I was talking to LT through facebook and he told me that the 1st swine flu case has hit Indiana. Hopefully his whole family is safe and sound.

Yup, so he asked me how everyone's doing. Quite ok, I said. I know he want us to deliver our performance. Hmm, I didn't tell him about GTC's decision to half the size of the parts for SYF though. Actually it kind of defeats the purpose of SYF but I guess it's a necessary evil, since the complaints that everyone make will only cause an effect on the next SYF. So RCC it shall be, with its stupendous hall acoustics - for soloists.

How time flies. Only 6 days to SYF! How exciting man. I haven't heard how the downsized band sound like because I needed time off to rest from (normal, non-swine or avian DNA) influenza infection, but I believe it will sound gorgeous in RCC because of the 1.5s resonance. I took the woodwinds on Tuesday but I was quite disappointed by a lot of things. Perhaps their mistakes merely got covered up by other people. Or maybe I didn't do enough. Geez I dunno. All I know is as long as you make it a point to question and practice smart, you'll show results. What we can do now is only to clear up as much parts as we can, though I honestly don't think everything can be solved by 7th May. We had kind of missed the opportunity to. But who knows, maybe the downsized band can deliver? And yet again, experience tells me that if you can't do it now, you won't be able do it then.

I realise I'm going towards the shadows.

Might as well. VJC's performing arts hadn't done well up to now. Every group is under-performing compared to their last SYF, with the exception of the choir. Both the band and choir are actually standing precariously since we're moving towards avant garde. Will the judges appreciate our works? Hmm. And our sports are doing (un)surprisingly well up to now. Yay for them. Different fundamental ways of working. If they can, I don't see why we can't.

It's always a myth that sports is always more tiring than performing arts group. Hello out there to all uninformed people, it's not! It's equally as bad. Athletes get muscle aches, we get them too at our cheeks and around our mouth. They can still walk, but we can't settle our embouchure when they get tired. Athletes run a lot which is oh-so-tiring. Try blowing for 4, 6 bars to keep up with the phrasing. Or until you get an inflammed trachea like I did back in sec 2. The most agonising feeling.

During my SYF with St. Pat's I could already say that we're there long before we go on stage. It's whatever above the stupid GwH that we're aiming for. Like presentation night, uh, close imitation of the Berlin Philharmonic Orch, what else, indulge and make every thing so perfect. But then again, I don't think we are THAT bad lah. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist in music =/

Why am I getting so pessimistic now?!?!

So I was saying, the aim for perfection. Transcendence above the physical things (*cough, GwH) is actually what we should be working right out from the start. Why is everyone so crazed up about awards anyway. Yup it's important but I dunno how to say it. In St. Pat's we just don't want it that much, it's like we're-there-already feeling. I just want to go up on stage during SYF (not All Singapore Band COMPETITION) to perform. That's all. Perform is a very big word to use but I choose to use it. Sometimes I just can't wait to finish this SYF so that I won't have anymore competitive performances to perform for. It's kinda stressful and numbs sensations.

Let's not do it for VJC,
Let's not do it for our other friends in college,
Let's not do it for that horrendous-looking piece of metal on wood.

Do it for music.
Do it for an awesome performance.
Most importantly, do it for yourself. (it's your last SYF by the way, not unless you're planning to retain)

Perform, not play.

Even if you do play...

Play the music, not the instrument,
Sean

Haiyoh, what's up with me today?