CHANGE IN VENUE FOR 20TH DEC OUTING

Hello everyone,
SE's outing on 20th Dec (Thur) has been changed to Nicole's house (Grange Heights).

Time: 9am at Somerset MRT

Hi all,
this is a gentle reminder that:

1) SE Camp is this coming Mon- Wed (17th-19th Dec)
Time: 9am- 5pm (Pls note the timing, it's not 10am to 5pm as stated in the schedule in one of the old post!!!!)

2) 20th Dec is SE Outing at ECP (see details)

3) And last but not least, for those who are busking after SE camp/ outing, pls do bring your appropriate attire!

:)

Outing on the 20th

Okay... I'm asked to do this just in case you guys don't read your email. So here are the details:
Venue/Meeting place: BBQ pit 27 area C
Time: 9.30am to 5 plus.(having lunch bbq, dinner is NOT provided)
Things to bring: -A pair of slippers/sandals
-One big bottle of water(you will need it)
-An extra pair of clothes to change
-Cap
-Umbrella or raincoat
"Dress code": Shorts and T-shirt or something that you can get wet in.
Covered shoes/ Sport shoes are required in the first part so please wear them.
Reminder: Bring your own water bottle and hydrate. Activities are planned back to back so there won't be much time for you to buy drinks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Brgds,
Darren

Yo.

Next prac is on monday 12/11 and wednesday 14/11. If you can't come, rmb to submit leave forms to me or gloria or ling hong! Do remember to turn up and wear your SE tee on monday! So that'll we'll all look nice (:

And don't you dare laugh at my hair.

Love, Nic.

practice resumes ;D

Hello everyone,

Practice will resume this friday, 19 october.
It will be sectionals:

Junior high: usual LT and classrooms
Senior High: music room

Everyone, please check your emails and print out scores for sectionals.
You will have to bring that set of scores and Rutter for practice.
Don't forget your sch-based tshirts for games! :D

Practice starts at 2.15 sharp.

Love, Linghong.

TERM 4's SCHEDULE!!

HELLO AGAIN -.-

I'm not trying to push the pics down somemore, but I have a NEWSFLASH!!! lol.

Concert at Esplanade this Tuesday 16/10/07 (yes, one day before we all return to hell) at 6pm. It's FREE! So all you misers out there should go!

Repertoire includes:
Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 in D maj, Op6
+ Rachmaninov Symp No. 2 in E min, Op27

Yeap, Ms Ku would like everyone to go, so you should unless you have some superduper important stuffs to do (mentally preparing yourself for the next day is NOT COUNTED -.-) and do dress nicely cos I don't like people who wear shorts and slippers to a concert, so unglam and no respect for the performers can?! Okay, that's just a personal opinion. See you Tuesday! (:

Love, Nic.

Hello! I'm a Nic.

The big fat pictures are superduper annoying. It's blocking the only thing that is (barely) alive on this blog -- the tagboard. Can someone please resize them, PLEASE. If I weren't a computerNOOB, I would do it. Unfortunately, I am.

Anyway, GOOD LUCK ! For whatever disgusting papers you have left. Do not fear, liberation is near. lol it rhymes :D

Love, Nic.

P.S I'm posting this partly cos the blog is kinda dead and partly cos I want to lower the ginormous pictures and partly becos I love SE so much and I'm such a lovely junior/senior. I'm damn smart right? I know.

Hello everyone.

Please let me know, either by sms or telling me in person, your t-shirt size ( XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL) by next week! It's for the SE polo shirt.

Thank you :)

Jia Hui.

SEE YOU AGAIN, ZIRUO! :)

hey guys!

on friday, we treated ziruo a farewell dinner! :D

Ziruo, take care of yourself in china! :)
we wish you an advanced HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
all the best! :D

/edit i removed the pictures! :D
if you havent gotten them, you can contact me for it.

(linghong)

Open House 2007: DHSSE

Though this not the official platform, I'd like to welcome the new comm. ;)

And before I scoot off, I must say the T-shirt design ROCKS! Who designed it? :)

Ms Tan

HELLO EVERYONE! I'm your new beloved secretary :) I shall not get to collect your fines now, but I have 2 successors! And I get to fine you instead :D Beware.

Anyway, reporting the new committee! (drumroll please)

Senior High Ensemble
Chairperson: Aaron
Vice Chairperson: Mei Hui

Junior High Ensemble
Chairperson: Felicia
Vice Chairperson: Xiao Wen
Secretary: Nicole
Treasurer: Gloria
Assistant Treasurer: Ling Hong
Librarians: Joey & Bramawan
Assets Managers: Karis & Su Bin
Creative Directors: Jie Min & Beverly
Welfare Managers: Darren & Dyllis

Let's bring SE to greater heights! :D
Love, Nic.

more money

Lol treasurers have become the feared figure of everyone. I saw Aaron running away from me today :(

Anyway tomorrow is the last day! No money I don't care. Borrow from your friend or whichever kind soul. By hook or by crook, clear it. AHAHA.

YOU CAN FIND ME DURING MY RECESS/LUNCH EITHER IN THE CANTEEN OR IN MY CONTAINER CLASSROOM HOR.

Love, Nic.

MONEY.

Hello people! Your dear treasurer here to claim money from you in my last days. Soon, you'll have a new one breathing down your throats and I can relinquish my title of Robber, and pass it on.

Anyway, in case you didn't know, you have to gimme whatever you owe me by This Friday 6 July 2007 OR ELSE.

My recesses and lunches are as follows for the next 2 days:
Day 8
Recess: 9.15~9.45
Lunch: 12.15~12.45

Day 9
Recess: 10.15~10.45
& any time after school at 1.45

Below is who and how much:
$4.50
Ziruo

$5
Jia Hui (big!)
Rodion
Zhu Jie

$7.50
Aaron
Yun Shan
Taxy
Zara
Yun Xiu
Samson
Kawai
Hsiu Chen
Michelle
Yu Chen

$9.50
Kai Li

$10
Jannelle

Please try to bring the 50 cents, cos I'm always running out of coins.
And Karis, please remind me that I owe you 50cents.

