Welcome to NJC Angklung Ensemble's blog! :)

We are a group of carefree students who have gathered together,
regardless of bawahs, normals, atas, kulintang and percussions
to create music like none other with our conductor, Mr Dzul. :D
Teacher i/cs: Mr Tan Chor Yean, Ms Sun

Hi people, here are some photos I took. If you want to see all the photos I took, please go to the Photos link below (just above the tagboard). Please pardon my poor camera skills.
The percussionists. I seldom ask people to pose since they will pose for others. That explains why they are not looking at my camera.
The chocolate flowers.
The cards for the players.
Final practice in the hall. Wonder why is it so dark?
NJC's former and present principals.
Didn't know that President is so shy. If she can take people's side profile, why can't I take hers?
Luckily, Shuxian, who was next to her, is more camera friendly.
Inside the tuning room, Noreen shows us how to 'beat small people', a traditional Chinese custom of using clogs to hit paper figures of people we dislike.
Sheila tries to be nice, for once, to Faisal by massaging his back.
The senior exco ladies who came to root for us. They also joined us for lunch after the performance. Thank you for coming ladies!

posted by the winner at 2:50 PM

i do believe that some schs performed better than what they have been awarded in the SYF this yr. to name: IJ (STC) had a wonderful performance, as mesmerising as RGS in their salmon pink kebeyas and black sarongs, Bedok View was very gd as well with their very original jazz theme. MI had a very light touch to their piece and the impressive blending of the angklung and kolintang was really superb.

perhaps the most heart-breaking is tt of watching my own juniors wearing faces of disbelief, disappointment and resignation with the announcement of the results. as a mentor, it was really heart-wrenching. i daren't show the slightest trace of my own emotions as it was obvious tt the juniors needed us to be strong for them.

it was one of the most effervescent performances i've ever seen from them! when they walked in, there was a spring in their step and the dazzling smiles was enough to make me feel tt fierce tug on my heart-strings. reverie, i felt was very nicely done initially but the build-up halfway through the songs made me a little worried. cld they manage to put off the superb ending; the one tt actually demands an even faster tempo than what they were playing then? to my enormous relief, they did. the ending was really amazing, i was shocked by the ending staccato and i can attest tt i wasn't the only one in the audience tt felt rather awed. wished there was a video recording of you all for the energy vibrating in the air was so tangible!

as for zapin, well, the familiar beginning strains of it made my heart thump rather audibly. i alr knew tt the juniors wld have to pull off another impressive set of staccatos during the bridge and i was waiting with abated breath. i wasn't disappointed, the execution of the staccatos were surreal. i must admit tt i was flabbergasted. consistency in playing tt part wasn't always there so i was immensely proud tt everything went well for the performance.

as a side note, i must say the 1st impression the juniors gave to the audience was really gd, the one where you all raised your angklungs without any extraneous sound? oh my... the other contestants were also impressed, some shock sounds came from their direction, if i recall rightly. but, i can hear the whoops of joy when you were exiting, so it wasn't all tt dignified afterall! =P

at the end of the day, i know everyone would like to be decorated with what they deserve but we will never know what made the judges decide on those awards. but i do so very hope tt the juniors will stay disappointed by the outcome for too long. perhaps it's best to rem tt what you've gained from the syf is some very poignant memories tt will stay with you for life. just recalling my own experience playing hayat and wave of hope makes me wish i was playing the angklung again. unlike the present juniors, i only have recordings of our practice sessions and not the syf's final arrangements so i have to rely on my memory to relive those songs and the emotions connected with them.

i wld like to say tt i'm immensely proud of the juniors for prevailing against the odds. many of you, especially seniors, will have neglected studying, compromised your personal life, invested much energy and money for the event. thank you all for the sacrifice.

much gratitude to mr dzul has done a wonderful arrangement for the music tt greatly showcased your talents and many accolades (unawarded) are due to him. reverie and zapin have been great works from him tt challenged and stretched both the conductor and ensemble to new heights.

and not forgetting mr fuad and mr tan, who have also been great pillars of support for you all. i'm very touched to see the commitment both of them have towards the ensemble despite their other duties as tutors.

and while this may seem impossible to some of you at this pt in time, there will be other forms of consolation for your future performances. SYF validation is not everything, seniors will tell you tt the satisfaction in performing something magical will be the memorable times you take away from angklung. mine were during my times playing the kolintang (some immersion programme in sch) and doing conducting for public performances (performing for the declaration of malay language month at TPJC).

for now, let's look forward to the up-coming performances and i'll see the juniors again come thurs (hopefully in time for your full-dress) and on college day itself!

