it’s time to go

this next ntusb concert will be the last one that i’m regularly attending wed practice for. it’s just one of the strings i have to let go. so that i won’t compromise on work so much. besides, i’d much rather practise at home, individually. i would definitely get so much more things worked on.

but the past four years have been a good four years for me. the ties that i’ve built are going to stay with me for a long long time. i’ve also learnt a lot related to band music. i guess i’m just playing the wrong instrument for a wind band. there are a handful of wind pieces that are challenging for my instrument surely, but most of it is still bomchatchat for me. and ntusb was not really a place for my instrument. however, i’m glad i had the opportunity to also take part in other bands like nie, where i had more challenging parts. and also, now currently the bda band (albeit ad hoc - and albeit with most of the repertoire still bomchatchat.)

also, to be fair to ntusb, it’s not really bomchatchat pieces all the way??? it’s just most of the time - 90% - it’s always bassoon sharing parts with either eupho, trombone, bass clar or bari sax or sax, such that it just always gets hidden. so even if it’s a running or melodic passage, i just hide lor. but to be fair, if i didn’t join ntusb, or any band for that matter, i wouldn’t have understood bassoon playing, and the confidence gained.

not to worry though, i’ll stay for sat practices till wmc at least. so that the lower winds’ part can be gao-dimmed. meanwhile i’m looking forward to freeing up my wed nights so that i can do individual practice, not be tied up with having to cab down (30 freaking dollars) to ntu after work and i can stay in the office a little later. i’ll also at least continue to play for their concerts. just turn up last few practices can le. unless they are playing really difficult pieces. but i forsee more bomchatchat for now.

meanwhile there are other musical groups i’m looking forward to indeed. one of which is the OMM. although i’m most likely the oldest there, i think it’s still quite fun leh. more cohesive than the sunday orchestra.

p-winds are having an audition soon. for all instrumentation. but they already have 2 zai bsnists. i don’t understand why they are having audition. it’s either i go and try to join and if i get in i can learn from the 2. or i join only to realise they’re leaving that’s why it’s audition for all instrumentation then it defeats the purpose of me joining to learn from better players. i think i’ll just work on my sound/technique individually for the time being.

i guess while i’ve learnt to appreciate band music, with most of the influence coming from anneson’s car, i realise that while the pieces may sound nice, hmmmmmmm my parts are just so boring! i guess my early orchestral influences still stay with me very very much, but i’m glad i have embraced both genres, and will continue to do so.

tmr is the 12th week of work. i’m indeed starting to get into the flow of things, what with having to change department and all. but i really do need a break. just to get away from it all, and to think abt what i want to do with my life. how i’m going to approach it, and how i really should. first off, tmr i’m going to give up comfort for time. i’m not going to take the bus but the train. the marginal cost of comfort now is higher than the marginal benefit of spending the time travelling to do something else. let’s see how it goes.