Ohyes, bring EXTRA MONEY cos there are some more fines that I need to collect whom I don't have records of yet.

So, just spend less this month and you'll be fine. See you soon!
Love, Nic.

SYF INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES PRESENTATION

3rd Jul, 7.30pm at Singapore Conference Hall
Price: $5

----------------------------------
If you're interested, please tell/ message me by THIS friday :)

Jia Hui.

The Spirit of Strings 2007 :)

June Practice Camp 2007 (4th- 6th June)

Venue: DHS LT2
Time: 0900- 1700 (4th, 5th June)
Reporting time: 0845!! (4th, 5th June)

0900- 1800 (6th June)
Reporting time: 0845

· Things to bring :
Instruments
Non- disposable utensils (Spoon, fork, plate/ bowl, cup)
Stationeries

· Practice Time slots: 0900-1200
· Lunch: 1200-1300
· There would be various activities in the afternoon (details to be announced on 4th June itself)

* Each group is supposed to prepare lunch for the whole ensem on their respective days in such a way that there is no wastage of food or lack of food. $30 will be given to each group to purchase the groceries that they need and group members are to keep the receipts upon purchasing their stuff.

Day 1's Lunch: Group 1
Day 2's Lunch: Group 3
Day 3's Lunch: Group 4
Day 4's (7th june) Lunch: Group 2

GROUPINGS
Group 1: Yun Shan, Ka Wai Chng Jia Hui, Bramawan ^, Su Bin, Kaili, Jolene, Zhao Jie, Kee Chin, Ziruo

Group 2: Mei Hui, Rodion, Jeff, En Ning, Ling Hong*, Jie Min ^, Joey, Yun En, Shu Qi, Yu Chen, Xin Yan

Group 3: Aaron, Joel, Yun Xiu, Felicia, Nicole*, Darren, Karis ^, Tan Jia Hui, Lynette, Weige, Jannelle

Group 4: Samson, Zara, Hsiu Chen, Xiao Wen, Gloria*, Dyllis ^, Tesia, Andrew, Michelle, Dawn

*: People on UK trip
^: Lunch leaders

ALL lunch leaders are to inform your group members about the camp details. Failure of your group members to perform appropriately will leave you responsible for them. Be warned!
--------------------------------------------

Gathering at East Coast Park (7th June)
Time: 1000- 2130
Venue: Exact venue to be confirmed

All alumni are welcome to join in the fun! :)

DHSSE Concert

Due to Mei Hui's suggestion, I've decided to post up my email here. :) Gotta keep in touch with technology..

=======
Dear SE members, current and past,

Many thanks to all who have worked very hard for this year's SYF and concert. Most of the guests who came were thrilled and felt everybody performed very well and beautifully. Many were touched by the pieces and the level of musicality done. I am very proud of you all because it has fulfilled a dream to reach out to the public and young people, about the joys of music-making.

There were many who viewed the pictures outside and were touched by the years of hard work and dedication captured by the photos of past years and current. It was like a mini gallery. I wanted this to be featured as a yearly thing so those who come back to the concert feel like a real family, seeing family shots. All the smiles, focused looks of playing, artistic shots of hands, insts .. :) those were meant to capture the artistic and yet fiercely passionate side of the SE. I'd like to thank Ling Hong, Gloria for spending late nights designing the layout and to Ka Wai for carrying those easels.

I have asked Wen Jin for feedback and was very touched. Hence, I asked him to post it on the blog http://dhstrings.blogspot.com :) to encourage you all to spur to greater heights. Do drop by to read it as I feel it reflects his joy and support of DHSSE.

Those who came, I hope you enjoyed the programme booklets we have SO MANY like 200 despite more than the nos getting snapped up. :D :D If you want, we can SEND IT to you :) It is a work of pride and joy, designed by Mei Hui in layout and style, photos by Meng Shuen (our cool student photographer) and printed by current Sec 4 Joel. I think you guys set a record new standard even for aesthetic and art :)

It didn't matter if notes went out of tune or slips were here and there. It was rising up to the challenge of playing difficult pieces and feeling the joy and passion of sharing music that's important.

It has been a tough 6 months for SE. With new leadership, new ways of doing things, I understand that changes have not been easy for you. However, I feel that it has been for the better and that with Ms Ku, we've been able and trying to pave a new and clearer path for all of you. Ms Ku and Mr Song did a very good job with all of you and many gave feedback that it was such an enjoyable and touching performance led well by Ms Ku. We scolded, pushed, counselled, stayed till shadows creeped into the night...but we hope that you can feel that we are behind you all the way.

All those who helped out: choir students, backstage, they played a part too. I've never seen a more hardworking and enthusiastic group of students. Kudos to Mrs Loke for that! :)

I hope that with Yr 5s starting off an exciting new era, more challenging music can be played, more groups can be formed and the foundation of chamber music can be set in place. You played well and must now see the next year and a half as a time to push music making to greater heights.

To the alumni that has ceaselessly and tirelessly returned back to help, I can't stop to thank you enough. I'm very grateful for your hardwork and dedication. I was very touched to see so many current J2s, J1s, past years' graduates returning to perform/coach/give encouragement and chocolates..without you, there would be no DHSSE either. Your feedback, helpful comments and suggestions have always been instrumental in guiding the SE and we are grateful for your time and energy with us :)

Well done all and rest well this June.

Thank you for teaching me what the real DHSSE spirit is all about.

Ms Tan

kudos

Hi Guys

Congrats for your very successful concert!

It has been rare privilege to witness the evolution of sibelius romanze from the version I heard in dec last year, the one 1 week before syf and the lastest version so stunning and well-done in the concert. Every sound just came across as so heartfelt I knew it was the crystallization of all your tears and sweat. The experience was unreal.

