Band life - is it just about the GWH for SYF? Probably that was a big deal to me in my infant years in band but as I 'matured' in band, I realise that the results don't matter a single bit. I was just thinking about it this afternoon about my band life. It is difficult to believe that I'm into my nineth year in band. Talk about being young. Anyway, yes, the first few years were about results because the seniors said so or because it is the easiest/most obvious/only way to judge a band. After that initial desire for good results, I realise that there are so many things that are worth so much more than a GWH or top results in a competition. These are things such as forging bonds with fellow bandmates, pre and post band activities that almost share the relationship between academics and CCA, all the fun and hype before and after performances and so on.
Even more recently, maybe last year, I feel that striving for music excellence is what a band should have. I am honestly quite tired of bands that do not take practices seriously and only put up a good show at concerts/competitions. Yes, the opinions of the audience and the results do matter to some extent, but in my opinion, band is all about making good music all the time. It shouldn't just be on the performance itself nor on the competition itself. What joy is there playing in a band that sounds horrible but only delivers during the concert or competition? I'd rather be in a band where everyone strives to play together as best as each individual is capable of, even if at the performance/competition, some things do not go right.
Ah, I have to clarify that I'm not saying this to comfort my juniors in AHBand or myself. But this is truly what I feel being in band for so many years. It is the thrill of being able to play in tune with the person next to you, the delight of balancing and getting the interval of a perfect fifth right, the satisfaction in making fortes light and creating a contrast with fortissimo, the delight of articulating clearly and being able to indulge while producing a nice, sweet tone that really renews my passion for band. Also, it is the learning process that matters a lot. Reflecting on how I couldn't even play a bar properly at the start but yet making music at the end is the most amazing feeling.
Therefore, I urge all who are disappointed with their SYF results not to despair. The results may matter for a while, but ultimately, the focus should be on what you have gained from the experience and what you can take away from it to help yourself grow into a better person.
Personally, I feel that we should not be weighed down by the SYF judging done by the 7 adjucators, nor should we be up on cloud nine because of the comments of some other people on our playing because what they heard was just a mere 15 minutes of performance. We ourselves are the best judges of ourselves and we know better than anyone what we deserve. As long as we have done our best, we should be happy we came this far.
I hope that those who are still depressed over SFY results will get over it soon and be more focused on enjoying making good music and to continue playing in a band even after leaving AHBand.
AHBand, I'm proud you improved so much in the last 3 weeks!
