Very important

hi all

okay i have no idea how to push my post down er but so PLS READ MS HO'S POST BELOW THEN COME BACK.


after much thinking on the car i realise i still have lots of stuff to say and i shall start with the easiest.


ATTENDANCE

Okay we really need to turn up for all practices from now on. we need all the time we can afford to practice.

So pls try not to schedule any things on weds fris and sats till after the concert. If you have lessons or tuition, could you pls try to reschedule or postpone them, just for these few weeks? We have to priotise our time. If your cca doesnt have any competitions thats BEFORE the concert, then i think its only fair to come for guitar practices.

And from now on, if you're not coming for ANY practices, pls leave a tag and explain why.

Anyway, can everybody who is free come and help move instruments before every practice? its not fair that the same few people keep doing it and sacrificing their lunch hours.


TAKING NOTES

Alright we dont have time to repeat everything again and again, so pls bring your score and pencil along for every practice. EVERYBODY should bring their score. If you're sharing a stand, put yours on the floor or somewhere accessible. Unless you have a supermemory, every time we say sth important like musical directions/ dynamics, pls jot them down. And pls do this very quickly so we dont waste time during practices. =)


KNOWING THE MUSIC WELL

Pls look through the music whenever you hv the time. Most important, we HAVE to look through our score and imagine what the music should sound like, based on the things we discussed during practice. In other words, go through the music, esp the dynamic markings, in your head.

And we cannot just know our part well, we have to be familiar with the whole structure of the music. i.e. whos holding the melody or supporting with bass, and when we breathe and stuff. A good way would be to listen to guitar pro. But that lacks dynamics. To get the 'feel' of the music we have to listen to recordings too. You can dl songs or go to youtube or whatever, just listen to the music and try to understand what its trying to convey, then try to put those feelings into your playing.

Erm. Easy to understand right? We must touch the audience with our music!



TECHNIQUES and PRACTICING SMART

Many of us are still not producing a nice tone. Your:

- left hand: needs to press really hard on the fingerboard. dont be lazy and skip finger exercises. if you've done finger exercises dutifully since january you're fingers will be super strong by now. =.=

- left hand: don't lift up your fingers unless absolutely necessary. LISTEN to what you are playing and pls quit cutting off the last notes of a phrase or chord in a hurry to get your fingers ready for the next phrase. If you cant play properly, the only thing you should compromise is your free time, NEVER your notes.

- left hand. pls use comfortable fingerings and do watch our for the positioning of yr LH (which i have repeated countless times) because during the concert nobody's going to sit behind you and poke your hand into position. wrong positioning also causes your hand to tense up, because you are exerting the force wrongly. If your LH feels tired, stop and adjust it.

- right hand. alamak pls play LOUDER, especially the people at the back. we're not from the band, the sound a guitar makes doesnt project very far. and pls watch your tone. NEVER cut your nails. haha ok just leave them long.

- right hand. rest your thumb on the bass E string. no leaning on the guitar with your wrist only gay ppl push out their wrists.


STRESS

I know that some of us are feeling really stressed, especially since we need to juggle our schoolwork and cca. not forgetting that the year 5s have their CTs in May. Or, we may be feeling stressed out that you're not improving despite practing everyday. Or, you may feel frustrated because your guitar mates can't play properly so you can't move on with the music.

wah, so many reasons to feel stressed. and from what i've seen, we succumb too easily to stress/frustration, which leads to feeling lost or pissed with yourself, which leads to us not enjoying guitar practices. and then, how to play well if we don't enjoy the process of making music? we need to be motivated, not disheartened.

i don't know what Yong3 (of cheng xin yong zhong fame) means to you but i think it also encompasses the courage to face up to our fears and frustrations, and kick out any omg-i-am-pulling-the-team-down notions. We are Dunmanians! We can find the inner strength to put aside any negative feelings or mulling over anything you think you didnt do well, and focus on what we CAN do for now. We need to chiong all the way to the concert, so we HAVE to STAY POSITIVE and cheer each other on.

Anyway, if you need help or advise, you can always talk to me or val or kevin or whoever we'll always be here to help.

We have one month. Nothings ever too late. With the right attitude and right amount of practice, we can put up an excellent concert, and play like never before. We can do it!


Okay this is rather anticlimatic but i need to talk about other things haha.


PROGRAMME BOOKLET

Mr Sng will write a message for us. Other than that, are the writeups all done? Can we see the first draft (with EVERYTHING except Mr Sng's message) by next Monday? Then we'll give comments and then can finalise it by Thursday and send for printing on Friday or Saturday.


SLIDESHOW

Samuel says 4 or 5 ppl haven't submitted their photos. Please submit them by Friday. Dont let other ppl wait for you la. Their work is stalled leh. Anyway, Samuel and Simin and other ppl working with them, can we have a preview on Saturday? Just put in whatever you can.

Slideshow ppl and programme booklet ppl may want to work together so tt the stuff we present is more unified. e.g. quotes


I/CS

Felicia will be in-charge of percussion and other extra equipment, so she'd know whos playing what percussion for what pieces. Including alto guitars, acoustic guitars, piano and stuff. If you're playing anything like that pls tell her. Felicia can update and type out the list that you showed me on sat?

Jinghuan and Samuel are i/c of the seatings. Please don't switch seats ok haha and when we run through the concert programme pls note who you're sharing a stand with. + decide on who's score you're going to use, so we don't stupidly bring two scores and put on the stage floor haha. Anything you're unsure of, you can ask them. JH and Samuel, you can get ppl to help you i guess. You'll have 10 stagehands... i hope. Then er can do up a document that shows ALL the seatings and changes by saturday? You can get the stage dimensions from Valerie.


ahh omg ok i go do homework byebye


Everybody jiayou!


oxy