Saturday, April 18, 2009
A Letter To Quest Choir
My Beloved Quest Choir,
The past two days have been emotional for most of us. I think, as a team, you have become closer and I was most heartened when I saw how you comforted one another despite being sad yourselves.
I think some of you have been blaming yourselves for our results. Some are probably even thinking our best efforts couldn't even get us a Silver and are thus feeling lousy. Please do not think this way! And, like one of your graduated seniors (who posted a couple of entries before this), I hope there will not be any finger-pointing and blaming of who was at fault. It is always very easy to push the blame on other people. To those of you who don't do this, I applaud you because you have grown one level up in maturity. To those who are, I urge you to reflect and think of how you could have helped your fellow members during practices.
As we (yes, myself included) reflect, allow me to remind everyone what we have achieved in spite of the SYF results:
1) The set piece this year was tough to begin with and yet you managed to learn the song well.
2) This is our first time attempting an a cappella piece and you only had two months to learn and master it. Even though we felt that it was far from perfect mastery, you improved tremendously (remember how you awful you sounded the first time you came to sing it together?), you did your best for it and got a Bronze which was no easy feat!
3) Our newer members were learning a cappella for the first time, with most of you having no prior experience in stage performance. I am sure you have learnt what it feels like to sing a cappella and to take part in a performing arts examination (SYF Central Judging is like a national examination for performing arts CCAs). And like what Ms Khor said, I'm sure you have better appreciation of choral singing as an art now. Hence, do not allow any criticisms (like, "because of you, Choir's standard dropped") to get to you. Because it did not. You were simply attempting something difficult without basic foundation skills in singing and prior experience in stage performance.
At this point, I salute the volleyball boys for your efforts. It was really not easy for you to juggle between training for volleyball tournaments and choir practices when you first joined Choir. But I really think you have the best of both worlds now - being the sporty person that you already are and having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on stage. Like what Ms Jennifer Philips said, not many people can boast about that! So, I'm really proud of your achievements. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining Choir to give us the boost in guy-power!
I know I have been harsh on everyone (especially when I was monitoring attendance) but all of you have bore my screeching quite well, I must say. To be honest, I enjoyed listening and watching you sing - and I realise it was not so much of how well you sang, but the energy and joy exhibited on your faces and in your body language as you performed that made me smile or want to smile. (I must maintain my reputation as an "anal" teacher, you know?)
Please continue singing and performing with joy and enthusiasm. Then I think Ms Khor, the teachers and I have succeeded in helping you better appreciate choral singing.
Naturally, we will want to take back that Silver (your senior said Gold!) come SYF 2011. Whether it's Gold, Silver, Bronze or Copper (maybe they should have Platinum and Titanium too), I know in two years' time, we'll be so ready and prepared for it that we can't wait to get on stage again to burst out in singing!
=D
For now, let's refocus and put our attention on studies. The mid-year examination is just two weeks away. We have done what we could for SYF; there are no regrets. Now, let's do what we can for studies. I wish you all the best! We'll come back together again after the exams - and yes, graduating seniors, please join us if you can and are willing. :)
Love,
Ms J. Tan
Friday, April 17, 2009
Hi everyone, I just really want to thank you guys for being part of my life. I'm going to miss every single one of you and I'm really sorry if I abused you in one way or another. You guys are really really awesome people and a bronze doesn't mean its a bad thing. It doesn't mean we can't pick ourselves up again. I know for many of us, it's our last SYF together, but so what if we didn't achieve our goals? We had fun eventually, and we improved a lot. And by a lot, I mean a lot, a lot. So just move on and don't regret, ever. Don't blame yourselves, because its not worth it.
(To the people that's gnna take over) I really hope that you guys will press on no matter what and push the choir like crazy because you guys are going to make it one day. I don't know when, but I know you guys will.
Our last choir practice at SLO.Ok have fun in choir and have fun in Queenstown and everyone be good boys and girls and do your mothers and fathers proud!
