Re-evaluating Repertoire
“Stop using junk music that sounds like every other junk piece. There’s an awful lot of music out there called educational music, but it’s not really educational at all.” ~ The Instrumentalist, 1990 “What we need fewer of are the self-styled experts who think their...
10 Band-related Activities for May Holidays
With just a few months into the year, 2020 has already distinguished itself as a historic anomaly. The Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) has affected many lives globally, and Singapore initiated the Circuit Breaker in April 2020 to tackle the spread of the disease....
The Problem with Music
Difficulty of musical performance “That’s enough. One by one”, I barked. It was an atmosphere too familiar. My students brought up their instruments and started playing the first 5 notes printed on their music for me. As my finger went down the row rapidly, I barked...
10 Myths about SYF Arts Presentation for Bands
A reality check This month has been stressful for those involved in the Band SYF. As a band instructor, I have been thinking over about the value of SYF and the preparations for it – how does this whole journey help students to grow in band art and understand...
The Use of Metronome In A Band
Why and when do we use it? [blockquote author=”Richard Wagner” ]The right comprehension of the melos is the sole guide to the right tempo; these two things are inseparable.[/blockquote] In my recent conducting experiences in school bands, one repeated...
10 most memorable stuff about being an untalented bandsman
10 most memorable stuffs about being an untalented bandsman in a band during secondary school that only untalented people from there will understand[1] The rehearsal time is largely occupied by rehearsing you. Your name is mentioned when music goes bad, whether or not...
How to Rehearse a Band?
On creating a wholesome program I approach this topic with fear. The more I reflect on this topic, the more I find that the methodology of rehearsal cannot be divorced from the rationale of rehearsal. Through a conductor’s rehearsal, the way he thinks about music will...
What is Good Band Music?
A brief exploration of Wind band music in a Singapore context [blockquote author=”” ]Art in our society has become perverted to such a degree that not only has bad art come to be considered good, but even the very notion of what art is has been lost, so...