Yes...the dEaThSt|X. If you guys do not know the real name of this instrument it is the PICCOLO. It is the little brother of the FLUTE. You guys must be wondering why I call it the dEaThSt|X. You will appreciate (no you will not!) the meaning of dEaThSt|X when you sit on my right while I am practising any Shostakovich Symphony!
I play the piccolo, flute and oboe in three symphonic bands currently - they are:
I also have experience in playing the clarinet, bass clarinet and percussion throughout my involvement in bands...you could say...jack of many, not all, trades. So far I have been unsuccessful in producing a single decent note on any brass instrument...*hee*...
I recently picked up the
bassoon! Neat instrument, but pretty cumbersome when it comes to supporting
the instrument
itself.
National Institute of Education Symphonic Band
I have been in this band
since 1992 when I was still at National Junior College. There I was introduced
to a wide variety of music ranging from the transcribed classical works
to big band music, very different from what we play in secondary school...you
know...Seagate Overture and other James Swearingen stuff...(hee). My playing
has improved tremendously ever since I joined this band. I even went on
a tour in mid-1995 with them to Norway for a band competition, which we
came in first in our category. Currently the band's membership is about
75 players, and we have a regular concert series of two concerts
per year, one in mid-year and another at the end of the year.
Hear us play the opening
bars of Utopia.
To hear this you need the 
plug-in or program. This was recorded live during from Band in Concert 1996. Trying out the new RealAudio Technology...which lets you listen to the clip as it downloads!!
West Winds
Gee...I actually joined this band as a clarinetist initially, and rediscovered how difficult it was to maintain stamina while playing it - muscles feel very tired after a short while...I am sure all clarinet players have felt that! I have since switched back to the piccolo. This band is relatively young compared to the other two above, having formed in 1993. But WWinds has achieved a milestone in it's life by winning a gold award at an international wind music competition in Singapore in August 1996. The members are made up of students, national servicemen and working adults alike in the interest of making music together and for the community (of Bukit Batok). Our new conductor is Captain Philip Tng Liat Peng, Director of SAF Central Band.
We are in the midst of preparing
for our next West Winds in Concert 2000. Details on the homepage (see link
above).
My kind of music...
A lot of my friends 'complain' about my weird taste in classical music. I normally listen to works by composers within or after the Romantic Period - Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Shostakovich (who is my favourite composer), just to name a few. Well...everyone has their own interests. I have also just started listening to jazz, and I am in search of jazz flute music...(anyone of you with any leads to this please email me!!!)
Musical Qualifications