Not everyone in SE is an aspiring soloist. Not everyone in SE came in playing well (if they play a string instrument at all), yet it always fascinates me how SE managed to work together to neutralize each other’s weakness and amplify the strengths year after year. It is so heart-warming to see people grow to become stronger players, a process that can only be the attributed hard work and correct methods. Congrats for once again embarking on and then follow through the seemingly daunting journey. You guys have made the sum worth more than its parts, and the parts worth adding up together.

For those who are struggling, don’t despair. Persevere and you will find it all worthwhile. Do continue to work hard to keep the spirit burning!

And the entire programme was fantastic! I totally loved it!

Kudos to Ms Ku, teachers-in-charge, seniors, alumni that helped out and you guys who believed in the group.

Hurray!

Lau Wen Jin

Hello guys, coming right to you from Beijing. Hope you guys are doing alright/good for concert. It's about a day left to YOUR BIG DAY. Keep the usual advice in mind, play with the spirit and you guys will do fine. Wont be there to witness it but i'll be supporting you all.

Good luck, and may the concert be yet another memorable one.

Taxy.

Hello everyone,

Please REMEMBER TO STICK ALL YOUR CONCERT SCORES by tmr! ( 21st may)

Hi guys, am here to remind you to push ticket sales as this is more or less a part of our fund raising efforts for the London trip next year. I'm sure 10/20 tickets per person is not that difficult? If you scroll your msn list, you'll find it to be nearly over a 100 contacts or more so i dont see how huge a problem selling off tickets it is.

Cmon everyone try harder!

Taxy

Hello guys, just a gentle reminder here. When you sell tickets off, do retain the stubs for admin purposes. The stubs with the serial numbers on it! All sales are due on 16th May as well. Meanwhile, have fun at level camp next week! Play hard!

taxy

The news in brief

In the past few years, there have been unusual cases of workers being smuggled into the country illegally.

A recent case of hidden migrants was discovered today from an unknown area in the west:

One described the experience as "comfortable" while others declined to comment.

Others sought the mode of transportation as refuge during which they seeked to hide from other authorities.

There were many reasons leading to the arrest.

One was the discover of illegal gambling found within the premises.

Local authorities cited such gatherings of ten people or more as potentially dangerous. However, it was discovered that the gathering as that evening to be "harmless" with roasting of raw meat, chicken parts, assorted balls of fish and white mushy confectionary known as marshmellows being circulated. Reporters concluded the gathering was the result of a forest hunt and fishing trip, of which the evening was a celebration of the spoils.

Hunters and members feasting on the spoils gathered that day.

Some unusual suspects were seen, vowing to be vegetarians for a month as they recently won a certain competition. However, the suspect was seen to be lifting sausages and roasted meats from other members' plates every five minutes of the evening.

"I'll start tomorrow," he vowed again.

News 2

There was an unusual activity in some of the rooms used. One group was seen throwing balls at the wall in a mysterious manner.















































Others were wary of the sudden invitation into the meeting.

In the room, an unusually large number of members congregated and awaited for the high council to appear...















It was a tense and exciting moment...















The chairman entered and (in bright yellow) showed great enthusiasm in offering the gift. Authorities were curious as to what it could be.
















The unusual gift was met with rather high emotion and loud applause. Authorities reigned in on what could possibly be more than just "the dishing out of fishballs and sausages"...

News 3

In the meantime, reporters went around trying to get feedback from members regarding this unusual event.















Some declined to comment.




















Others obliged with pictures.















There were unusual protests as to who some of the recipients of the gifts could be.















One resorted to slight violence at an annonymous (future-one-month-expiry) vegatarian..




















But the member (annonymous) subsequently relented and accepted the gift.















It was indeed a moment of realisation and recognition of the efforts of many that led up to this event...















Most obliged the reporter with pictures.

























































Some members who had long left the organisation returned to witness the event. One subsequently involved the reporter with enjoyable heavily philosophical discussions on the future of vegetarians, law, political science and the inner workings of higher administration. It was an evening where politics, philosophy and fishballs mixed.















Others returned and shared their findings during their journey to new places...















Reporters realised the gathering was as such, legal, as it seemed to promote world peace and true love.

And, not forgetting, the passion of music.

This report was brought to you by a certain reporter signed as DT, highly drunk from being overloaded with chin chow tea consumed in large quantities at the gathering and last seen sneaking off with 5 accomplices to the station.

Hello everyone.

Please ignore my recent tag as there is a change of attire for this friday's
speech day performance.

To all SYF PEOPLE: BRING YOUR FULL SYF ATTIRE this fri!
Black shirt,pants, shoes and coloured tie for guys and Gown, court shoes, chokers for girls!

Reporting time for all would still be the same, 9.30AM SHARP.

And i suggest that all of you should bring an extra set of clothes to change too, for the bbq. (unless u want to be in school skirt/pants for a BBQ!!)
---------------------------------------------------------------

Taxy sent a list of bus services which will reach Ms Ku's house through the yahoo mails. Should any of you not receive it for some reason, here is it:


Buses: 8, 13, 23, 26, 31, 61, 64, 65, 66, 90, 107, 133, 142, 151, 154, 147, 125, 857, 985, 853, 966
Mrt: Potong Pasir


See you guys soon! :)

Jia Hui.

Post-Competition Plans

Cool. 25th May... What're you guys playing? I've only heard a rumour that the Gareth Walters Divertimento is one of the pieces.

