mssba, it's time to wake up!

This entry is for ALL MEMBERS of mssba.

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Let me remind all of you one more time. We ONLY have 4 practices to the concert. If ALL 4 practices we are going to sound as BAD (or WORST) as today, I think our section of the concert will be very very inaudible and painful for the audience.

Seriously, ALL OF YOU NEED SECTIONALS!! ALL SECTIONS!

I don't care whether you know your parts well or you have perfected them (which none of you has actually done so) as an INDIVIDUAL. Playing in a BAND is about TEAM WORK! How to play together as A TEAM as A SECTION.

So what if you know your parts very well, you are able to play all the running notes and hit all the high notes? When you can't even blend or play together with your section mates you are still an irresponsible and bad player afterall. How to play well as a section is VERY VERY IMPORTANT! I think all of you in this alumni band knows about this right? These are all basic knowledge of how to play well as a band!

If you and your section mates have NEVER EVER have a sectional before, how sure are you that your section can play everything together and blend well? How about balance? Articulation? Intonation (who is on tendency to go flat, who is on tendency to go sharp). I seriously doubt all these problems can be solved if you all have no sectional at all. <Saxophone section TAKE NOTE! I really don't like the reason you all had given me today. "We come for FULL BAND only". So much balancing, articulation and blending problems but you all just don't want to have your sectional. If you all have noticed, Lin Sheng has actually did your section a few times during full band today (synchopation, blending and intonation). I guess your section should know that with Lin Sheng's standard, I don't think you all have even reached a E8 grade (fat hope on even a pass). Your section has been under him for so long and yet still commit this kind of mistake. I hope you all will have a serious sectional for the upcoming practices. ALL the other section included!>

NONE of you in this Alumni band is a bad player. All of you just need abit of Self Discipline and Responsibility to do sectional with your section. I think Sectional is EVERY SINGLE MEMBER responsibility. Without sectional, you all won't know what to expect from certain members. All members are under different conductors now, there will definitely be alot of differences in playing.

Lin Sheng has once said to me: "It is a challenge to take this band, players are now under different conductors, all will have different styles of their own conductors. How to make this band sounds good and nice depend on the players and the work after that."

Please do think abit for Lin Sheng! Every time he comes he will need to urge all of you to practice and have your own sectionals but I rarely see anybody doing that (clarinet section did for a few times). I can't imagine how sad he is when he still the same problems week after week. Seriously, he does not need to take us and suffer from all these disappointments. He started this band hoping all the alumni can have a place to play together once again as a band. Of course with certain level of playing standard. I should say this year is the worst since 2004. In terms of playing and standard, it is too diversed now, too many styles and sounds.

I am hoping to see all of you to do something about these. Let's this band sounds like a BAND. I need to true band sound from this band. Just like we did previously in WMC, NBC and concerts. I don't care what is your current conductor's style(s), when you come back alumni and play, make sure you sound like one with the rest of your sections. You can play your conductor's style when you go back to the band BUT when you come for alumni, I want the Lin Sheng's sounds and style.

ALL Sections please clear the following problems ASAP, I hope to hear improvement in the upcoming practs.

I would like to have sectional with certain sections too. SLs of the sections please take note. SMS have been sent to SLs of respective sections.

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Flute: Please do SECTIONAL! Celtic is SO MESSY! It is a flute piece... so please have the self discipline to do some sectional, especially on 3rd movt. The runs are simply TOO MESSY and OFF. Take note of articulation. Need to constantly check intonation. Please listen to each other and tune. Soloists for all the pieces please play well. Don't just play the notes written on the score, expression and style are important too. Flute section is the strongest and best in Alumni but now seem to have dropped. I know you all can once again play everything well. So please don't disappoint Lin Sheng anymore.

Clarinets: VERY BAD INTONATION! Some are too sharp, some are too flat. Running notes very sticky and unclean. Slow movements please listen to each other more often! I know there are alot of difficult runs and high notes but to perfect and play your part well is a responsibility of a Player. Clear all rubbish ASAP!

Bass Clarinet: Need rounder and bigger sound to support the Woodwinds! Please play with more air! Need the depth.

Saxophone: Balance is out. Bari is weak at certain point. Alto saxes need to work on balance and blending. One is too rough. Tenor take note not to over blow at certain point. Bad blending within sax section, too much differences. Do remember the need of giving way to certain part. You all have alot of Solis and expose parts, please clear all the problems! I don't want people to say we have a very bad saxophone section when we have rather good players.

