Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Yesterday, we went AWWA for the performance celebrations. Guitar Ensemble members assembled at the conference room, while SPARKZ went to the staff room to hold their own respective end of year evaluation.
For Guitar Ensemble, the session started off with Parames saying that she will be leaving AWWA to join MOE in December ( i wish her the best of luck in her new post in her career). Then she would announce that there would be offer of a performance on 9 January 2010, at the National Library for operational therapists in Singapore. We would be performing Cannon In D yet again, and honestly I cannot wait for it to happen again, and add to my many valuable experiences and memories I have enjoyed in my new "career" as a guitar player.
After the sessioin, Juliet, as ex-AWWA staff and now NP lecturer, came back to her old hunting ground and workplace to a warm welcome from us, the clients who have benefited from her teachings in English 2 years back, as it was to her credit that our Engish did improve through her guidance. We played some ice breaking games with her students and interacted with them well.
After the whole celebration, we all went for lunch at AMK Hub. By that time, I was like having that same kind of feeling again, but i shall not explain it here.
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I will play the best this time, thats a promise to myself, as come 9 January 2010, Guitar Ensemble will set out with the same motivation and enthusiaiam yet again to prove that they are destined for greatness. (:
I have fully enjoyed my full year of being in Guitar Ensemble this year. I has brought about many invaluable experiences and lessons about life. It told me more about the various qualities of determination despite setbacks that would have made us a stronger team mentally. The team has so much potential and i hope that this potential can be fulfilled.
What I feel is that this year we have gone the distance in our journey to play the guitar. Our long awaited debut, The Special Awards 2009, was indeed the start, but not the end of the wonderful journey that we would have gone together to achieve what we have done this year, and I think that it can only get better. We worked so hard to realize our debut, and I think that the hard work indeed paid off in some style. The constant process and heart to learn and master the skills is indeed seen then.
I thought that we had bui;t up a good reputation for ourselves. And soon, NCSS came calling, and put us a offer of performing for them in the Christmas Lightup 2009 in Orchard. It was indeed an offer that we just couldn't refuse. And so, it came and passed, with yet another success story written into our inspirational storyline.
Throughout this journey, it was not really completely smooth, as a team we encountered several problems and differences. Yet we sought to stick together despite them, and that spirit has indeed made us a better team, with great team spirit.
Next year, i hope that we can further improve our chords and hope to play songs with the team using a combination of chords and melody played together. I think that that will be fun and interesting, and it will be my main objective next year.
Thanks to Amanda for inspiring me to go the distance to play the guitar, quite like the way we play it. With your constant encouragement to me, when I was low and short of confidence, ou told me to keep going, keep practicing until I get it right. Only did I continue to perservere, and stand back up again and try again, without giving up. I hope to combine with you more nxt year, this time with the addition of our best friend Sylvia's piano talent (:
Thanks to Amanda, Shawn, and all that have supported me and gave me the thumbs-up to be able to extend my reign as Guitar Ensemble coordinator. If u all had the saying of yes to let me continue, i did realized that I have been doing a great job. Next year, I will do a better job and bring more success to Guitar Ensemble, that is destined for great things (:
My Inspiration
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Christmas Lightup Performance 2009
Saturday, 7 November 2009
"If one would have the heart to dream what they wold want to achieve, and work hard towards that dream, he would have achieved it one day."
I vividly remember that back in April this year, I had the chance to view a performance by SPARKZ and see that they are a talented team in progress, and i thought they had already carved out a reputation for singing, as they have proved throughout the various appearances in consecutive Special Awards since 2004.
Back in April, where I was attending as a audience to their performance, I only thought of 1 thing in my mind, which is to emulate SPARKZ as a musical group. Where they specialised in the voices of singing and lyrics-composition, Guitar Ensemble was developing as a team to play the guitar beautifully, with passion and skill.
Then in August 2009, it beecame a chance for Guitar Ensemble to make their first mark into music and to inspire people. We performed in the Special Awards 2009. Did I ever thought that 3 months on, i would lead Guitar Ensemble to have their second, and their first public, performance?
So it came when we had the same objective to play well yet again, this time in front of His Excellency, president S R Nathan. This time, we had the experience, the team spirit and determination to do well again.
And so, the performance waas to be held at ION Orchard. In the afternoon, we gathered and had lunch together before going to the venue to prepare for the rehearsal. The rehearsal had gone well, and I was quite confident of our adventure to be a success. Indeed it was a fantastic success, and I am proud of our achievement.
But what i get from this performance is certainly something different. I have gained valuable experience, feeling the atmosphere which more than 300 people as audience bring. I have also learnt the importance of teamwork and cooperation when practicing as I work with many people to get a goal done. Eg, when I was required to combine my bass 1 to sync with Arvind's chorus playing. The value of camaraderie and the various friendships which i have made throughout this journey would have been invaluable for me personally. More importantly, I learnt how to be inspired by the way they have demonstrated themselves to be inspirations and role models for others to follow. Throughout the journey of playing with the different combinations of skills and talent, only I realized that they can indeed be very good in music. Admittedly, the 1 thing that i really valued here was the chance to be on the same stage as my idol and inspiration, Hui Qi and Amanda respectively. They both will always be my role models and inspirations of how to achieve great things when the odds were stacked onto them.
Most importantly, This day would be very special for my family as it was my mother's birthday. With that in mind, I have more motivation to play even better, for my mother.
My Inspiration
Sunday, November 22, 2009