-Wen-Bin

Heard that a few people couldnt see the mail sent to the dunmanse yahoogroups so i'm gonna repost my email here.

email start:

Hello everyone. :)

If you havent heard, SE clinched a gold with honours yesterday!!! This is a confirmation of everybody's hard work, especially Miss Ku's. Many thanks to Miss Ku, Mr Song, Miss Tan, Mr Soh and the alumni for the encouragements throughout. I believe it's been the main driving force behind the ensem. I've seen the emails from the alumni, and i would really love to have the bbq after 4th May. However, Miss Ku has a concert to do on 5th May (saturday) and the juniors are generally not in favour of a bbq on sundays cause of school the next day. Any date later, and it'll be too near the concert (25th May). Thus, Miss Ku and I have decided to put the bbq date on 27th April, Friday instead. If we miss anyone from the alumni because of the inconvenient date, i sincerely apologise. There'll most probably be another bbq after SE's june training camp, and by then, i hope the rest of the alumni can come join us. :)

The details of the bbq are as follow:

Date & Day: 27th April 2007, Friday
Time: 7pm
Venue: Moonstone View
Nearest MRT station: Potong Pasir

EVERYBODY'S INVITED TO THE BBQ!!!

For all the present ensem members, we'll be going down together after speech day performance. I'll inform you guys of the meeting time and place in school most probably on monday. Speech day will end at around 5pm so i'm hoping we can get there by 6 plus to get the bbq started. Jiahui and Samson will be announcing the good news on monday to the school during flag raising ceremony so remember to CHEER THE SCHOOL DOWN!

If anybody needs further information, please drop me a sms/call at 91478638. Hoping to see everyone at the bbq!

Xin Ying.

Email end.

Anybody's got anything to say, leave me a tag. Very much appreciated. Please also volunteer your service for the bbq.

Hello guys! I'm intending to plan a celebratory bbq next friday evening, 27th april, cause we have school off from speech day! Most of us anyway. Did a quick poll yesterday in school and most people were okay with it, so now i need to know if the date is good for the alumni? Hope to get everyone back. :)

If the date's good, i need people to volunteer themselves next. Drop me an email, sms, whichever's better. :)

Taxy.

Hello guys, congratulations on clinching honours. For all the hard work and tears, it's paid off. Do remember that it wouldnt have been possible without Miss Ku, Mr Song, Miss Tan, Mr Soh and everybody's dedication. Have a good weekend, and come monday we're gonna start preparing for concert. :) :) :)

Congrats again!

Taxy

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

*C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S *

OMG! Thanks to Jiahui, I got the GREAT NEWS as soon as she could msg me! OMG! GOOD JOB SE! I am sooooo happy to learn about this piece of WONDERFUL NEWS! And I am glad the SE spirit tied you all through this big hurdle. I was desperately trying to get online and sms people for the results but the internet connection was SO SLOW for some stupid reason that I got very impatient trying to get on the sms website. But, just to say, I am so proud of you guys who pulled yourself together and did yourselves and Miss Ku proud!!!! I can only say OMG and TG, because you can't imagine how much I prayed while waiting for the results. 7 hours ago, I was jittery with the thought of SYF, and now I have a test in 7 hours, but I can barely sleep because of all the excitement!

WAY TO GO, people!!!! GOOD JOB indeed!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) This shall be the happiest day of my life in 2007!

shi mei :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

11 hours

I believe we can do it! SE, go for it! Put in your best and enjoy the music. Immerse yourself in that beautiful music, move together with it!


You should be meditating now or done it already. Cut your nails everyone. No watches on stage please. Girls please tie up your hair with BLACK rubberbands. If there's a need, use BLACK hairbands or clips. Boys, please comb your hair and make yourself neat and clean. Please report to school tmr at 6.50am. Don't be late!


SE all the way, JIAYOU! :D

Hi guys, do remember to bring your full attire tmr! For the ladies, your gown, court shoes and chokers. Only black hairbands allowed! For the men, full black attire, tie, BLACK SOCKS and black leather shoes. EVERYBODY PLEASE TRIM YOUR NAILS.

You guys should start meditating now. This is how you go about doing it. Switch off the lights in a room and close your eyes. In your mind, run through the entire event, from the point where you walk up the stage and play both pieces in your mind, complete with dynamics and everything. Picture how you're gonna sit, smile, and move, and how you will walk on and off the stage GRACEFULLY.

Present yourselves well, and half the battle is won. Look good, play well. Please remember to move A LOT cause your actions are diminished by the time they reach the audience. The lowest your violins should go is 90 degrees, play it proud alright?

All the best. Please do get sufficient rest. :)

Taxy.

all the way!!

hey se!! it's like, slightly less than 48 hours to our BIG BIG BIG DAY!

we've all been coming so hard and have come thus far. all the everyday practices and going home at times only when ahtiong comes chasing after us, it's all been real hard work. now with only this much time left, i really hope all of you will put in your best in today and tmr's practice. it's all about the quality of our performance now, every single bit. dont forget the "visual effects" of us picking up our instruments together, playing together with the same amount of bow and speed, all in a co-ordinated manner. there's this much of little details left that we have to clean up and it's all gotta be done and ready by friday ok!

i hope all of you will look at your SLs in front and follow them at the parts you're supposed to. for the sections which have been picked out by ms ku in which you are to follow cues from me, yunxiu, or anyone else, pls do so! if you realise that anyone of us are out of sight, adjust your seats and positions just before you start playing. especially so on SYF day when you have that little bit of time to adjust your seats on stage just before ms ku comes on stage.

pls run through such details when having our meditations on THURSDAY NIGHT 9.30pm. just run through the whole process in your mind. walking up stage carefully with your gowns for the girls, carrying your big instrus carefully for the bigger instrus, looking at ms ku's cue at the start, playing through the piece in your mind remembering all the details etc. should there be any queries about meditation, feel free to approach any one of us ok!! right. :) enough said, all the best and JIAYOU EVERYONE!

咬紧牙根 and fight on!

