Michaelian Military Band

Quest for the Cempedak: A Night of Tradition and Unity

2024-08-23T19:24:00.002+08:00

Quest for the Cempedak: A Night of Tradition and Unity

Our military band recently had the honor of participating in a joint concert with SMK Anderson, titled Quest for the Cempedak. This unique event was a celebration of folk songs and traditional performances, bringing together students from various schools to relive the timeless tunes that defined our childhoods. The night was filled with captivating performances, including the Ave Maria Concent Ladies Choir , a traditional dance by SMK Anderson’s dance troupe, SMK Convent’s Kelab Gamelan Sari, our very own MMB Drumline, and another traditional dance by SMK Rapat Setia.

Quest for the Cempedak was more than just a concert—it was a cultural journey that united us in our shared love for music and tradition. We spent about three months preparing for this event, and the experience was truly enriching. Along the way, we forged new friendships and embarked on journeys of self-discovery, deepening our appreciation for the music that has shaped us.

The concert served as a beautiful reminder of the power of music to bring people together. As we performed and watched others on stage, we celebrated not only our diverse cultural heritage but also the bonds we’ve formed through our shared passion. The memories created during this event will stay with us, and the connections we made will continue to grow as we carry forward our love for music. Quest for the Cempedak was a night to remember, and it has set the stage for many more collaborative celebrations to come.

A Rising Force : Our Military Band Sucess at the MIMAC Competition

2024-08-23T19:09:00.001+08:00

A Rising Force: Our Military Band’s Success at the MIMAC Competition

Our military band recently made a strong showing at the Malaysia International Marching Arts Championships (MIMAC), earning prestigious accolades in both the Drummers Face Off Seniors Division and the Color Guard Duo competition. Competing against some of the best in the country, our percussion section secured the 2nd runner-up position, standing alongside SMK Cochrane. The champion of this division was the formidable Eximius Regiment from Brass Band UiTM Perak. In addition, our Color Guard duo showcased their skill and artistry, clinching a silver medal as 2nd runner-up in their competition.

The road to MIMAC was paved with countless hours of practice and unwavering dedication. Our band members poured their hearts into perfecting their performances, supported every step of the way by our instructors, seniors, and a community of well-wishers. The level of commitment from everyone involved turned what seemed like endless preparation into a display of precision and passion on the competition day.

Our participation in MIMAC wasn’t just about the medals—it was about proving our mettle and setting the stage for future successes. The effort our members invested is akin to planting a tree; the roots are deep, and in time, the fruits of their labor will flourish. This year’s victories are just the beginning. Keep an eye out for us, because we’re far from finished. Our military band is ready to rise even higher in the years to come.

Annual General Meeting ( 30 September 2023 )

2023-10-26T20:41:00.035+08:00

Annual General Meeting ( 30 September 2023 )

On 30 September 2023, an Annual General Meeting took place at school. It started with the reports from the previous EXCOs. After that, there was a speech from the former band leader Master Caden Ang and he talks about the improvement of the band and shares some advice to the members. After that, the new EXCO board 2023/24 was unveiled.

Let us take a look at the previous EXCO board before moving on to the new EXCOs.

Band Leader : Master Caden Ang

Assistant Band Leader : Master Benjamin Yeong

Secretary : Master Kishor Pillay

Treasurer : Master Akhilesh

Concert Master : Master Caden Ang

Drum Major : Master Danish

Woodwind Section Leader : Master Akhilesh , Master Aw Kam Soon

Brass Section Leader : Master Danish, Master Sharvin

Percussion Section Leader : Master Benjamin Yeong, Master Rohandeep

Librarians : Master Donovan, Master Marcus Leong Wai, Master Brendon Lee

Uniform Officers : Master Khoo Mun Hao, Master Hilmi

Marching Officer : Master Amos Anand

Publicity Officers : Master Benjamin Yeong, Master Tan Ji-Zheng

Instrument Officers : Master Akhilesh, Master Lee Jo Yew

Bandroom Officers : Master Bryan Ng, Master Elijah

Disciplinary Officer : Master Gabriel

We would like to thank the previous EXCOs for their dedication and hard work they contribute for band throughout the entire term. Here is the new EXCOs for term 2023/24.

Band Leader : Master Hilmi

Assistant Band Leader : Master Brendan Joseph

Secretary : Master Brendon Lee

Treasurer : Master Lee Jo Yew

Concert Master : Master Sing Yuan Joe

Drum Major : Master Daniel Wong

Woodwind Section Leader : Master Sing Yuan Joe

Brass Section Leader : Master Brendon Lee, Master Tan Ji-Zheng

Percussion Section Leader : Master Brendan Joseph

Librarians : Master Marcus Leong Wai, Master Adam Raziq

Uniform Officers : Master Sean Chan, Master Adam Harris

Marching Officer : Master Daniel Wong

Publicity Officers : Master Sindhan Pillay, Master Nabil Aqil

Instrument Officers : Master Lee Jo Yew, Master Vishrnu Dev

After unveiling the new EXCO board, the newly-elected Band Leader Master Hilmi gave his speech. Then the meeting was concluded and some of the members had to perform during OMA after that. All the best to the new EXCOs.

Annual General Meeting (2 December 2022)

2022-12-12T19:30:00.001+08:00

On 2 December 2022, an Annual General Meeting took place at the school Auditorium. It started with the reports from the previous EXCOs. After that, there was a speech from the outgoing Band Leader, Mr. Jireh Chai about the improvement in the band and the changes that should be made in the future.

