Livening up the mood at Open House 2018.
If the essence of band were to be captured in one fleeting sentiment, it would be that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Only when every member plays their part can the discordant instruments ring out in an indescribable moment of perfect clarity. For just long enough to tease our memories, something hangs in the air, but in a heartbeat, it vanishes and the soul is left forever haunting. The band has played its first note. Yet, that one golden note of harmony often proves too elusive. If anything, the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 2017 was such a story of hubris. Originally, the band selected St. Antony’s Variations, a highly challenging song, as their choice piece. Even if it meant going against the advice of their conductor, the band was willing to put in everything to bring to fruition their dream of achieving more. Yet, as the days passed, progress remained excruciatingly slow. The band found itself increasingly confronted with the terrifying possibility that their piece would remain incomplete when SYF came knocking. As such, there was a difficult decision to be made – press on with St. Antony’s Variation and pray for the best, or switch to a less technical piece that would definitely be finished in time. Eventually, despite hours of single-minded practice on their original piece, they elected to start from scratch with The Music Makers.
They say every action has its own consequences and not every story has a happy ending. This year’s run was just not meant to be. When news of their SYF “Accomplishment” hit, it felt as if all their hope, devotion and hard work were for absolutely nothing. With that, the band’s only shot at glory was over and they were left picking up the shards of a shattered dream. It was in this stormy sea of emotions that the band approached ArtsFest one week later. Many members were highly reluctant to perform the same pieces from SYF as it was a testament to their complete failure. However, the band wanted to make it their best performance so that they could leave with no regrets. And as the band went onstage and poured all their feelings into their music, a beautiful song floated throughout the auditorium. It was a song composed from the shards of a shattered dream but at the same time, a song sung from the heart. Band President Toh Wei Chuan (17A15) aptly summed it up, “We still have a long way to go, but ultimately we hope to instill in our juniors a culture of really taking ownership and being brave and ambitious enough to want to try new things. So we are going back to basics, ensuring that practices are efficient and productive, that people are motivated to come for practice, and that the music we play is enjoyable and fun.” The Music Makers will never fall silent.
The Music Makers hwa chong college SYMpHONIC BAND MOCH 2018 | 21