Dear SE,

There are not many hours to THE THING. Just a reminder that you should imagine/treat each rehearsal as a "live" run to the actual thing so that you could be as mentally prepared as possible. Also, looking good is very important - so make sure you don't play like a stone or look uninterested when you play. :)

Most importantly, if you feel like you are going to freak out onstage, focus on the music that you are going to play - go through every single detail that you will commit yourself to doing during the performance - and think about your fellow SE friends who need you and one another to pull off this performance together - you don't want to freak out and then let your fingers go autopilot because the music will lose interest! So, it's always helpful to think about your ultimate goal of playing your best as a group and how to make all the hours of slogging with your friends worthwhile.

All the best to you and remember that each and every one of you is important in making up a good ensemble. Break a leg! :) (I will be praying for you...heh heh.)


~~Shi Mei ^^

Good work and keep it up

Hi all,

Sorry I couldn't make it for the whole of last week, was facing down an unusually heavy workload. Shall make this short. Good job today guys. It's heartening to see you all finally rarin' to go. We have almost come full circle, but not just yet: the endless naggings, scoldings, repetitions... All after a hard day's schoolwork too. Then comes the turning point, the point where your exhaustion turns into energy and your legs just carry you forward... the drastic improvement, the morale rising, everybody gearing up for the BIG DAY on Friday... then the Gold with Honours, the cheering that follows... the tears streaming down the faces of the people who have slaved their bones inside out for this day. Then my birthday on Saturday. Erm. Never mind the last point XD

Does anyone know if I can come for SYF?

EDIT: Forgot to sign in - venerable elder Wen-Bin.

Hi darlings, 3 days to go. Gotta give it all you've got okay? I can see it coming, please let the real music bloom on friday. I love the spirit that was burning in the room today.

Jotting down the times and stuff,
650am: Report to Music Room Two (Be really punctual, ie. 10 minutes earlier)
7-8am: Miss Ku will be doing a run through with you guys.
8-9am: Get changed.
920am: We leave for SCH.
10am: To reach SCH.

Please remember to bring your full attire by thursday, and all extra things, ie strings, tuners, hand warmers.

SE SE FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

Taxy. (Who doesnt eat much.)

I confess to losing my cool with a certain section this week on monday, but if you guys could see it from my point of view, it's really tiring to want to pull this heavy load up without it moving an inch. You guys have no idea how i badly i want everybody to do their best for SYF. You have no way of salvaging that regret that's gonna dig at your confidence for days, months and years to come should you not do your best on 20th april. Ironic when everyone's clawing their way to an honours, we're sitting in a room feeling 'sian'. Please. Dont. By the time you recover from the shock, SYF's gonna be over in a minute.

All the remedies and tips have been dished out by different people over the span of 22 posts in this blog. If you really mean to play well, i say go read the archives and take note of those things. Do whatever it takes to make you remember them. It's annoying, REALLY, to start from the bottomline every week.

Each time at sectionals, i always celebrate the little bit of improvement made over the few hours cause i can see the work. But you guys always manage to lose it bit by bit (by ignoring your instrument over 4 days? that's all it takes.), so much so that the next time you return, it's zero again. It's an absolute waste of time, when you guys could be building on from what was taught previously, and then learning how to play the piece musically instead of focusing on the technicalities.

On hindsight, sometimes i feel like i shouldnt have lost my temper with the section i was taking, but i really felt helpless at that point of time. I wanted to do so much, but the basics were not even there. Please do yourselves a huge favour and start remembering everything, AND PLEASE PRACTISE. Countless people are behind you guys so dont you ever dare to give up. Not now, when it's 7 days to SYF.

I really love SE, and i hope for everyone to do their best, because when you guys play from the heart, it truly touches.

Keep the goal in mind and go down for it. Hard. All the best.

Taxy.

Hi everybody-

It's down to only 8 days of proper practice, and if the sense of urgency hasn't yet set in, then I have nothing else to say.

It was disappointing to discover that some of you are still not practising your parts at home with a metronome and tuner. Either you feel that you don't need these trusty devices, or you simply can't be bothered to use them. Even if you generally have good intonation and rhythm sense, it doesn't hurt to double check once in a while. And for those of you who don't, all the more you should use them. The metronome and tuner are FAR more reliable than us seniors or teachers when it comes to pointing out such technical flaws, so I don't see why some of you simply don't make full use of them.

Many of you come for sectionals unprepared, and when this happens, we have no choice but to stop the progress (if any) and fix each of you INDIVIDUALLY. What's the point of coming together in groups when your individual parts aren't taken care of? As a result, many of you find your time slowly slipping through your fingers, because all you can do is sit and watch while each person gets his or her flaws corrected. Right? WRONG. As Miss Ku has emphasized countless times, PRACTISE YOUR FINGERING (shifts, stretches etc) while waiting instead of watching your youth gradually wasting away with each passing second. I'm sure this would be more productive than say, watching a couple of fishes swimming in a tank. (you know who you are)

The main purpose of practising in small chamber groups is to work on the ensemble element of your playing: balance, coordination, group dynamics etc. If you do not come prepared individually, you will NOT benefit as you are too caught up with your own inability to play in tune or in time. If you have not been doing anything about it, now is the time to BUCK UP. Even though it is in fact much too late to get started, anything is better than nothing. Doing something the same way over and over again and expecting different results is a form of insanity! As Meihui has rightfully pointed out, practise SLOW, make sure you get everything right, then gradually work up to performance speed. Honestly, all this should have been done at least 8 weeks before the big day, as opposed to the 8 days that you are left with.

In spite of the seemingly small number of ensembles that you are up against, competition is VERY stiff. I've heard news about the ongoing band syf. 8 of the 14 bands who had previously gotten the gold with honours award have played: FIVE have been demoted to SILVER, TWO to gold, and only ONE managed to maintain the honours. Even though I don't quite know the cause of these shocking statistics, a possibility to consider is COMPLACENCY. For the benefit of some of you, a definition of COMPLACENCY as given by Websters' dictionary is as follows:

A feeling of quiet pleasure based on self-satisfaction, usually coupled with a lack of awareness of existing or potential problems.