The Form 5's also delivered their personal messages and advice to the current band members. After that, the new EXCO board for term 2022/23 was unveiled. There were a lot of changes in the EXCO board.

Let us take a look at the previous EXCO board before moving on to the current board of EXCOs.

EXCO Board of term 2022

Top Committee

Band Leader: Mr. Jireh Chai

Assistant Band Leaders: Mr. Caden Ang

Secretary: Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Treasurer: Mr. Dhurgesh

Performance Committee

Concert Master: Mr. Jireh Chai

Drum Major: Mr. Badrul Hisyam

Woodwind Section Representative: Mr. Danial, Mr. Donovan Lim

Brass Section Representative: Mr. Syazwan, Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Percussion Section Representative: Mr. Benjamin Yeong, Mr. Adam Azman

Management Committee

Quartermasters: Mr. Emil, Mr. Adam Harith, Mr. Donovan Lim

We would like to thank the previous board of EXCOs for the hard work that they have contributed towards the band.

Here is new board of EXCOs for term 2022.

EXCO Board of term 2022/23

Band Leader: Mr. Caden Ang

Assistant Band Leader: Mr. Benjamin Yeong

Secretary : Mr. Kishor Pillay , Assistant Secretary : Brendon Lee

Treasurer: Mr. Akhilesh , Assistant Treasurer: Mr. Lee Jo Yew

Drum Major : Mr. Danish

Woodwind Section Leaders : Mr. Akhilesh , Mr. Donovan Lim

Brass Section Leader: Mr. Sharvin

Brass Section Leader: Mr. Danish

Percussion Section Leaders: Mr. Benjamin Yeong , Mr. Rohandeep

Librarians: Mr.Donovan , Mr. Brendon Lee , Mr. Marcus

Uniform Officer: Mr. Khoo Mun Hao

Uniform Officer: Mr. Hilmi

Marching Officer: Mr. Amos Anand

Publicity Officer: Mr. Benjamin Yeong

Publicity Officer: Mr. Tan Ji-Zheng

Instrument Officer: Mr. Lee Jo Yew

Instrument Officer: Mr. Akhilesh

Bandroom Officers : Mr. Bryan Ng , Mr. Elijah

Disciplinary Officer : Mr. Gabriel Chan

After the unveiling session ,we ended with the singing of the school rally.

Wishing all the best to the newly-elected EXCOs.

-With Pride Shall We March!

Annual General Meeting 2022

2022-05-27T21:13:00.000+08:00

On 20 May 2022, an Annual General Meeting was held at the Auditorium of St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh. Its been a while since we have had a meeting face-to-face due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting started off with a speech from the former band leader, Mr. Ahmad Farhan about the current situation and changes that has been made on the new term of EXCOs. He also shared some useful advice to the members. Then, the meeting continued with the unveiling session of the EXCO board term 2022. The session started with the exposure of the posts from the Quartermasters to the Leader of the Band.

Let us take a look at the previous EXCO board before moving on to the current board of EXCOs.

EXCO Board of term 20/21 (Ad Hoc)

Top Committee

Band Leader: Mr. Ahmad Farhan

Assistant Band Leaders: Mr. Jireh Chai, Mr. Adam Azman

Secretary: Mr. Caden Ang

Treasurer: Mr. Badrul Hisyam

Performance Committee

Concert Master: Mr. Jireh

Drum Major: Mr. Badrul

Woodwind Section Representative: Mr. Danial

Brass Section Representative: Mr. Dhurgesh

Percussion Section Representative: Mr. Alif

Management Committee

Librarians: Mr. Vomshree, Mr. Badrul, Mr. Caden Ang

Uniform Officers: Mr. Adam Harith, Mr. Emil, Mr. Syazwan

Marching Officer: Mr. Badrul

Publicity Officers: Mr. Tan Yik Yang, Mr. Donovan Lim

Instrument Officers: Mr. Tan Yik Yang, Mr. Aidid, Mr. Akhilesh

Junior Band Committee

Chairman: Mr. Caden Ang, Mr. Donovan Lim

Bandroom: Mr. Sineaghen

Welfare: Mr. Elijah, Mr. Benjamin

Marching: Mr. Danish

We would like to thank the previous board of EXCOs for the their dedication and the hard work that they have contributed towards the band. Here is new board of EXCOs for term 2022.

EXCO Board of term 2022

Band Leader: Mr. Jireh Chai

Assistant Band Leader: Mr. Caden Ang

Secretary: Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Treasurer: Mr. Dhurgesh

Woodwind Section Representative: Mr., Danial, Mr. Donovan Lim

Brass Section Representative: Mr. Syazwan, Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Percussion Section Representative: Mr. Benjamin Yeong, Mr. Adam Azman

Quartermasters: Mr. Emil, Mr. Adam Harith, Mr. Donovan Lim

Concert Master: Mr. Jireh Chai

Drum Major: Mr. Badrul Hisyam

After the unveiling session, we had a sectional practice conducted by our newly-elected Band Leader, Mr. Jireh Chai. Before the practice ended, he gave his speech to kick-off the new term. Wishing all the best to the newly-elected EXCOs. May they make the band fly higher again.

-With Pride Shall We March!