posted by cons at 11:44 PM

(shorter version of e entry in my blog)

i hope tt e air has cleared n tt all of u hav come to terms w e results of syf.

it is actually a gd sign tt u ppl felt disappointed abt not getting gwh. it just shows e huge commitment n dedication tt u hav towards angklung, n ur great belief in ur own abilities.

e compliments on your stellar performance hav not stopped coming in just yet. in fact, do look forward to more invitational performances in e coming months, other than e ones tt mr fuad has alrd told u abt.

bear in mind tt life in angklung does not stop at syf. it is not just about playing at SCH n sch only. it is also about going into e world out there, public performances, where u get more ppl clapping, cheering n cat-calling for u. great satisfaction comes from getting a gold award, but greater satisfaction comes from the audience tt cheered u on n appreciated ur performance. tt magical moment. those few minutes when u totally owned e place. the judges may have taken away e honours from u, but they cannot take away e honours from e audience tt were blown away by ur superb performance.

e way i see it, there r only 2 types of audiences left:

• those who r impressed by ur past performance
• those who r going to b impressed by ur future performances

perhaps in 2 weeks' time, u may find out what made e judges hold back e honours when they send e judges report to e sch, but b prepared to see nothing of e sort. one thing is for sure: thanks to Mr Dzul, there will not be a "Dull! Dull! Dull!" on any of those pages.

anyway, now tt syf is over, life has to return to normalcy: this means u ppl no longer hav any excuse for not doing tutorials. i hope tt u all will slowly but surely catch up on ur work. if u hav any problems, do kindly approach ur teachers. they will be more than willing to help u along. at least, they should b...

tt is it for now. take care :)

n looking forward to your gold w honours performance on college day this sat! :D

~Azhar~

p.s.: oh, n peiyi, it's ok tt u forgot to tell me e results...

posted by ulysses1112 at 10:37 PM

1. march 10

2. march 24

3. april 21

4-6. april 26!

posted by man zhi at 4:09 PM

You have delivered way beyond wat i hv expected. I am so very proud with each and everyone of you. You guys really made by day. Reading some of ur entries in this blog and ur own blogs brought tears to my eyes. There's no words to describe how i felt....love u lots!
To Fuad and CY, this whole thing wouldnt have been possible without ur nvr ending support and understanding.
The excos, u guys hv work really really and i mean it, really hard. Getting people together, maintaining order and smoothness of the practices. Things may turn up differently without ur excellent, commited and dedicated work.
To the seniors who came down for some of the practices and the showdown at SCH, and also for all ur well wishers, ur motivation and encouraging words to the ensemble...big thak you!...once an angklunite will always be an angklunite!

Labels: NJC Angklung Ensemble

posted by Dzul at 12:03 PM

sorri im a little late. ive gt some random photos but havent uploaded onto the com.so i'll post it up when i feel less lazy. haha. basically to sum up what happened yesterday, it was surreal, magical with confuoco! im proud of each n every single one of u for hangin on n releasing everything at the right time. for yr firm belief in Mr Dzul, the teachers n everyone else in the team. We put up a stong fight, put up a good show. the audience enjoyed every single minute im sure. There's no need to be upset over the results.

We've achieved Mr Dzul's target, the teacher's target, n most imptly our own. though it wasnt in the form of being awarded the honours, we managed to overcome all the hurdles, progress as one, to the stage for tt 10 minutes n then be proud of our performance n with no regrets.

it's the experience of working hard, sloggin day n night with the team, its the strengthening of bonds within the ensemble, its the support, the feel tt counts. its impossible to tell others what we went through cos they will not understand. only we will understand what we all went through together. we've tried, we've maximised the use of the angklung, showcased ourselves, brilliant performance, brilliant performers.

yesterday, i could feel tt love was in the air.its the love for angklung.wonder if u guys felt it too. but u all are part of it.

We've ventured into the impossible to search for the boundary of possible. im proud to say tt we've done it. everything tt we wished for. Thank you for makin SYF 2007 beautiful and wonderful.

-xuesi ( i posted some stuff okay a long long version on my blog too. read it too. ahaa. )

***see you all on monday

posted by firm oN my staNd at 10:30 PM

nice food eh

posted by boon at 10:17 PM

Hey! Some pictures I took from today.


Makeup makeup!


Jia Tian had 10 pins in her hair -.-


The bouquets


In the dance studio


At the lunch place


And again...


The food!!!


