Manjusri Symphonic Winds

Meeting 02 (29/12/07)

Members Present : Jie Yuan, Cheng Fu, Vincent, Wendy, Christine, Min Min, Jenny, Yuet Yong, Lynette.

Contents:
1) Confirmed List of MJRSW Band Members

2) Projected MJR Concert Band Plans 2008

3) Additional Practices

4) Helping with MJR Concert Band

5) New Committee

6) Next Meeting/Practice


1) Confirmed List of Band Members:

Section	Section Leader	Members
Flute		Mei Ling, Hui Xian
Clarinet	Jenny / Wendy	Wendy, Crystal, Lynette, Jenny
Saxophone		Cheh Yong, Jonathan*
French Horn		Min Min
Trumpet		Darren Chua, Edward, Christine
Trombone	Christine	Jie Yuan, Cheng Fu
Euphonium		Ivan, Wei Song
Tuba		Cheng Hsiang
Percussion	Yuet Yong	Yuet Yong

*guest players

- Additional members will be updated. Note that if the membership fluctuates, ie most of the practices with low attendance rate, we will have to revert back to our discussed methods of increasing membership(which is to get members from MJR band student body or to combine with GESS alumni).

- Guest players can be included but must be of standard, so that their addition will help us.

- Please note that current strength of membership is somewhat sufficient, less flutes and balancing of instrumentation.

- Currently ex members of MJR Concert Band who are in JC are busy with their school work but they show keen interest in joining MJRSW. We will contact them after their JC education.

2) Projected Manjusri Concert Band Plans 2008:

April: Montage

May: Overseas for Student Band

December: m|brosia II

*subjected to changes

- Do note that we will be helping the concert band with their concert and pieces. Not be involved with them as Mr Foo would not want them to be over reliant on us.

- There is a piece which Mr Foo would like us to practice on. A piece called “Vesuvius” (its quite a difficult piece)

- However, in order to have a chance to perform, we can source for venues and occasions to perform.


3) Additional Practices:

- Friday practices to be held during the evenings (subjected to school’s approval)

Pros:

- more time for practice and to handle administration matters

- band outing can be organised after the practice

- additional time for the band can be used by main band to prolong their practices if needed.

Cons:

- there may be people who would find excuses to skip the practice

4) Helping MJR Concert Band:

Members from MJRSW who are free and voluntarily helping with the various section of MJR Concert Band:

- Wendy

- Min Min

*if you are able to come and help MJR Concert Band, do let us know and feel free to do so!


5) New Committee:

President: Cheng Hsiang

Vice President/Secretary: Cheh Yong

Advisor (Negotiator): Jie Yuan

Librarian: Lynette

Publicity Officer: Cheng Fu

6) Next Meeting/Practice:

Next Practice:
Date: 12 January 2008
Time: 930am ( be seated by 10am sharp! )

Venue: MJR Band Room

Meeting Minutes (15 December 2007)

Members present: Jie Yuan, Cheng Hsiang, Darren Chua, Cheh Yong, Jenny Toh, Wendy Soh, Crystal Chia and Lynette Teo

Contents:

(1) Direction of the band and how will our membership problems will be resolved.
(2) Projected list of members for MJR alumni band.
(3) Next meeting and practice.

--------------------

1) Direction in which band can move and the membership problem.

2 ways in which the band can move forward right now.

• Recruit MJR band current members.

How? Give audition to current MJR and then choose who will show potential to the alumni band.

a) PROs:
- MJR students being a band member would be more committed and we can select people that are of standard.

b) CONs:
- Students may encounter have their own sets of problems and if chosen, this problem may tax their commitment in band.

• Join with Gan Eng Seng Secondary (GESS) Alumni Band.

- Not convenient and very difficult to meet up.

- Goals of two bands may differ and in the end it may be the reason that will cause the band to disband.

- It is also possible that GESS alumni may want to take over the band. In the end, instead of MJR alumni, it will become GESS alumni.

a) PROs:
- GESS have a strong woodwind section where MJR alumni have got very few members for woodwind.

b) CONs:
- As state above, they may want to take over the band and call it their own. And may want to take the band as their own glory (qiang feng tou).

Current Solution:
Consist the band primarily of just MJR alumni band. If not enough, we can include MJR current band members(through audition) and then if really not enough, we can consider GESS alumni as guest. And make it a point that GESS alumni are welcomed but as guest and must be able to come for practice regularly.

For outsiders who want to join MJR alumni, they must be committed to practice, must be Simon’s student, close to MJR band and cannot miss a practice.