MMB VLP Program

2021-09-25T16:27:00.001+08:00

20 August 2021

It was the first day of the MMB Virtual Leadership Project, organised by the alumni of the band. They are, Mr Shaun Lim, Mr Yew Dasheng, Mr Nawaliq, Mr Ishwarjeet, Mr David, Mr Darveen, Mr Jagroop, Mr Yik, Mr Chastan, Mr Hafiz and Mr Ahmad Farhan. It kicked off with the alumni sharing their experiences during their time as a bandsmen and talked about the importance of alumni to the band. Then it came to an interval for 5 minutes for the members to get prepared for the following activities. After that, the project was carried on with a team building session. All members were distributed into 4 groups and each group had to plan a band camp within the time given, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes. At around 4:30p.m, the project continued with a presentation session where each group presented their camp planning to everyone and the alumni chose the group with the best camp planning. Moving on next, the alumni shared their thoughts on planning a camp and gave some tips and advice on what members should look into while planning a camp. At 5:25 p.m., the alumni wrapped up the day with a short debrief.

21 August 2021

Every member was given a Google Meet link to join the meeting 10 minutes before the project started. At approximately 9:00 a.m., each group was invited into their breakup rooms for the post mortem session. Every group had a discussion with their alumni in the room regarding yesterday's camp planning. The alumni taught them some tricks and assisted them improvise their camp planning. After an hour, the members got a 5-minute break before moving on to the next session. At 10:05 a.m., the project continued with a technical talk titled "Leadership in Us". One of the alumni, Mr. Shaun, explained to the members what we should do as leaders to lead the band and bring it to greater heights. He also introduced us to a method known as the “Kaizen Method” , which is used as an approach to solve and improve something based on the ongoing situation or changes. Later on, the members were once again invited into their breakup rooms for a problem solving session. During the problem solving session, each group was given a set of situations that may occur during the members’ time in band, to discuss with their group members to solve the given situations. The members gained a lot from the session as they were exposed to different situations that they had never experienced before and got to enhance their problem solving skills. Everyone joined back to the main call after finishing and the alumni ended the session with a short debrief, hoping that everyone had managed to learn to think outside the box when faced with a new problem. In the evening, the alumni sent out a care package consisting of two boxes of face mask and a bottle of hand sanitizer to every member as an appreciation to them for participating in the project.

22 August 2021

It was the last day of the project. The day started off with a technical talk on how to be an active team player by our alumnus, Mr. Yew Da Sheng. He explained the role of a band member in life and how we can contribute to a team in order to achieve unity. He also mentioned how to make the operation of the band more efficient and effective. The project then continued with a Q&A and sharing session between each section. The members had the opportunity to ask the alumni questions about their section, and they were also given a chance to share their feelings and express their thoughts about the project. Finally, the project came to a closing session. Before the project ended, our band instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun, gave a speech to encourage the members to take full advantage of the knowledge and continue to improve in their band life, as well as to take initiative and contact him if we ever want to have an activity or a session.

We would like to thank the alumni from the bottom of our heart for organising this successful project and we strongly believe that every member has gained valuable experiences throughout these 3 days. We are looking forward to the next time!

Virtual Meeting With The Recruits 2021

2021-08-18T20:34:00.005+08:00

On 14 August 2021, we held a virtual meeting with the recruits via Google Meet. The meeting began with the presentation by our band leader, Mr. Ahmad Farhan introducing himself and the band. Mr. Ahmad Farhan then introduced the Executive Committee to the recruits. Our band instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun, briefly introduced himself and explained the band's future plans.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., the meeting continued with the presentation of the band programmes. Mr. Ahmad Farhan showed some examples of the band's outdoor activities such as the annual sports day, Merdeka parade and outdoor competition. Moving on to the slide of the international band exchange programme, Mr. Chong Wai Mun shared his experience of the band exchange programme in Japan in 2018. Mr. Chong then played a behind the scenes of Japan Exchange Programme, so that the recruits could feel the atmosphere of the band during their trip to Japan.

After introducing the band programmes, the members showcased their instruments to the recruits and played a short part of several songs. Before ending the meeting, Mr. Chong Wai Mun delivered his personal message to encourage the members to get more friends joining the band and he looked forward to meet us in person soon.

"SMI Cow The Prosperity " Chinese New Year Music Online Concert

2021-02-11T20:04:00.012+08:00

On the 8th of February 2021, a Chinese New Year Music Online Concert organised

by the Leo Club of SMI entitled “SMI Cow The Prosperity” was carried-out via their

Facebook page at 8.30 p.m.. The concert started off with a speech by the Organising

Chairperson, Thomas Ng Kah Seng.

The concert was then continued with the 24 Season Drum performance by the

Michaelian Wushu Club and a special performance by the Form 5’s of the Wushu

Club. The Michaelian Chinese Orchestra then performed 3 traditional Chinese

pieces to warm-up the concert. The concert then came to an interval for around 5

minutes. The concert resumed with the band performance. We prepared a virtual

performance of “Da Di Hui Chun” by Junichi Tanaka and a birthday song to celebrate

the birthday of Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian.

After the performances, the concert was followed by a video presentation prepared

by the teachers of St. Michael’s Institution. At about 9.30 p.m.,we performed the

School Rally to round off the concert.

Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

Annual General Meeting 2020

2020-10-28T16:53:00.040+08:00

On 25 October 2020, the band's Annual General Meeting was carried-out virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. The meeting kicked-off with the presentation of reports by the EXCO’s of term 19/20. The Form 5’s then delivered their personal messages and advice to the current band members and the upcoming board of EXCOs. The meeting then moved on with a speech by our band instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun. He discussed with the members on the plans for the future of the band, as things will no longer be the same in the meantime due to the global pandemic. At around 3 p.m., the Annual General Meeting continued with the unveiling of the new EXCO board of term 20/21. There were a few changes to this term's board of EXCOs as the board is divided into a few departments consisting of the Junior Band Committee, Management Committee, Performance Committee and lastly, the Top Committee.

