Chinese Orchestra

Since I am on the topic of Chinese Orchestra (my previous post on the drums performance), I thought I might search my memory on my dabbling with the art.

I think I joined my primary school CO in primary 2. I was following in the footsteps of my elder brother; my mum also encouraged me to learn to play a musical instrument. My brother learned the di zi (Chinese flute), I had absolutely no affinity with the flute (you need to be able to form your lips in a certain way to emit sound from the bamboo) so I settled, or rather the teacher settled for me, for the er hu.

I had some talent in the erhu. In fact, in my whole life, in many things I have a bit more talent than the average guy but not enough to be considered brilliant. So it was the same with the erhu. I stayed with the primary school CO until primary six. The valuable takeaway from the five years was the opportunity to learn music, to read music and to appreciate music, tempo and melody. I also had a good grounding in being on stage and because of this experience (and also my training as a student councillor doing PA duties), till today I never get stage fright.

Also because my elder brother did, I joined the CO at Woodlands CC. I received additional coaching and more performing opportunities. The two instructors I had then encouraged me a lot to pursue the art but as I reached seconday school age, the lure of a more physical ECA attracted me and after a few months into secondary school, I quit CO entirely.

I had found the weekly training quite a chore and realised that whatever talent I had had reached its limit. It was to be the same when I picked up the piano when I was 25 years old. But that is another story.