Having said that, rules for MJR alumni members must be such that there will be no double standard.

2) Name List of Projected Members:

Oboe:
Jackson*

Flute:
Imm Peng*
Mei Chee*
Yan Hua*
Hui Xian*

Clarinet:
Joceyln Ng*
Siah Mong*
Jenny Toh
Crystal Chia
Lynette Teo
Wendy Soh
Wei Lynn*
Shervonne Chan*
Xiao Qing*

Saxophone:
Valerie Chong*
Cheh Yong

French Horn:
Min Min*
Xiang Rong *
Clifford Teo
Leonard Lam

Euphonium:
Ivan Ching*
Jasmine Tan*

Trumpet:
Darren Chua
Edward Tan*
Wei Zhen
Chun Seng*

Trombone:
Jie Yuan
Cheng Fu

Tuba:
Cheng Hsiang

Percussion:
Yuet Yong*^

Note:
* People who did not perform in last concert and may or may not need persuading to join our band.
^ Only for Yuet Yong. Yuet Yong will settle the percussion section.

Please also note that there are many “*” around and we need more hard work to get our membership up and running.

3) Next Meeting and Practice:

Next Meeting:
Date: 29 December 2007
Time: 10am to 11.30am.
Venue: Tentatively will be MJR School(Jie Yuan will ask for permission to let us use that venue.) IF NOT, we will be meeting up at SingPost, @ Paya Lebar.

Next Practice:
Date: 12 January 2008
Time: 8am to 12pm
Venue: MJR Band Room

Dear members,

Schedule for tomorrow, 13 December 2007 (Thursday)

1245: Bus will leave MJR
1345: MJR arrive @ SCH
1400-1430: Unloading & Set Up
1430-1530: MJR & GESS 1st half
1530-1630: Honour Band 2nd half
1630-1730: Rest and get ready
1730-1830: Dinner
1830 onwards: Self-tuning and seated on stage

Do rest well and sleep early tonight. All the best for tomorrow!

Yeo Cheng Fu

Manjusri Concert Band proudly presents "m|brosia"

(Click to enlarge)

Date: 13 December 2007 (Thursday)
Time: 7pm
Venue: Singapore Conference Hall
Tickets: $10 (Free Seating)

Resident Conductor: Mr Simon Foo
Guest Conductor: Mr Ng Kay Lim

Guest Band: Gan Eng Seng School Military Band

Concert Programme:

Manjusri Concert Band

Aventura
James Swearingen

Tales of the Bay
James L. Hosay

Dimension of Seven
James Curnow

American Riversongs
Pierre La Plante

Gan Eng Seng Military Band

The Merry Widow
Franz Lehar, arr. Eiji Suzuki

Song of the Prairie
Rex Mitchell

---INTERVAL---

Honour Band

Folklore for Band
Jim Andy Caudill

Simple Gifts (Four Shaker Songs)
Frank Ticheli

Percussion Ensemble

Selections from Superman Returns
John Williams and John Ottman, arr. Victor Lopez

Selections from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Patrick Doyle and John Williams, arr. Michael Story

Animation Songs Medley
Jo Hisaishi, arr. Kazuhiro Morita

A Christmas Festival
arr. Leroy Anderson, set. Robert W. Smith

Dear members,

Tomorrow, 11 December 2007 (Tuesday), 9am-1pm will be our LAST combined rehearsal with both Manjusri Concert Band and Gan Eng Seng Military Band before the concert. Therefore, attendance for tomorrow's rehearsal is very CRUCIAL! Kindly try your very best to attend the rehearsal tomorrow. As your know, there's always lots of last minute changes make by either Mr Foo or the band just before the concert. So it will be best if your can attend the rehearsal tomorrow just in case any last minute changes.

Yeo Cheng Fu

Dear members,

Last Few Practices:
5 December 2007 (Wednesday), 10am-5pm @ MJR
7 December 2007 (Friday), 9am-5pm @ MJR
12 December 2007 (Wednesday), 2pm-5pm @ MJR

Last Few Full Dress Rehearsals:
8 December 2007 (Saturday), 9am-1pm @ MJR
11 December 2007 (Tuesday), 9am-1pm @ MJR

As far as possible, kindly make yourself available on the dates stated above to attend all practices and rehearsals as we are 9 days away from the concert. Sacrifices is needed in order to make the concert a successful one. On a side note, please try to sell the concert tickets too. I don't think any of the above would like to play in a "bigger band room" on the actual day. Let's all work hard together towards musical and ticket sales wise to make the concert a successful one! Nothing is impossible!

Yeo Cheng Fu