Before moving on to the EXCO board of term 20/21, we will take a look at the outgoing EXCO board of the previous term.

EXCO Board of term 2019/20

Band Leader: Mr. Pirabakaran

Assistant Band Leader: Mr. Timothy Ooi

Secretary: Mr. Timothy Ooi

Treasurer: Mr. Yishvan Palani

Woodwind Section Representative: Mr. Pirabakaran

Brass Section Representative: Mr. Tarvin, Mr. Ilhanz

Percussion Section Representative: Mr. Adam

Librarians: Mr. Jireh, Mr. Badrul, Mr. Sasitharen, Mr. Haiqal

Marching Officer: Mr. Sasitharen

Uniform Officers: Mr. Tarvin, Mr. Kailassh, Mr. Adam

Publicity Officers: Mr. Timothy Ooi, Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Instrument Officers: Mr. Yishvan Palani, Mr. Dhiya Zamir, Mr. Tan Yik Yang

Concert Master: Mr. Pirabakaran

Drum Major: Mr. Pirabakaran

We would like to thank the previous EXCO board from the bottom of our hearts for their effort and dedication towards the band as they have done an amazing job throughout the term. Here is the EXCO Board of term 20/21:

EXCO Board of term 20/21 (Ad Hoc)

Top Committee

Band Leader: Mr. Ahmad Farhan

Assistant Band Leaders: Mr. Jireh Chai, Mr. Adam Azman

Secretary: Mr. Caden Ang

Treasurer: Mr. Badrul Hisyam

Performance Committee

Concert Master: Mr. Jireh

Drum Major: Mr. Badrul

Woodwind Section Representative: Mr. Danial

Brass Section Representative: Mr. Dhurgesh

Percussion Section Representative: Mr. Alif

Management Committee

Librarians: Mr. Vomshree, Mr. Badrul, Mr. Caden Ang

Uniform Officers: Mr. Adam Harith, Mr. Emil, Mr. Syazwan

Marching Officer: Mr. Badrul

Publicity Officers: Mr. Tan Yik Yang, Mr. Donovan Lim

Instrument Officers: Mr. Tan Yik Yang, Mr. Aidid, Mr. Akhilesh

Junior Band Committee

Chairman: Mr. Caden Ang, Mr. Donovan Lim

Bandroom: Mr. Sineaghen

Welfare: Mr. Elijah, Mr. Benjamin

Marching: Mr. Danish

After the unveiling session, our newly-elected Band Leader, Mr. Ahmad Farhan gave his speech to kick-off the new term. The meeting was concluded with the singing of the School Rally. All the best to the newly-elected EXCOs! May they bring the band to greater heights!

-With Pride Shall We March!

ALL JAPAN BAND COMPETITION 2019 - Fudooka Wind Orchestra (FWO)

2019-09-23T19:38:00.000+08:00

Fudooka Wind Orchestra (FWO) of the Fudooka High School, Saitama, Japan recently participated in the “ALL BAND JAPAN COMPETITION” (AJBC). A total of 55 members were sent to participate in the competition.

The main band of the Fudooka Wind Orchestra (FWO) performed two pieces. Firstly, ‘Bismuth Psychedelia I’, a set piece composed by Takafumi Hikage, and was followed by, ‘Konpeki No Hato (Deep Blue Waves)’, a choice piece by Jun Nagao.

The first qualifying stage of the AJBC, which is the 60th Saitama Prefecture Band Competition High School Division Category (A) was held on the 5th of August at the Hanyu City Industrial and Culture Hall, Saitama. FWO excelled and won the Gold Prize to advance to the next stage.

The second stage, which is the prefecture-level, was held on the 10th August at the same venue as the previous stage. FWO came in as one of the top nine bands, and qualified for the third stage.

The third stage is the West Kanto Regional Competition, in which bands from Gunma, Niigata, Yamanashi and Saitama Prefecture will compete. The High School Division was held at the Beisia Cultural Hall, Maebashi, Gunma on the 8th September.

FWO triumphed in the third stage and achieved the Gold Prize, in which only nine bands were awarded.

Unfortunately, the Fudooka Wind Orchestra did not manage to qualify for the National Finals as only the top three bands can proceed. However, it was the best that they have ever achieved in their semi-centennial history.

Mr. Kazuaki Kaneko, the conductor and teacher-in-charge of the band said, "We feel very happy and surprised because we got the gold prize and that was our (Fudooka Wind Orchestra) first time ever.

We had a very limited time to prepare but the hard work of our members encouraged and inspired us to grow and accomplish this.

We would like to thank everyone for their never-ending hardwork and support!”.

Written by Mr. Keiichi Kurokawa

Edited by Timothy Ooi

Annual General Meeting 2019

2019-07-27T20:33:00.001+08:00

On 19 July 2019, an Annual General Meeting was held at St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh. The meeting started-off with the presentation of reports by the EXCO’s of term 18/19. The former band leader, Master Ahmad Farhan, then gave his speech to the members. He also shared some useful tips and advices to the members. The meeting then came to an interval for around 15 minutes. At around 2:00p.m, the Annual General Meeting resumed with the handover session. The session started with the handover of posts from the Quartermasters to the Top 4s .

Let's take a look at the EXCO board of the previous term before moving on.