Love,
Nicole
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Hi choir,
You rarely find me here but what I just want to say is what is done has already done.
Do not moan over this defeat, but take this as a lesson that you gain from it and learn what you have always cherish beside you, especially so for the seniors. Do not point fingers at others because that would affect the entire morale of the team and TEAM is an important goal to the success of any choir in the world! What I can say that I can see that your have put in a lot of effort, some of your have even slogged over it. Some of your might not see it now, but you’ll soon come to realise that this CCA is not but any other CCA that you can find in schools. You can ask your seniors they can tell you, especially a very special Nicole Tee when she mentioned in her blog.
To the seniors, this may be your final year, but I must really say that your have had a much exciting and eventful journey in choir. Looking at some of your when you yourselves were juniors, indifferent, or “bo chap” till now being so concerned and anxious over choir matters and stuff like that. I guess it’s really heart-warming to see such growth especially so for the teachers that have gone with you along this journey. Do not let this affect you and your studies!
To the rest, do not think that by dropping back to bronze just mean that we’re back to square one! It just means a harder step for us to climb. But, we can achieve it! We are always progressing and we shall promise that we would not falter, slip nor give up along the way because THAT IS HOW WE CAN STRIVE FOR OUR GOLD NEXT SYF! And I’m sure that is what all of your want, am I right? Even if we falter and slip, we must pull one another up so that we can always continue to learn and grow and improve together as a choir. Of course, we must always maintain that integrity and discipline that we must have for choir in order to achieve our goal! So don't stress the teachers! haha =P
So dear choir, don’t be sad. Take it as a lesson that you have gained to add on to this interesting choir diary that you would review after the 4/5 years in this CCA. It’s surely one not to be missed as justified by your seniors and their seniors and me. Seniors, take this lesson as a growing phase for what it is to come. =) Cheers! =) Thanks!
Love,
Anonymous stranger in the corner
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
SYF 2009
Dear Quest Choir,
You did your best today and that was good enough for me. :) I am proud of you.
Here's the message I received from Ms Khor via SMS: Our choir did their best today. Am very proud of them.
Regardless of the results (due for release tomorrow at 6pm), let's move on from here to improve further (especially now that you have heard what Gold standard is like).
Anyone interested to join me tomorrow to go VCH to hear the results can meet outside the staffroom at 4.15 pm.
Some announcements:
1) There will be no Choir practice until the mid-year examinations are over. Please listen out for announcements during morning assembly in May.
2) Sec 3 pupils going Karimun Island are to prepare 1 English song and 1 Mandarin song for a cultural exchange performance there. Ms Khor suggested White Horses and Ye Lai Xiang. Please let me know by this week if you can do it.
Once again, thank you for giving your best today. I wished I could sing with all of you!
Lots of love,
Ms J. Tan
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Full-Dressed Rehearsal
SYF Participants,
Please bring along your costumes and black shoes for Monday's practice.
Also, this is extremely urgent: Please pay your $27.50 for the costumes to Weilin ASAP, if you have not done so already.
Thanks.
THREE DAYS LEFT...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Weekend Practices
We have 4 practices left...
1) Date: 10 April (Fri)
Reporting time: 1230pm
Reporting venue: School gates
Practice time: 1-3pm
Practice venue: SLO
2) Date: 11 April (Sat)
Reporting time: 730am
Reporting venue: School gates
Practice time: 8-10am
Practice venue: SLO
3) Date: 13 April (Mon)
Reporting time: 330pm
Reporting venue: ITR 1
Usual sectional & combined with Ms Khor, Ms Koh & percussionists
4) Date: 14 April (Tue)
Reporting time: 330pm
Reporting venue: ITR 1
Combined practice with Ms Khor and Ms Koh
SYF DATE: 15 April (Wed)
Details will be given to you on 14 April (Tue).
Meanwhile, please take care of yourselves. The weather is crazy lately. Also, drink lots of water and eat responsibly.