon me: "LP, you will be personally responsible, ah, for the room and anything that happens to it. And make sure the room is returned to its exact original condition after the band uses it."

Personally responsible - somehow, that became a favourite phrase the teachers used on me.

To use this MEP room located 2 floors above the school hall, the entire band had to transport all our instruments up there by hand. Imagine the timpanis, the chimes, the bass drum, the music stands and files and everything needed for our practice. It was a major migration and removal exercise on each of the 2-3 times we used that room.

I guess the only person who really appreciated this whole thing about using the room was Ms J. She told me that it was a really good idea that we could use the MEP room because she also couldn't hear properly how we were faring when we played in the hall. She stood aside watching us all painstakingly lug all the stuff back to our miserably small band room (more like our store for our stuff) after the practices in the MEP room. I can imagine the thoughts running through her head during those times.

I also remember going again to Ms Koh after our 1st practice in the MEP room to ask if we could have her kind permission to leave the timpanis in the MEP room since it wouldn't make sense to transport these up and down each week. As expected, she refused.

I was really thankful to all the band members who so consicentiously kept the room tidy and put back all the classroom furniture back in its place after our use. Many were amazed that there was such a room in TKGS and its use was only for a select group of MEP people! But everyone understood why we had to take extra care of the room (my personal repsonsibility, leh!) and did their part. We used plenty of serviettes and even some paper cups for our 'saliva'!!!! This is so funny now that we think about it.

At Ms J's suggestion,. we did a very DIY recording of our playing in the MEP room so as to review our progress and see how we could improve ourselves. It wasn't easy because we had to keep repeating and repeating. And it was really a tiring thing.

After those few session in the MEP room, we reverted to our usual school hall for our practices.

Then, came another bombshell one day. The dates for the NZ trip were finalised - the band would set off for NZ 2 days before the final 'O'-level exam date for us Sec 4's! This meant that we would not be part of the band heading to NZ!

I was devastated at this outcome. Some of us who didn't read Biology (which was the last paper) were even more upset because despite having completed their exams, they would not be allowed to be in the team. The reason given to us was that the members who were going on the tour would have had to come for regular practices prior to the trip and that would interfere with our 'O'-level exam preparations!

What crap, we thought this was all about! How could they do this to us?! The school insisted that we must be omitted - even though some of these non-Biology Sec 4 members offered to attend the practices amidst their exam preparations!

Together with my cohort comrades, I was thrown into the deep blue sea that day when the 'final' decision came on our appeal. I sat down with my closer comrades, completely speechless. Yes, they insisted it was a no.

The following months turned out to be the toughest days of my band life. Internally, I had to try to calm myself and convince myself that it would be alright to be just part of the big, great TK Band which finally had the opportunity to travel overseas; it was ok not to be part of the NZ trip; it was the band, our band, that mattered etc......

Outwardly, however, I had to act 'right' and do 'right' - that is, continue to lead and inspire all the band members, Sec 4 and others, to work hard for the NZ trip. That was what was expected of me - the band major!

To the juniors, it was a breeze - they didn't need any additional encouragement. The trip was their motivation and source of energy. Many attended practices conscientiously and truly worked hard at improving their skills. They were very much on a self-motivated mode.

But to us, the Sec 4's, it was a completely different story. I had to deal with myself and with my friends, some of whom began to lose interest and stopped attending band practices regularly. I could understand, of course, but I still had to do my job.

My sentiments were shared by my fellow band major - R said that it was just our luck lah. But then, I knew it was more than just luck.

One day, we sat down together in our 'clique'. Then, when the discussion came to band practices, one of my closer friends told me off directly, "LP, now that we are not going to be part of the band going on the NZ trip, why should we still go for band practices? Tell me why I should still attend?"

I couldn't utter a word because I also felt the same way.

She went on, "From now on, don't call me for band practices, ok? I will come if I feel like it but if I don't feel like it, I won't come. If you still want our friendship, don't pressure me into coming for band practices!"

In a huff, she marched off with her bag. I stood rooted to the ground in the canteen for several minutes, mouth shut. What could I say?!

It was no surpise that for the AM Session practices in the Wednesday afternoons, there were many absentees. At one point in time, there were about 4-5 members who came, and they were mostly committee members.

The atmosphere at those practices was really miserable. Ms J, too, knew our hearts and didn't 'scold' us for the bad turn-out. In fact, she kept our spirits up by sharing with us about music theory and brass instruments etc. It was in one of these sessions that I learnt why, for example, the B-flat trumpet would not sound 'C' on the piano even though the note on the manuscript that we played was a 'C'. And how the 1st, 2nd and 3rd valves of the trumpet would change an open note by a tone, a semitone and a one-and-a-half tones respectively. All that mystery about alternative fingerings!

I also learnt from Ms J that in Chinese music, there are no 4th and 7th notes and that is why the other 5 notes of the scale are able to give music that Chinese character. In Russian music, there are 5 beats to a bar!

I really appreciated Ms J's sharing on these finer points of music learning. She had lots of knowledge and it was most interesting to listen to her discussion. She was so ever enthusiastic about teaching the remaining miserable few of us.

Then one day, Ms J spoke to me away from the other members. She told me, "LP, I know this is tough for you all and especially, you. But I have tried to convince them to change the date and include you all, who are the most deserving to go to NZ. They refused to change their mind. I am very sorry, LP, but you and your batch are my dearest. I love you all the most."

Her words were very touching and more importantly to me, showed that she understood our pain and agony. And suddenly, I felt less betrayed although it was still painful. Then I knew that our mission was - not an Outdoor, not NDP - but to help make her wish come true. And that was, to send the band on its much promised overseas trip.

At another afternoon practice shortly after, Ms J repeated what she said to all the Sec 4 members present at the practice. I remember looking back to see my members (trumpets sat in front on the right). Everyone looked really sad, with their heads down to their chests. Only the fact that Ms J had told me these words earlier, kept my tears away.

We had to work into our calendar schedules for various fund-raising events, what with studio recordings and performances ( we sold cassette tapes of these), sourcing for sponsors and sale of keychains etc. The work was tough and hectic, especially since many events took us away from our class lessons.

When the preliminary exams drew near, my committee members handed over the job of running the band to the NZ trip team. Relieved of our duties, we faded off into nothingness as the band prepared itself earnestly for the NZ trip.

To this day, my pain about the NZ trip remains. Like what Ms J told me, we had been the most deserving to go.

For the record, in the Indoor that we were 'forced' to participate, TKGS side managed a bronze for our pieces and a certificate if merit for our sight-reading (as confirmed by my article in the TKGS 1986 Yearbook). Fortunately, TKTech side also got a bronze, but I cannot recall how they had fared in their sight-reading segment.

Not exactly fantastic results by anyone's standard - but given the circumstances we had been in then, gold would not have been realistic. But whatever it is, it is more important that we all had given Ms J all of ourselves and what our best could achieve then. And that, by itself, had been a credible achievement.