Gloomy entries from Hiong Gai gai and Yen about the future of MASAK, which I still see much potential to be excavated. Alas, Alex doesn't have a blog, else he can air his views to us over cybernet as well.
To set things in perspective, Small Ensemble was formed for the Singapore Guitarist Networking event organised by Toa Payoh Guitar Club. After that performance, I thought it'd be good to keep the group going, since the feel I get when we rehearsed together was really good. On the technical aspect, the group could attempt pieces which are more challanging and need a larger number of players to bring forth greater impact in terms of sound.
Before we go into asking "when's the next practice?". We'd like to ask ourselves "what's the next piece?". Music progress in the small group is driven by the availability of scores. Without scores, what's there to rehearse?
To obtain scores for a niibori quintet is definitely harder than for a guitar quartet. Besides the archive of existing pieces, if we do not actively arrange or source for materials, the death of any group is inevitable. I think we need to encourage ourselves to write for the groups we play in, and not sit back and wait for nice tunes/scores to drop from the sky. Instead of worrying whether or not the group should/would/could disband, get off your butt and do something about it!
I'm very much annoyed by people who sit back and ask themselves silly questions. I spend my nights cutting and pasting scores, arranging pieces for both MASAK and small ensemble(still owe Guitaresque the "loose canon", yes it'll come.), while others lament about the possibility of group disbanding.
WTF?
2 comments:
Agree with ya on the part that the group members ought to do SOMETHING about it. I said as much in my blog entry.
But key to it all is a or person(s) who DRIVE the group forward. In any group, it is inevitable that not everyone is equally motivated. Even LAGQ expressed that view in their interview segment (hence Bill Kanegaiser takes on that role as their on-the-ball guy, to keep things moving)
Similarly in Masak, i see the need of this person as well. I think it is equally USELESS to lament that some people just wait for things to happen instead of MAKING it happen (like arrange/source for scores). Like mentioned above, not everyone is motivated to the same extent, and by the same things. Some people may only want to play and be part of the performing team, not so much the driver and initiator of ideas. I think that's normal amd to be expected really..
Personally, i am more motivated to keep things moving for Guitaresque, and can forsee interesting things happening, in the area of scores and progress of the group. I have and will continue to take on the role of an "initiator", if not the group leader.
For Masak, it'll be great if someone can do the same. I'll be really glad if owls willingly does it, and equally happy if Alex or anyone else in the group does so. But whoever do so must be doing it out of a truly self-motivated reason. I guess my point is: if nobody wants to take a leading role, then the group will have difficulties moving forward and after some time, it really wont matter if we "officially" disband or not...
Yes Sir!
'looks around for guitar to practise...but see bike's parts and uncompleted diy project everywhere...'
Of course, sometimes we should give these composers/arrangers a pat on their back eh, else they think we are taking them for granted! Anyway it's a well known fact that the top 2 most popular song in RnR was arranged by someone who takes my blog seriously then scold me for it...
:)
It was not mere conincidence that I can lure HanSiang to throw out the West tile, with a simple statement of plain truth though slightly misguided...
On the other hand, what happened to the previously much applauded arranger Alex Fei Wu? I heard he has just shrugged off a heavy responsibility recently from being the conductor of Singapore's best Niborii ensemble? Owls need some time off too to find girlfriend what!
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