What have you been doing in December?
Following rules set for rehearsals, Wind Symphony has been able to partake in sectionals and I have been able to join them since the beginning of December. I can’t describe the sense of joy I got from being part of those sessions.
Covid-19
So where are we now on the fight against Covid-19? Singapore has been vigilant in managing the spread of Covid-19 during this pandemic. Control measures set out by the Task Force can sometimes be inconvenient but if you take a moment to look at what is happening around the world, the inconvenience caused is but a small price to pay for the safety and well-being of all of us here and we should be grateful for the leadership.
What have I learned during the sectionals?
We need to work on basics again
Yup, that’s right! Back to basics. Because of the pandemic and the strict measure put on Bands and Choirs in Singapore by the Ministry of Education, many of our kids are no longer as proficient on their instruments as they used to be. It is worst for Wind Symphony because the freshmen batch have not touched their instruments since leaving secondary school and that could be at least 18 months before we started sectionals. So basics are good to kind of restart the engine room.
Sectionals can be boring with no sense of purpose
This is so true. Sectionals are more commonly used to practice parts of a bigger piece of music that is currently being played by the band. So if you just practice that without actually having any combines, it does not make sense. So the members decided to practice ensemble pieces instead, which I felt was more meaningful for their learning and enjoyment as well. The intention would be to do an online concert featuring the sections. I thought this was a great idea.
Muhamad Yusri 
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