EXCO board of term 2018/19

Band Leader: Master Ahmad Farhan

Assistant Band Leader: Master Koong Wai Yin

Secretary: Master Pravin Parram

Treasurer: Master Sarvess Ganesan

Woodwind Section Leader: Master Pirabakaran

Brass Section Leader: Master Ahmad Farhan, Master Sarvess Ganesan

Percussion Section Leader: Master Koong Wai Yin, Master Maverick Chan

Marching Officers: Master Koong Wai Yin, Master Pravin Parram

Disciplinary Officers: Master Ishwarjeet Singh, Master Shandrach Shane

Uniform Officers: Master Muhd Idham, Master Sasitharen Muniyandy

Instrument Officers: Master Ilmam Al Zahin, Master Yishvan Palani

Librarians: Master Muhd Haiqal, Master Ilhanz

Publicity Officers: Master Timothy Ooi, Master Liew Khai Hang

Concert Master: Master Pirabakaran

Drum Major: Master Pirabakaran

We would like to sincerely thank the outgoing board for their dedication and hard work throughout the entire term. It has truly been an amazing term filled with some memorable events especially our recent concert, “MUSIC・CONNECTS” which has been a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for the bandsmen.

EXCO board of term 2019/20

Band Leader: Master Pirabakaran

Assistant Band Leader: Master Timothy Ooi

Secretary: Master Timothy Ooi

Treasurer: Master Yishvan Palani

Woodwind Representative: Master Pirabakaran

Brass Representative: Master Tarvin Kanesan, Master Ilhanz

Percussion Representative: Master Muhd Adam

Marching Officers: Master Sasitharen Muniyandy

Uniform Officers: Master Tarvin Kanesan, Master Kailassh Parram, Master Muhd Adam

Instrument Officers: Master Yishvan Palani, Master Dhiya Zamir, Master Tan Yik Yang

Librarians: Master Muhd Haiqal, Master Sasitharen Muniyandy, Master Jireh Chai, Master Badrul

Publicity Officers: Master Timothy Ooi, Master Tan Yik Yang

Concert Master: Master Pirabakaran

Drum Major: Master Pirabakaran

After the handover session, the Annual General Meeting continued with a speech by our newly-elected Band Leader, Master Pirabakaran and was followed by a video presentation by the Publicity Officers which recapped the highlights of term 18/19. Before the meeting concluded, we sang our school rally proudly to kick-off the new term. Wishing all the best to the newly-elected EXCO board to uphold the pride of the band. May they lead the band to greater heights!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Timothy Ooi and Tan Yik Yang

MUSIC・CONNECTS

2019-04-18T20:04:00.000+08:00

23/3/19 – The day all of us have been waiting for is finally here! At around 3:30 p.m., teachers and members of the Fudooka Wind Orchestra arrived at St. Michael’s Institution, Ipoh. They were filled with excitement as it was their first time in Malaysia! As soon as they arrived, the first ensemble session began. Before starting the rehearsal, band leaders from both bands gave a short speech. The rehearsal went as planned and was carried out until 7:00 p.m. when members from Fudooka Wind Orchestra followed their respective hosts back home. This homestay programme is not new to some of the MMB and FWO students as they had the opportunity to experience it during the first exchange programme which took place in Saitama, Japan in June 2018.

24/3/19 – Everyone gathered at St. Michael’s Institution at 8:00 a.m. before going on a trip to Gua Tempurung! The members were distributed into 3 groups according to their hosting families. The journey started at around 8:30 a.m. with 3 buses carrying a total of 105 people (conductors, teachers included). Majority of the members had a short nap on the way there as they were all still tired from the day before. Upon arriving, we were given a short briefing on the do’s and don’ts in the cave. We were then led on a dry trail in Gua Tempurung by one of the tour guides. The entire adventure lasted for approximately an hour and a half. It was a great experience especially for FWO students as they got to learn about the insights of one of the largest caves in Peninsular Malaysia. After the walk, we got some rest and took-off back to school. We then had our lunch to re-energise ourselves before exploring Ipoh town. Members from FWO then followed their hosting families for lunch nearby. At 2:00 p.m. , FWO members visited a nearby museum for a short tour. After that, we had our exploration session around the beautiful Ipoh Old Town! Members of MMB led their Japanese friends around town to take some pictures, grab some snacks and to get some souvenirs. It was indeed a fun time with them as we got to strengthen our friendship. We gathered back in school after a few hours for a short debrief before dismissing back to their hosting families’ home.

25/3/19 – FWO’s last day in Malaysia. The day kicked-off early in the morning when we had our first and final full rehearsal session with the conductors in Dewan Lee Loy Seng, SJK(C) Yuk Choy. The rehearsal was carried-out from 8:30 a.m. to around 1:00 p.m.. The members were then given 4 hours of rest to recharge themselves before the big event! Members from both bands had their dinner and prepared themselves for the concert. Just 30 minutes away! We could all feel the tension as the hall starts to fill up. Each and everyone involved gave their 100% and did their very best! Indeed they left the stage with no regrets. The concert was a huge success as this is the first time MMB is hosting a Japanese band, moreover, to perform alongside them in our very own biannual concert. It is indeed an unprecedented event. The day ended with a farewell party organised by MMB for FWO back in our alma mater. The Japanese students were treated with some of our local food and desserts. Band directors and guest conductors gave their final speech followed by the band leaders. Some gifts and souvenirs of remembrance were exchanged by both bands. Fudooka Wind Orchestra then departed to Singapore at around 4 a.m. to complete the second leg of their Malaysia-Singapore tour, with the Anderson Military Band, Singapore.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who was involved directly and indirectly in making this concert a huge success. Thank you to Mr. Chong Wai Mun, our band director for making this possible for all Michaelians. Thank you to Mr. Kazuaki Kaneko (band director of Fudooka Wind Orchestra) for the opportunity. And thank you to our guest conductors, Mr. Kasaoka Tsuneyoshi and Mr. Keiichi Kurokawa for the knowledge and wonderful experience.