I don't see the need to explain that any further. If you feel that the gold with honours will be magically bestowed upon us just because we have attained that standard before, you could not be more wrong. Consider the consequences if you do not maintain the honours. As much as Meihui, Yunshan, Taxy and I would like to play, all we can do is sit by the side, nag and hope that some of it enters some of your stubbornly thick skulls. It is certainly frustrating for us, so we have justifiable reasons for running on short fuses. While some of you might be silently fuming at us for this incessant nagging, the truth is we don't really care. To put it magnanimously, we would sacrifice our stellar reputations as long as it delivers results.

Now perhaps you could roll your eyes in the direction of your scores, tuner, metronome, and instruments and PRACTISE.

Aaron

Unity

The annonymous senior who wrote the stuff at the bottom...is right. I couldn't agree more.

You mustn't feel sian at this point when you haven't reached the targetted sound. DHSSE is not made up of losers.

But I want you guys to seriously take note of what's written by her/him. You have to realise why all this nagging, advice is directed at you. If you ignore it, roll your eyes at it and slack at your practice, the one who will be blamed (tho no one will say it), the one who will only realise it too late two years later when you will be struggling in your own SYF nightmare again, is you. Nobody else.

We won't say it, but it will always be remembered...for the next 365x2 days of everyone's lives...

nice thought isn't it?

So! To avoid feeling guilty, regretful, you need to work together.

Sure you feel frustrated, everybody does. Those who can play but can't becoz they are older. Those who are playing and who want to fight but can't do it alone. No battle is won by one man, it's won by a team, an army, an entire legion. All of fate is in your hands, all 32 of you, plus the entire legacy of sweat and hard work by past Dunman seniors. So easy to blame each other, and THIS is the archilles heel, the weakest part of the argument.

I have seen a rugby team made out of tiny players defeat a team made out of huge players.

It's all about practising SMART and working as a TEAM.

Guys, you need to bring out more cooperative spirit and action. The pressure is great, but if you can overcome this, you will realise how rewarding it is.

Areas judges will look out for: articulation, dynamics, rhythm, intonation, tone.

Expression, interpretation, style, phrasing, balance, blend, group dynamics

Slow practice was something we emphasised months ago. You have to take it up, and do it. It doesn't mean you are lousy, it just means you can do better. Impatience in practice marks you as immature in thinking and as a musician.

When you put in many hours, you don't practise blindly. Ask yourself what is the problem, and think on your own how to solve it.

SE students have a habit of doing the right thing, forget and go back to square one. Write things down. Take a pen and paper.

What a shame to go back to square one. After so many ppl have given you input.

You only have less than two weeks left, so just press on and grit your teeth. Hey, it's just as painful for those who are watching you!! but you are growing just keep going!!!!!!!! Don't stop!!

For everyone's info, DHSSE doesn't take in students who give up before the fight is done. That will be the policy of the SE from this year onwards.

Resilience.

-

Hello to everyone:

Took a couple of sectionals today, and disturbingly, I realised that the whole progress is getting rather stagnant. Intonation still in a bad shape...

Perhaps it's because you're in chamber groups and sections, as this problem is minimized a little when you play as an ensemble, but nevertheless, you should sound the same whether as a whole or in groups.

In addition, strings crossing is another problem that is contributing to the messy-ness.

You want to know whats the solution? It's simple.

Practice slow. Even the most famous pianists and violinists and cellists and violists (you get the drift) cannot neglect slow practice. The virtuosically-impossible passages you hear them playing on stage do not just crystallize out of nowhere. There is no short cut. I don't doubt that most of you are practicising, but I believe most of you, on encountering a problematic passage, try to solve it by playing it over and over again--at performance speed.

You can continue doing so for 10 hours, but you achieve nothing.

Or perhaps, some do practice slow, but often you don't sustain it. After a few rounds, you get impatient and return to the usual fast speed.

I shall stress it again. PLEASE TRUST THE POWER OF SLOW PRACTICE.
if you have intonation problems, practice it SLOWLY, and make sure you give yourself enough time to hear yourself, and check your intonation.

when you feel secure enough, that's when you can up your speed GRADUALLY. (you play so much games, treat it like game levels. you can only proceed when you've passed and conquered each level of speed)

besides that, if you encounter other problems, instead of struggling over it, pause, stop and think. HOW CAN YOU SOLVE IT. there must exist a self-corrective mechanism in you. if not, please approach your teachers or sectional leaders.

oh yes, another problem is that you all sound really "SIAN" when playing walters and romanze. if you are SIAN, it shows in your music. I took joel's and jiahui's chamber today, and everyone sounded so tired. But it's really ironic, if you are so sick and tired of it, why is it still in such a shape? You should only be sick and tired of it when you've mastered it to a point where everything is near perfect.

For people who are relatively stable intonation and rhythm wise, as the saying goes, "strive on until the good is better and the better is the best". Please think of furthur ways to improve on aspects such as producing a good sound, how to move, how to phrase your melodies beautifully, what character or scene can you picture in your mind at certain parts.

Agreed with what taxy said, we dont want to come back every sectionals to return back to square 1. Nowadays I feel like I'm repeating myself over and over again. I don't want to grow old! Don't make me feel old! You know it makes us feel very lousy too, if we have to repeat ourselves over and over again, and i will start thinking, "ohmygosh am i lacking creativity. is my thinking so limited.". I feel stagnant too. And I'm sure some of you have been thinking, "cheh. isn't it all those stuff again? what thin sound. what listen to each other. what dont accent in the middle of your melodies."

omg im getting really naggy. ok i shall attempt for a rushed ending, thing is, practice SMART and practice HONESTLY. treat music sincerely ok. you think music is stupid is it. how much you give in is how much it will produce for you. YOU TRY TO CHEAT, then it will also AP you.

I'm sure the other schools are furiously practicising at this point in time. And some, fuelled by their failure to get GoldWithHonours the previous competition, how hard do you think they will work? The answer is obvious.