Horn: Our Mr. Beethoven, please kindly come early to practice. Like what Lin Sheng has said you sound like a beginner now. I know you yourself know how bad you are. Stop being lazy! Take the horn and start to practice!

Euphonium: Blending again! 2 ppl blend well but intonation clash at times. these 2 ppl please do something and make sure the other one blend in well with you all. You all can't depend on the "mighty one" already. He will be playing another part. SO 3 of you PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT your blending! Intonation for holding notes are bad. Take note! However your section has noticeable improvement since NBC. not bad. ^^

Trumpet: This is the "HEAVENLY OMG" section. Pitching, Intonation, Synchopation, Articulation, Blending, Balance... It is very scary to hear our trumpets play at times. Not only it is noisy but also painful to ears.
* Let's start with Pitching, there are a few better pitching members but there are a few bad ones too. Wrong pitching will cause wrong notes and affect intonation. Trumpet section sounds SUPER BAD when holding long notes. NOT a single in tune segment. SL, please cut and make sure the holding notes sound nice (of course need to solve pitching problems first!).
* Synchopation - Some members just don't count and feel together with the section. Come in either earlier or later. EVERYONE PLEASE COUNT!!! trumpet's parts are so expose and important, one mistake ruins everything!
* Articulation - I wonder whether some of you know where to tongue or where not to tongue or not. A few of you are so special that you all have the articulations of your own. Please analyze the score and make sure you do the right articulation. Check with your section members and have uniform articulation!
* Blending - All of you have very very very different tonality and sound. Only 2 people have nearer or better blending tone and sound. the rest, I am sorry. Need to work harder in blending segment. No need to give me a very bright and piercing sound, a mellow one is enough. Although under different conductors but please try to make sure then nobody sticks out from the rest. Blend and control well. Do exercise adaptibility in playing. Adjust and control your sound to the section as you are playing.
* Balance - Need more stable 2nd and 3rd trumpet. Now abit top heavy. SL do something.
SL, do work on these problems. URGENT and NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I guess SL will know more than me. So I shall leave it to the SL to solve all these problems (or maybe m0re!). Jia you Trumpet!

Trombone: Nice and powerful section when all the powerhouse in. The problem now is trombone section only sound nice BUT synchopation and articulation not good. Rhythmically, trombone section is not bad but the problem lies with playing together. Messy. Articulations are sloppy and sound lack of confidence for some members. SL do work on articulations. Up till now, trombone is fine and ok. Maybe need to take note of full balance when all come. Don't only play nice sound also must have good technique! ^^

Tuba: Tuba sound lacks of Depth and the "big sound". Sometimes felt that the band is floating when there is only 2 younger Tubists. Intonation is a problem within your section. Both of tubists please do listen to each other and tune. Tuba is the foundation and pillar of the band, if both of you not in tune, the whole band will be dead. I hope both of you can work more on your sound and provide us with a rounder and bigger, more depth sound of the tuba section. Today sounded bigger when we have the 3rd one. How should I put it... It sounds like 1.5 in value instead 3 to me. Both of you sound like 0.25 +0.25, while the other one sound like 1 full value. If get aaron then you all will be 2.5 in value. With our band so top heavy and strong. We need bigger basses to support. Please do try to make your sound nicer and increase the depth. I don't expect both of you to give me 1 in value but at least give me 0.5 from each of you 2. Articulation abit unclean ar.. take note! Solve these problems during sectional! Jia you!

Percussion: Celtic - drums in 1st and 3rd movt too heavy as stated by Lin Sheng. Settle the drums and technique to use. Bass toms no need to be too loud. Aerodynamics - effects part need to work on, balance within section will need to be taken note of. Cappadocia is messy and effect (where is it?? why i never hear it again?? I thought we have run through and settled?). Dynamics for Cappadocia is bad, Percussion is too loud and over power. All drums tone down (especially snare-too high pitch everyone can hear). Suspended cymbals can be more to create contrast. Mallets do breathe with the winds, will come in slightly early at certain times. Disney - drumset work on your part, more bass drum. add in the groove. Jap graf - use normal tamb, no need to use black swamp, too much jingles sound, pop piece no need to have that. Work on Dynamics and Balance.

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I guess all SLs of all the sections will know more than me, so I expect you all to correct your section for these upcoming practices.

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Please WORK HARD! 4 more practices!!

Don't disappoint Lin Sheng and don't disappoint all the audience who come and support for the concert.

GIVE YOUR BEST!


fredy