It was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone that participated in this amazing programme. We wholeheartedly believe that everyone has learnt a lot throughout the 3 days. We look forward to the next time! To everlasting friendship and beautiful music!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Timothy Ooi

Merdeka 2018

2018-09-09T20:33:00.003+08:00

The Merdeka Parade is held every year on the 31st of August.

31 August, 2018 - At 5:30 a.m. , bandsmen were gathered at the school pavillion. This year, the mood is slightly different, in a very positive way because of the majority of participants being new recruits. The excitement of marching and performing for the first time in front of a large crowd has surely been experienced by anyone who has participated in band activities. The day kicked-off with our usual warm-up routine. It was raining the whole night but thankfully it stopped at about 6:00 a.m..We went for a jog around the soaking wet field and grabbed our instruments after that.

We then went across to Ipoh Padang to get ourselves prepared. Before heading to our spot, we did our traditional cheer. Members were pumped up and excited as this is the time where they showcase what they have been practicing for the past weeks. The parade started at around 8:30 a.m..

The day concluded with a debrief session by the band leader back in school. The overall performance was good but there is room for improvement. Good job to the members as they did their very best. See you guys next year! Happy Independence Day!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Liew Khai Hang and Timothy Ooi

Annual General Meeting 2018

2018-08-13T20:35:00.000+08:00

An Annual General Meeting was held on 4 August 2018.
The meeting kicked-off with reports from the outgoing Executive Committee, EXCO board of term 2017/18.
After that, there was a video presentation by the Publicity Officers. The video is a recap of the events that happened
throughout the term.

Our director, Mr. Chong Wai Mun then gave his speech on his thoughts on the term of 2017/18.

He also congratulated us for our hard work and for going through an amazing year,
which was packed with uncountable events and activities. For example, the recent National Wind Orchestra Festival 2018
and not to forget, the Exchange Programme which was held in Japan.
These events were truly an amazing experience for the bandsmen, especially the new recruits.

At 11:00 p.m., the handover session was held. It was the moment where every bandsmen was eagerly looking forward to.
The handover started-off with the Top 4’s (Band Leader, Assistant Band Leader, Treasurer and Secretary)
and was followed by the rest of the quartermasters.

Let's have a look at the EXCO board of term 17/18 before moving on to the new board of EXCOs.

EXCO board of term 17/18

Band Leader: Mr. Mohnish Sarveswaran
Assistant Band Leader: Mr. Ahmad Farhan
Secretary: Mr. Isaac Yaw
Treasurer: Mr. Koong Wai Yin

Brass Section Leader: Mr. Ahmad Farhan
Woodwind Section Leader: Mr. Mohnish Sarveswaran
Percussion Section Leader: Mr. Koong Wai Yin

Uniform Officers: Mr. Ishwarjeet Singh, Mr. Nick Liew
Instrument Officers: Mr. Maverick Chan, Mr. Anselm Francis

Bandroom Officers: Mr. Siew King Sam, Mr. Ahmad Farhan
Librarians: Mr. Pravin Parram, Mr. Koong Wai Yin
Publicity Officer: Mr. Siew King Sam, Mr. Timothy Ooi (Assistant)
Marching Officer: Mr. Amierul Hasriel

Concert Master: Mr. Isaac Yaw
Drum Majors: Mr. Fakhriz Ammar, Mr. Caven Sua
Recruit Officers: Mr. Pirabakaran Kumaragurubaran, Mr. Yishvan Palani

This year there is an introduction of a new post which is the Disciplinary Officer.

After the handover, our newly elected Band Leader, Mr. Ahmad Farhan gave his speech.

Newly elected Band Leader ( Mr. Ahmad Farhan ) delivering his speech.

Introducing the EXCO board of term 18/19.

Band Leader : Mr. Ahmad Farhan
Assistant Band Leader : Mr. Koong Wai Yin
Secretary : Mr. Pravin Parram
Treasurer : Mr. Sarvess Ganesan

Concert Master : Mr. Pirabakaran Kumaragurubaran
Drum Major : Mr. Pirabakaran Kumaragurubaran
Woodwind Section Leader : Mr. Pirabakaran Kumaragurubaran
Brass Section Leader : Mr. Ahmad Farhan, Mr. Sarvess Ganesan
Percussion Section Leader : Mr. Koong Wai Yin, Mr. Maverick Chan

Marching Officers : Mr. Koong Wai Yin, Mr. Pravin Parram
Disciplinary Officers : Mr. Ishwarjeet Singh, Mr. Shadrach Shane
Uniform Officers : Mr. Muhd Idham, Mr. Sasitharen Muniyandy
Instrument Officers : Mr. Ilmam Al Zahin, Mr. Yishvan Palani
Bandroom Officers : Mr. Pravin Sreemurthy, Mr. Karrthik Sathiyamoorthy
Librarians : Mr. Cris Pillai, Mr. Muhd Haiqal
Publicity Officers : Mr. Timothy Ooi, Mr. Liew Khai Hang

The Annual General Meeting was then concluded with the singing of the school rally.

Good luck and all the best to the new board and we hope that they will bring the band to greater heights!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Timothy Ooi,
Edited by Shaun Lim

National Wind Orchestra Festival 2018

2018-08-04T21:05:00.003+08:00

On the 6th of July 2018, we travelled to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris ( UPSI ) , Tanjung Malim to participate in the annual festival competition which is the National Wind Orchestra Festival 2018.