Competitions are always based on relativity. If other schools improve, but you are still at your previous standard, then ..

ok im really getting rather tired, can't even bother to finish my previous sentence.

so everyone. work hard. we're all in this together. the only thing we as year5s and the teachers can do is to coach you, give you advice, encourage, push, .. and we don't want to feel like we've achieved nothing, especially when it returns back to square one. but ultimately, the most important thing is that in the end, we don't want you to disappoint yourselves.

okay i forgot to sign off: MEIHUI.

new graphic by briankotzen

hey guys, linghong here! ;D

new graphic's up! :D
done by gloria's friend, briankotzen.
:)

i hope all of you are practising! ;D
for the lower strings,
practise the entry chords one hundred times EACH -_-

we should feel the music and then we'll be able to play our dynamics better! :D

JIAYOU! :D

18 MORE DAYS! GWH!~

p.s. because publishing many entries on the page will make the template seem long and unproportionate, so i changed the settings and if you want to see the previous entries, click on the archive! ;D

LOTSA LOVE!

Saturday practice, 31 march!

hello all. today's the first day of our saturday practices. we're exactly 20 days left to SYF! i'm not gonna say the same old reminders cos you guys should know all of them at your fingertips by now, e.g. using the METRONOME and TUNER.

as a result of today's practice, ms ku went through the score with us and she's marked out specific passages to be practiced with the METRONOME, for the different instruments. she also made a bit of changes to the shaping to bring out some parts which are often inaudible. i believe all of you have it marked out on your scores already. so practice what's indicated if not you'll be defeating all ms ku's intended purposes!!

next up is something that i feel we may have started to neglect after all that hoo-ha over practising with the metronome. and that is sitting up straight and only allowing half of the chair to be occupied by your butts!! ok that may have come across as a little crude, but yeah, you get my point. esp for those of you whom i kept calling out during today's violin 1 sectionals, meaning rodion and ziruo! even when you practise at home rmb to keep that straight posture so as to cultivate the correct posture. ok!! if not i'll put a whiteboard duster taped to the back of your seats. hyuk, hyuk. : D no leaning on the chair seats, ok!

and some food for thought. ms ku pointed out that the violin 1s at our nice melody in B 5-12, we could sound more SEDUCTIVE. afterall, the title of this work is indeed, ROMANZE! alright. so you guys might wanna bring up the mood of this piece by perhaps playing it more expressively and passionately at appropriate places.

also, at places like B 36-37, and the 4 quaver notes in B 46, the tempo will be stretched and slightly held back so as to achieve a greater climax in the passage that follows. so you have 2 options now.

1) LOOK AT MS KU! that's the essence of having a conductor right.
2) look at me? haha.

so ya. look up from the floors ya. there's nth there worth looking at. haha!

ok i hope all this has helped in your practice for this weekend. take the initiative to sort these details out before the next practice where you can approach your SLs should you need any help. yayy. GO SE WHOO!

zaraaa. >:D

Before tomorrow

Dear students,

We have kept the Tues-Thurs optional for you as we understand you have classes/tuition. We would like the newer and younger students to take part in these practices as you are rather weak in your playing for SYF. Should you not have other school work or tuition, do try to come down for the practices if you can spare the time.

It's good to see the older students come today :) Please keep up the hard work, Rome wasn't built in a day (maybe 20).

Ms Ku, if you're reading this, Happy Birthday!

Please be good girls and boys tomorrow! Mr Sng is dropping by to check out your sound for Speech Day. Take it as your first cut. Be cool, play your best and show you love the music.

Those in charge of the notice board, for the zenith time, please beautify the board because Mr Sng is going to walk by there too! Please think of something cool as a background layout. Kar Wai, if you're reading this, you should be cutting out some pieces of paper by now... (-_-;)

Yr 5s, update me for the concert prep next week (check with me a good day), I can't afford last minute prep like last year. I will be briefing Mr Soh on ticketing tomorrow. Those i/c of tickets please contact him from now on and brief me every week.

Bonne Nuit!

Ms Tan

Please

Hello all :D

I've seen the year 4s putting in their best effort and trying to make time for practices everyday. But where are the younger ones these days? I've heard a few, but I'm pretty sure we have more juniors that them uh.

Practices are not there to waste your time. If you think otherwise, you better change your mindset soon or else, you are actually wasting your own time. I'm sure we don't want to put in so much effort just to see them go down the drain.

SE, I believe that all of you have the capability to do your best IF you want to. Can't all of you just put in a teeny weeny bit more and push yourself to practise harder? If you aren't loud enough, use more bow, play into your violin! If you still cannot get the intonation, practise that bar until you get it correct! I don't care whether you spent 2 hours or 1 whole day on that one bar. It beats playing through the piece over and over again BUT not getting anything correct!

Cmon, push yourself to the limit! It's only 22 days to SYF!

Jiayou!!


-Yun Shan

Hi guys, taxy here. Attended a practice session with most of the year 3 and 4s present today. It's funny how most of the juniors are not coming for practices when you guys need it most? I really hope to see all of you around. Initiative please.

tralala~

dearest se friends i have great news ^^ i got my friend to help out with the graphics for our blog and he says it will and can be done by friday!!!! ^^ so if nothing unfortunate happens you'll be able to see the real new nice blog soon^^

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anyway, here's a list of really critical areas to practice for violin 2s who happen to stumble pass my post just incase you're still not sure about how to practice. (you may wanna take out your scores to mark at this point of time)

for walters
1) THE OCTAVE-APART Es at bar 18-21, TUNE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2) C# at bar 21
3) INTONATION FROM BARS 24-32 (especially D# at bar 24 and Eb at bar31)
4) HORRIBLE INTONATION AT BAR 67 =((((( i cringe whenever i play this bar too (>.<) 5) another soul shattering intonation problem, bars 85-86 ='( 6) intonation once again... bars 94-102 (PRACTICE WITH METRONOME FOR BARS 99-102) 7) bar 117-122, intonation 8) bars 125-127 intonation (especially D#) 9) bars 135-140 (sigh, you get what i mean. practice with metronome as well) 10) bar 153 tune and practice with mister metty metronome

as you see, we have so much to work on. but if we perfect these 10 parts, we'd sound much much better.