Pei yi, Jia tian and mushroom soup


Li ting, me, Peck yan and Wen qi


Outside the place with Mr Dzul

Ok thats it from me :)

posted by justiniechan at 8:03 PM

I would like to say that today's performance at SCH was a BLAST!!! Like what I've written previously, SCH will be blown away by the shout of ZAPIN and indeed they were.

The moment you guys start playing, for those of you who managed to take a look at the audience faces, you will know what I mean. We win them over and we show them how Angklung could and should be played. Our music truly bring joy to those that attended the central judging and the way you guys play, it was one hell of an experience.

I'm sure you guys know that I'm dead proud of you and have great trust in your ability. You've proven once again that NJC Angklung should and will be placed among the great in the Hall of Fame for Angklung. The music that we play...no one can can take that away from us though many had try to emulate what others had done, we stay focus and continuosly produced music that is just wicked.

Like what Mr Dzul had said, the standard is indeed high this year and I'm sure our Staccato will be known among the Angklung Community in Singapore....and this can only be achieved with hard work and great teamwork that you guys had given and shown.


You guys had set the precedent for those that will follow your trail to greatness.To the NJC Angklungnites, thank you for all the effort you've put in and thank you for a mighty fine performance today. Your performance is more than Gold with honors to me. Believed me it was and still is.

Deroni aka The Guru aka Mr Fuad

posted by deroni at 6:37 PM

hallo! so here goes instructions entry :

1. Court Shoes
2. Stockings ( bring extra pair if u have )
3. School skirt ( iron )
4. White Blouse ( iron )
5. Blazer ( iron )
6. Red Tie
7. Ear Sticks (colourless)/ Dont wear any earrings
8. Black simple pins ( no shiny ones pls )
9. Black Rubber Band ( no metal piece or heart shape )
10. Hair neatly tied up, put hair cream/gel to ensure baby hair won fly ard =)
11. Pin up Fringes
12. Make-up : Foundation, Blusher, Red Lipstick ( of cos the 'sponge' to put the foundation)
13. No watch, bracelet or ring
14. Red Ribbon ( it will be distributed on thurs )

1. Leather Shoes
2. Black LONG socks
3. School Pants ( iron )
4. White Long Sleeve ( iron )
5. Blazer( iron )
6. Red Tie
7. 'sponge' to put foundation
8. No watch and rings

1. J1's who are keen to apply for the EXCO, thurs be4 we leave sch for SYF, pls pass the form to any exco member.
2. If your shoe does not have the stickables on it yet, look for jenny on thurs morning.
3. If yr Angklung's yellow ribbon is missing or red ribbon is too short, look for either shin yen or munjie.
4. We will help you keep yr valuables on thurs. Will give further instructions on thurs.
5. Percussionists : BRING all yr necessities to SCH okay.
6. DO NOT make plans on thurs afternoon

alright, take note of the above. i realli wanna thank u all for being so supportive and committed. & Mr Dzul for always making the effort to come down jus to ensure tt we're fine. ( he always brings the atmosphere up ) The bond is much stronger after today's wild session. everyone was high. keep tt spirit there n we'll soar for thurs! its just two days! endure. We're there already. Normally, whatever i say will not be effective so next time i must ask mr dzul to say, so tt u guys will listen. haha. Anyway, deep dwn in my heart, im realli glad n proud to have such a strong team. Each n every single one of you matter, you make a difference in the ensemble! to me, to have walked so far with you guys is indeed very memorable. I love u all. Thurs, SCH here we come!

-xuesi

posted by firm oN my staNd at 10:09 PM

sorri for the quite lousy quality photos.aiyah no $$ to get a phone with higher pixels.so haha.practice today was a blast, brand new experience.shiokness. mentally n physically draining.haha. pls slp early for this two days n dont stone too much alright. its unusual to be so high during practice. but i feel tt it realli helped eased the tension. so some photos here be4 i post the long naggy post- full of instructions haha.

posted by firm oN my staNd at 9:44 PM

Its getting closer....
remember wat u supposed to remember and we'll be alright
think positive....think big...put aside all doubts...be confident...
Dont worry soo much just play wat we've been practicing for the past weeks.
we are all in this together, we are not alone in this quest...stay together, support each other, motivate each other.
We'll be alright as long as we are together...regardless of language, race or religion .. i mean regardless whether u are an angklung player, kulintang player, percussion player, helpers, teachers, instructor...EVERYONE MATTERS

For the past practices, not only we hv gained so much in our skills and techniques, we have also become close friends, we have bonded together , like lizard stick to the ceiling, like the stickables on ur heels (i hope them stickables do stick long n well)... this is something that is PRICELESS, and you will remember this experience for the rest of ur life! trust me...ask ur senior seniors.