It was a Friday morning, and needless to say, it was a school day. We arrived in school like how we normally would but with a different aspiration as it was the competition day. We grabbed the essentials for the competition like our music stands, scores and of course, our instruments.The bus arrived at 7:30 a.m. and we were all set. Final roll call was made by the Band Leader, Master Mohnish Sarveswaran on the bus. It was a smooth journey to Tanjung Malim and we arrived at about 10:00 a.m.. We did some final sight reading and run-through on our competition pieces by singing, under the guidance of seniors of different sections on the bus. Each school was given 15 minutes for soundcheck and adjustments on the stage. After soundcheck, we went to have a light meal at the cafeteria nearby.

At about 2:30 p.m., we were called on stage as we were the first band to perform on that day. We did our tuning and warm-ups that also included some new breathing and singing exercises which were shared to us by the bandsmen who went to Fudooka High School, Japan last month.

It took us weeks of practice just to perfect our 15 minutes performance of 2 of our selected pieces which were 'To Challenge The Sky And Heavens Above' by Robert W. Smith and 'Irama Medley Melayu' arranged by Keiichi Kurokawa. Two of these pieces were indeed very challenging for us to perform but we managed to pull it off. The competition continued on until the evening and our band members stayed to watch the performances of the other 11 school bands.

The event concluded in the evening and it was finally time for the presentation of prizes. It was a nerve-wracking one as all the other bands did exceptionally well. Weeks of hardwork has proved fruitful as SMI was announced and awarded the Gold Award in Division (II).
All in all, the members had done a splendid job in preparing for this competition. We reached our school late at

night, everyone seemed to be tired but felt very happy because of the achievement.

Everyone was determined to practice even more after the competition as they want to further improve to be able to make better music together.

We would like to thank our band director, Mr Chong Wai Mun for guiding us throughout this journey, teacher advisors, the Alumni and not to forget our very own bandsmen.

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by,

Siew King Sam and

Isaac Yaw

MMB-JPN Exchange Programme 2018

2018-07-19T22:27:00.001+08:00

On the 18th of June 2018, 13 bandsmen flew to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan to participate in an Exchange Programme in Saitama Prefecture.We were graciously hosted by Fudooka High School. The main purpose of this programme is to expose the bandsmen to a whole new atmosphere, enhance music playing and also to exchange culture and traditions between two countries.
2018年6月18日、13人のバンドマンが日本に飛んで、埼玉県の交流プログラムに参加しました。それは不動岡高等学校が主催しました。このプログラムの主な目的は、いつもと違うまったく新しい雰囲気の中で、音楽演奏を強化し、両国間の文化や伝統を交換することです。

18/6/2018 - Monday - 2:30 p.m. - The bandsmen arrived at SMK St. Michael Ipoh with their luggage and gathered at the school parlour. Final checks were made by the Assistant Band Leader, Master Ahmad Farhan. We loaded our luggage onto the shuttle bus and waved goodbye to our parents. All of us were indeed excited and thrilled for the trip. We were all set to depart! The journey to KLIA was a little rough as the traffic was bad due to the Hari Raya holidays and it took us around 6 hours to arrive at the airport.
2018年6月18日月曜日 PM2:30バンドの仲間は私たちの学校、SMK St. Michael Ipoh に荷物を持って到着し、学校のホールに集まりました。最終チェックはアシスタントバンドリーダーの、Master Ahmad Farhan が行いました。私たちは荷物をシャトルバスに積み込み、両親にさよならを言いました。私たち全員がその旅に本当にワクワクして、興奮していました。出発する準備は完璧にできていました！Hari Raya の休暇のせいで交通が混雑し、空港に到着するのに６時間ほどかかったのでクアラルンプール国際空港への旅は少し大変でした。

9:00 p.m. - KLIA, Kuala Lumpur - We met up with our band director, Mr Chong Wai Mun and Mr Lester Lim (facilitator) at the airport. Hurriedly, we checked in our luggage as we were running late. We took a quick bite before boarding the plane. Around 7:30 a.m.(local time), we finally landed in Japan. Although the flight was a rough one due to turbulence, everyone was filled with enthusiasm and were looking forward to meeting the Fudooka students. PM9:00 - KLIA、クアラルンプール - 私たちはバンドディレクターである Chong Wai Mun 先生と Lester Lim さん（指揮者）と空港でお会いしました。私たちは遅れていたので、急いで荷物を確認し、飛行機に乗る前に素早く食事を済ませました。午前7時30分ごろ（現地時間）、私たちはついに日本に到着しました。飛行機の乱れのためにフライトは大変でしたが、誰もがやる気に満ちていて、不動岡高校の皆さんと会うのを楽しみにしていました。

We travelled by train to Saitama (Kazo Station) and continued on foot to Fudooka High School. We were very impressed with the highly efficient train network system in Japan! The school was about 20 minutes' walk from the station. At around 10 a.m., we arrived at the school and was welcomed by Mr. Kazuaki Kaneko, the band director of the Fudooka Wind Orchestra (FWO) and of course the students.
私たちは電車で埼玉（加須駅）まで行き、不動岡高校まで歩いて行きました。日本のとても効率的な電車の運営システムに非常に感銘を受けました！学校は駅から歩いて約20分のところにありました。午前10時ごろ、私たちは学校に着いて、不動岡高校吹奏楽部（FWO）のバンドディレクターの金子和明先生と、学生の皆さんに出迎えられました。

We had our lunch with the FWO members and introduced ourselves.

私たちはFWOのメンバーとランチをし、自己紹介をしました。

Next agenda on the list was sectional practice.