for romanze
1) bars 1-2 TUNE PLEASE. we sound so different from the violin 1s (we're supposed to sound the same btw)
2) bars 13-15 SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. some of you all play too loudly here.
3) figure B, sigh.
4) intonation at figure C! if you're not sure, use tuner.
5) bars 38-39 LOUD LOUD LOUD. like shufang said, there's a difference between loud and accent.
6) figure E till bar 50, watch your intonation, and please count your rests.
7) figure G SHHHHHHHHHHHH again. plus there shouldnt be any stops in your bow when you change note at bar 62. just slightly dim the last note of bar 61.

expresssssssssssssssssions please. and mooove. ^^ maybe you get to lose weight too ^^ take note of dynamics!! this piece wasnt meant to be boring i'm sure but we do sound boring (and horrible too) =\\\ anything you're not sure please approach section leader yun xiu ^^
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
take care everybody and please work hard! let's all work hard together to earn that title back once again!! =))

no slack, no sad. no relax, no regret =)

<3333333333333333 love, glawreeyuh

p.s, gentle reminder to everyone

The little things

I'm glad to see the positive spirit in all of you.

In truth, I don't write in students' blogs alone but this blog touches me. No matter how crazy you drive us up the wall, I believe we can work this out together.

Today, I went into the practice of Samson, Kar Wai, Yun Xiu, etc. I don't know how those of you who were there felt, but I thought, after they communicated with each other with better eye contact, it sounded much better and fuller like real true musicians. You may not feel it's enough improvement but it's a good start. They "sang" on the inst much better, and could focus more confidently. Please keep up the hard work. I liked it when Samson and Kar Wai were moving with the music, it was a very warm sound, even for a few seconds. Just increase it each day? :)

Yesterday's shelling was rather severe, at least for me, but I didn't realise how much I have grown to care until I got very angry yesterday. We will continue to be strict, not because we are born-again sadists, but because we do care.

I am not upset about anyone not improving, but about not abiding instructions to practise hard. For me, I was very sad that most of you didn't listen to Ms Ku telling you all to practise with metronome, tuner. That's the basic. I don't want to see this happening again. Advice is not there to be ignored and Ms Ku is a really good musician so be serious in your learning. If you have tried your best, you don't even have to defend yourself.

Those of you who show bad attitude and don't respect your seniors who take time to coach you, you should be really ashamed of yourself. I don't tolerate arrogance and disrespect and the SE isn't a place to breed this hypcrocisy and disgusting behaviour. A true musician is one who is humble, loves his art and communicates his love for it. SYF isn't about personal glory either. Everyone should back each other up and help each other. We can see through you all very easily so be sincere and respectful.

Granted we have had past glories and we can't afford to fail, but do look forward and create something strong and new. That's real pride. Balance the expectations with your hopes.

Many of you are very scared to play or afraid to look bad in the ensemble and play very stiffly and awkwardly. Nobody is making a fool of himself unless you think so. You MUST realise the importance of breathing and moving together. It makes me sad to see good string players shy away from playing strong sounds. I don't see breathing to be funny, and if you don't move together naturally, you won't find it very funny on 20 April either. If you love the music honestly and sincerely, you'll naturally breathe and show it. If you don't like the piece, GET INTERESTED NOW!

Samson asked how to produce a good sound. Like the piano, it's all about exercising control. You may not agree but hey, we're all desperate here for help:

a) Try playing your passage REALLY LOUD!! Try playing it really softly too but with relaxed CONTROL and you'll still get a sound. That's your potential. Everyone's is different. By exercising your sound scope, you yourself will know how much you have to sound in p, pp, ff. Use the muscle from stronger areas of arm/ shoulder etc. Some of you complain of a pain in your arm (?) so I think you're using wrong muscle. Ask the stronger players and Ms Ku why they aren't feeling pain. Your arm should be relaxed, in control and yet strong.

It worked for the pianists don't see why it can't work for strings.

b) Get a mirror. Look at yourself (with instr of coz!) or get yr fren to see what's the problem.

c) For warm ups, you might want to circle the naughty passages you fumble, and think of NEW ways of playing it. e.g. i) slow, ii) fast, dotted rhythm, backwards, you name it.

d) if you have problems connecting your notes, e.g. F to G to D and you can't do G to D, then practise: G -->D, D --> G, G -->F, etc. Sounds simple but it helps.

e) Check your bowing, some of you bow in funny directions! Mirror mirror on the wall.

f) Since you memorised, IMMERSE yourself more, since you practise alone at night. You might want to close your eyes and think how you want the music to sound. There are some very beautiful passages in the pieces, please read through the score, circle the parts which are very meaningful to you, and try your best to musicially bring it out. Currently, everyone looks stiff.

g) avoid looking on the floor, down. Look straight ahead or play in front of your family. That works best.

h) Most of you have bad stamina at playing. Try to play through the programme in full AFTER you have corrected your mistakes. Running or exercise helps in stamina.

i) Take constructive comments well, no one is out to burst your ego. Please don't refrain from pointing out your fren's weakness. Help each other.

I believe in all of you. Every little progress counts.

Don't give up on yourself, the rest won't give up on you. Here's to the Dunman High Spirit and the celebration of good music!

Ms Tan

-

if you are reading this, it means YOU SHOULD GO AND PICK UP YOUR VIOLIN/VIOLA/CELLO/BASS AND PRACTICE!

time's not on our side. GO FOR IT EVERYONE.

JIAYOU.

meihui.