All of us hv that potential energy, hiding somewhere behind our shyness and inferiority....this energy will forever be inside there untap and unuse if we dont tell ourselve to use it...and wat best time to use it than on this coming thur.
Let us together release these energy and share it to the world and make them notice and hear and know that NJC Angklung Ensemble can do MORE with less.....its not the hardware that counts...its the software...the heart....the spirit...the unity.

love ya all!
Angklung rox!
U guys rox!
its an honour to be in the ensemble

May the feel be with us

posted by Dzul at 1:08 PM

This are sample of the designs that you guys can order for your own wear. If you have a design in mind, have the pictures scanned and will get the lady to view them on line

posted by deroni at 7:17 PM

posted by Dzul at 12:12 AM

hallo everybody! its 5 more days to SYF. ok to be precise 4 & 1/2 day! cos ours is ard 1145 am on thurs! i guess u all are perhaps feeling nervous and anxious yet excited and ready to release all that energy on stage! to fully maximise yr resources ( in this case yr energy and feel for the song ) in order to achieve our goal. that prestigious award.

we set out determined to achieve that goal. we will achieve it. trust me trust yrself trust MR DZUL!

i can see tt we've improved over the months in terms of technique n as for the feel, we're 3/4 there! today, i realli feel tat more of you are enjoying the song, moving along with the tempo tryin to at the same time look less stress and nervous! good that we're doing great, moving on. we'll have to figure out now how to fully release everything n amaze the audience at SCH on thurs will the go wow with a capital W. they will if we think we will. n we convert tat we think we will to playing with a wow!

all the way people. gogogo NJC ANGKLUNG ENSEMBLE!

-xuesi

posted by firm oN my staNd at 8:20 PM

Today is the first day of SYF central judging for instrumental ensembles at Singapore Conference Hall. Guitar ensembles kicked off this five-day event.

NJC Guitar has done the college proud by clinching a Gold with Honours award this evening. Congratulations to them. Unfortunately I arrived a minute late and thus I did not witness their performance.

I was at SCH today to look at the whole process that we have been briefed on before. Movement around the hall was smooth and orderly.

Things to take note of on 26th April:

1. The acoustics in SCH is really very good. I can hear clearly every note that was played. The instruments that were played at the back of the stage was startling clear. Hence, any extra sounds made will be loud and clear.


2. The TV screen outside the hall is not that big. The camera facing the stage is so far away that it made the people on stage look small. I wonder if we can see the kolintangs we need to use and inform the helpers where to grab them from.


3. The audience will keep quiet while listening to the pieces, except at the end when they will applaud so there is no pop concert atmosphere.


4. We have to keep the angklungs and other instruments outside the hall while we are inside listening to other performances and waiting for the results. Hence we will need one kind soul to be a jaga.

And lastly,

5. Results will be announced in order of appearance, so be prepared to feel the nerves building up since we are the second last school to perform.

Be healthy and as Mr Dzul said, sleep well and drink lots of water. Don't forget, you need your voice too. So talk less and eat more fruits.

posted by the winner at 11:17 PM

Hi everyone....I totally agree with what Mr Zul had said below. Think about it, the music that we play represents us. We want the audience to share the same feelings as we have when we play the music and this can only be transmitted if we ourselves play and performed with all our heart and soul.I'm sure Singapore Conference Hall will once again play witness to the power of music from NJC Angklung Ensemble.

The audience will be swayed to the sound of Reverie and their emotions will go berserk as they listen to it. There will be total silence as the audience and the adjucators start to relflect on their personal experiences to fit the music. Their reminiscence will be guided by our music.....as we bring them through their sadness, lift them up and instill in them the spirited and fiery mood of the music as it hits the end....

And as usual, Zapin will be a blast. The sound of Angklung, Kolintang, the rebanas and the box drum.....it will blow their mind away as they experienced modernity amidst traditionalism in its true essence. Your high spiritness, your precision playing, your "cheekiness" will be the envy of the audience. There will be smiley faces, they will be audience swaying left and right to to the sound of Zapin, there will leg tapping and the voice of NJC Angklungnites shouting "Zapin" will rock the place.

All these can only be achieved if you "feel" for the music and "feel the shake".

Points to note: the adjucators will be looking at

Technique ( 50%)
articulation
dynamics
Rythm
Tone
Intonation

Musicality(50%)
Interpretation
Expression
Style
Phrasing
Balance
Blend
Group Dynamics

posted by deroni at 8:10 AM

Reverie
- dynamics
- sad, depression
- breaking the barrier
- fly...high
- moving
- fiery
- spirited...alive... kicking....

