Hi cellists,

Bet you all nvr seen me posting on this blog b4...so sorry, trying very hard to compensate for that now :)

Yeah and Christmas is just round the corner, hereby wishing everyone Merry Christmas and a great year ahead. Our concert with NYSE has proven successful and some, or i should say most of you have show significant improvements. Nevertheless, there's still room for some, especially the back desks, to prove that each and everyone of you is great musicians and that we will break the historical record of attaining Gold for SYF.(I bet all of u shld know what i mean...)

Some of you may say that i'm too ambitious, sometimes even too strict an assistant section leader, but all i'm trying to get across is that the cellists in HCI string orchestra should stay bonded and united as a section and work towards our goal, our dream which has yet to come true. So in the coming whole new year, let's strive together and achieve what we havn't, soar the heights we couldn't before. Some advice here to start the new year of practises:

1. Be heard, Rather than be Seen!
This advice applies to almost every cellist, excluding our holy shen whom we are worshipping in this section blog right now, and of course some spammers xP. Some of you at the back, not meant to be personal attacks, really needs to practise more. Why? Because the sad truth is, we ought to be heard as a section in unity in order to show to the others that we are good. Or else what do you think everyone sitting out there are listening for? Whether the sound is together or in a mass and whether there's the element of emotions inside our music. So, to make us a "good orchestra", we have to sound together, at least in unison. Then, we can make great music.

2. Understand, Feel and Express the music.
The second element peeps out there are listening to is the musical quality in our sounds as well. Take a good look at the music scores and observe closely every single detail on the score, including a staccato dot and a minor accent. All these wouldn't have been there for nothing, they are all required in the setting up of the general atmosphere of the music, as mentioned by our conductor, Mr Chan. Any doubts or parts which needs clarification, or uncertain of how the particular phrase should sound like, all of you can always ask me or our Shen for enlightenment, or, if you are daring enough, ask Chan about it. Really, it's up to us to shape or distort the music itself.

3. Loyal and Faithful to "Shen"
Yeah,c'mon , go ahead and pay your respects to shen as, well, he's the Section Leader, and that we have to follow him closely, regardless of the length of bowstrokes he use or minute details like vibratos. I'm not asking everyone to mimic shen until we are all photocopies of him, but at least there must be an effort made to follow our leader, who will guide us through all the three pieces and, the Judgement Day itself.

All the abovementioned points are just my points of view and hopes for our cello section. Anithing that all of you have comments on can tell me personally, or any improvements that we need to make. Of course, all these are meant to start after the Christmas break lar...dun get so tensed can? RELAX for now and let's all work towards a great year ahead! :)

Steven