Chong Zheng Zhi
Drum Major
Peicai Concert Band
I am Chong Zheng Zhi, the drum major of Peicai concert band in 2022.
I would like to say that my band has improved significantly and I am really proud of it as my CCA. Every single practice, performance, and experience related to the band, have been very productive and helped build the band today, and led to our results for SYF.
During our SYF preparation, we had some experiences like soundcheck, but it was not very well played. We could not even manage a run through of both of our pieces, In The Winter Of 1730 and Tanah Di Bawah Angin. I decided to work with the conductors, teachers, and the cooperation of the members, to have extra practices during non-CCA days, so most people had to attend band every single day for quite some time.
We also trained some members other than letting them practice by themselves on extra CCA practices, as we had more time, making them perform to the rest of us for their solo or own section parts, this was to help them become more adapted to performing for others and play confidently on stage for SYF. But in the end, it was well paid off efforts as we had achieved accomplishment after our efforts of learning together and to play unitedly for many months.
I do not regret how far we have come, and how much band has progressed, from my seniors’ achievements to how skilled my current juniors are and not just musically, but in discipline as well.
The band room has become much more clean, has much more order, is less chaotic, and more neat. It was also the result of scoldings, new rules, and taking initiative to make band a
better environment and a more efficient place that students can learn.
When I started band, I already had a plan to achieve things like leadership, social, and musical skills and to have a good reputation in band, as a good and hardworking player. I wanted to
work towards my best self and receive validation of being on the right path of choosing band, by having people approve of my playing.
This was the early motivation that made me be able to have a strong spirit of perseverance while learning my instrument, no matter the difficulty, and discovering things I like about band.
Band taught me that it was a rewarding choice to do my best and that I can help support even if it seemed like I was only 1 player.
When I was in secondary 1 and 2, covid was much more severe so we actually had eCCA which was done online, and the band members had to practice that way, it was a good experience as it
taught me to take my own time as everyone learnt at different paces, so eventually I found what worked for me to improve as efficiently as possible. But the difficulties of eCCA was that there
was a lack of help from others as we had to learn ourselves, and it was tough to have less band spirit and less motivation to try alone.
In upper secondary, when I had the goal of becoming a leader to learn more about band and help contribute to band, I had a vision and prepared before I had the opportunity to do so.
On my leadership journey in band, it opened so many more new opportunities that I could learn from and gain more skills that I develop for myself. I would say that because of band, I am more
confident because of the really good, nice, and welcoming community that pushed me to become a better leader for them. I also got better at convincing the members to improve correctly.
As a more active contributor to band at the time, I also made many more friends as well as becoming a good role model for others. This also helped make band more enjoyable to me as I
had more purpose and had more support. I also gained the respect of most of my members, as well as the Teachers and conductors.
I would receive more tasks and gain experience on my job as a leader, getting better at it and eventually running band smoothly without much problems.
I intend to pass on my role as a leader and band member to the rest of the juniors, by handing over a guide and some steps for them to follow, to be a better band with better standards, so
that they can benefit and soar higher when they perform their future SYFs. I will also give them tips occasionally after I leave band, as I would want the best for them. I think that I have definitely left Peicai band in good hands as the future batch has shown much potential to be better and aim higher as well.
In band, I will miss helping others and watching them improve slowly, because of contributing to band and assisting the members in making progress. I will also miss when I learn from mistakes faster and faster each time. Eventually making mistakes that are hardly noticeable, I miss it because it is satisfying to get better than my previous self and get things right eventually.