Zapins
- playful
- cheeky
- sharp
- precision
- joy
- fun..fun..fun

These two songs have surpassed the last syf songs in term of arrangement and instrumentation...its up to you to generate that high level of energy and feel that ur seniors hv shown ...
Take care... may the 'feel' be with u

posted by Dzul at 2:09 PM

posted by jennyzbz at 7:26 PM

Wednesday's finale was the performance of the year so far.

Feel is infectious. When you play a song with feel, the audience will get the feel too, without you having to say or do anything.

Bodies will start moving. Hearts will start beating furiously. Emotions will start overflowing.

After Zapin on Wednesday, I felt like jumping after you people shouted "Zapin!". It is as if you had grabbed me into the rhythm of the song.

Imagine you doing the same to the judges during SYF and the audience during College Day. They will all start getting restless in their seats and their applause will be deafening.

When will this happen again?

I am certain it will happen again, but hopefully the wait won't be long.

To quote what Mr Fuad told me yesterday: It's like I'm taking care of a baby, but when it starts walking I'm not around to see it!

You people are already walking. Sometimes you people run, but hopefully you can start sprinting soon!

It may be tiring, but when you look back at all your practices and performances in April and May during your June holidays, you will feel satisfied and proud of yourselves.

posted by the winner at 4:20 PM

hallo! i know prolly u guys are sick of my scoldings during practices, sick of seeing me up at the front, bear with it okay!

i must say im really really proud of u all!finally finally we've achieved the level of energy, enthusiasm the feel for the song. its not just my sentiments, im sure u all felt it. u know halfway through the song i was already feeling very excited abt the way the songs were going and when we ended with tt "ZAPIN!"wow, its realli like total satisfaction sense of achievement, felt so high in the sense tt finally we r getting it there!

its not like we dont have the capabilities, all along, each n everyone of us knew, we had the ability to reach that level we aimed for. but then somehow we lost focus of unleashing our potential to reach tt heights. we lost the enthusiasm along the way somehow and went downhill. down we went, but then, suddenly, everyone realised and understood the ability within yrself, made full use of it and it came v abruptly but approriately during the last time we played the song during practice just now. i must say, it was AWESOME! i realli want to thank u guys, for uncovering that potential in u n let it out! im sure alot of u feel the same way as me (if not i wont be here to blog abt it. im jus so excited n happy abt the way we r heading towards )

we've managed to turn the tables ard, no longer downhill, we're going up up up and we'll have to work together to make sure this standard is maintained and also exceed the limit, venture into the impossible to increase our standards exponentially! u all have what it takes! im glad tt we've found it the right feel the right energy! im sure u will have more enthusiasm for angklung practices more often now tt u feel the energy! the time it came is just right, roughly 22 days be4 SYF. guys, its neither short nor long, its sufficient to make a difference.

Remember what Mr Dzul, Shu Xian n I said today. I want u all to know, we have the potential, we have the spirit, from nowonwards, there's no turning back, we're in it altogether! we cannot afford to fall behind n build up the energy from scratch, we've got to build it up from how we played the last round tdy! we'll build on it n im sure when SYF comes, we'll achieve what we aim for. i know its been tiring for u guys, n i can tell u its going to get harder. When the going gets tough, remember tt there's so many others in the ensemble whu will support u. trust yourself, trust mr dzul, trust the teachers, n trust yr teammates. trust is a very impt element, we're working as a team towards our common goal. keep up the good work and don be complacent. together, we'll proceed as a team towards the big day. noone will fall behind or lose focus, we're helping each other reach the end point.

I believe that we'll do it. Come on guys, im sure u all know it too! probably u don wanna admit, but then im sure u all felt the vast difference in yr feelings when we played the last round just now! Dont stop here, get going move on. We'll move past this stage to a higher level! Trust yrself, unleash yr potential, reach for the perceived impossible. i promise u, the satisfaction u'll feel after syf, the relieve, the happiness u'll feel after syf is definitely beyond what words can describe.

though i maybe fierce during practice, im actually approachable k. if u've gt burning stuff or anythng tt u need to clarify or tell me do so k.

im sure we'll do it! We'll excel as a team and i promise the hardwork n effort will be worthwhile.

We'll soar together with our heart & soul!Hang in there, persevere till the very end! =))

- xuesi

posted by firm oN my staNd at 9:01 PM

Click GO once and Click CHAT once again :)

Mr Dzul

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