次は、パート練習でした。

We were guided by the FWO members to the practice room. All of us were impressed with the conducive environment of the practice room and the number of students there. The surrounding was so quiet even though there was around 70 students. The first practice session of the day started at around 3 p.m.. We were separated according to our instruments and were brought to our respective practice venues. We got to exchange our warm-up exercises and knowledge.
FWOのメンバーが私たちを練習室に連れて行ってくれました。私たち全員は、練習のしやすい環境とそこにいる生徒の数にびっくりしました。70人近くの学生がいたにもかかわらず、周囲はとても静かでした。その日の最初の練習は午後3時ごろに開始しました。私たちは楽器にごとに、それぞれの練習場所に行きました。私たちは基礎練習のやり方と知識を交換しました。

After that, we were rushed by the FWO members to join the first ensemble of the one week long programme. This is when we first noticed the insane efficiency and accuracy of the Japanese as punctuality is an utmost priority in Japan! We combined with FWO and rehearsed two songs which were Irama Medley Melayu (arranged by Keiichi Kurokawa) and The Sun Will Rise Again (composed by Philip Sparke). We were set to perform these two songs at the Saitama Prefecture Wind Band Festival, held on 24 June 2018. After that, we had bento as dinner in the school itself with our newly-met friends and ended the day.
その後、私たちはFWOのメンバーとこの一週間の長いプログラムの最初の合奏に参加するように急ぎました。この時、日本人の並外れた効率と正確さにおいて、時間厳守が日本では最優先事項であることに私は初めて気づきました！私たちはFWOの皆さんと合流し、Irama Medley Melayu（黒川圭一編曲）とSun Will Rise Again（Philip Sparke作曲）の2曲をリハーサルしました。私たちはこの2曲を2018年6月24日に開催された埼玉県吹奏楽フェスティバルで演奏しました。その後、学校で新しい友達と夕食にお弁当を食べて、その日は終わりました。

Throughout the following five days , we visited a lot of places around Saitama and also Tokyo. First, we went to the Hikawa Shrine in Omiya-ku, Saitama. It was raining quite heavily that morning but thankfully we came prepared with umbrellas! The Hikawa Shrine is a Shinto shrine surrounded by a large park with cherry blossom trees.Unfortunately, we couldn’t witness the bloom of these beautiful trees. Hopefully we will be able to in the future! A big thank you to Mr. Kasaoka Tsuneyoshi for his explanation about the traditional religion of Japan, Shinto. We learnt a lot about Shintoism that day. Besides, we also visited the famous Oshi Castle and also the Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore.

次の5日間、埼玉や東京の多くの場所を訪れました。まず、埼玉県大宮市の氷川神社に行きました。その朝はかなり雨が降っていましたが、ありがたいことに傘がありました！氷川神社は、桜の木々のある大きな公園に囲まれた神社です。残念なことに、その美しい木が咲いているのを見ることはできませんでした。うまくいけば、私たちはいつかそれを見ることができるでしょう！日本の伝統的な宗教である神道の説明をしてくださった笠岡先生に感謝します。その日、私たちは神道について多くのことを学びました。また、有名なお城や埼玉県歴史民俗資料館も見学しました。

Oshi Castle in Gyoda, Saitama - 埼玉県行田市忍城

Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore - 埼玉県歴史民俗博物館

After lunch, we visited Nakamoto Elementary School, which is situated in Urawa-ku, Saitama. We were shocked by how disciplined the students (aged 9-12) are and the eagerness in them to learn. We got the opportunity to share with them our basic American Marching techniques followed by a simple display of marching formation that we have prepared. Although the sharing session lasted for only 30 minutes, they were able to grasp everything that was shared. The main idea of the session was to elevate the spirit of these students whilst they were preparing for the upcoming marching band display event.

昼食後、埼玉県浦和区にある中本小学校を訪問しました。私たちは、小学生（9〜12歳）の練習方法、そして彼らが学ぶことに熱心なことに衝撃を受けました。私たちは、私たちが準備したマーチングの隊形を彼らに見せ、アメリカのマーチング技法を彼らに教えました。交換交流はわずか30分で終了しましたが、彼らは私たちが交換したすべてを覚えていました。この交流の主な目的は、今後のマーチングバンドのイベントを準備したことで、彼らの気持ちを高めることでした。

After that, we were delighted to be able to witness their ensemble practice.The students took only 10 minutes to set up an ensemble despite being so young! This was indeed eye-opening because in Malaysia, elementary (primary) school bands are not common. Besides, the level of attention they showed to their sensei (teacher) is beyond their age.
その後、私たちは彼らの合奏に立ち会うことができてとても嬉しかったです。彼らはとても幼いにもかかわらず、合奏の準備に10分しかかかりませんでした。マレーシアでは、小学校の学校のバンドが一般的ではないため、これは本当に目を引くものでした。また、彼らの先生（教師）が彼らに要求した注意のレベルは、小学生の年齢以上のものでした。

On the fourth day of the trip, we started our day at 6:30 a.m.. We were extremely excited as we are going to experience one of the highlights of the trip, which is to join their academic classes like a local student! We had our breakfast at the nearby Lawson convenience store, and headed back to Fudooka High School. After breakfast, we gathered outside the school hostel and were separated according to our age. Each bandsman was then brought to their class by their respective FWO buddy.

この旅の4日目は、朝6時30分に始まりました。私たちはこの旅の思い出の１つ、地元の生徒のように彼らの授業に参加することにとてもワクワクしていました！私たちは朝ごはんを近くのコンビニのローソンで買って、不動岡高校に戻りました。朝食後、私たちは学校の合宿所の外に集まり、年齢に応じて分かれました。FWOのメンバーが、私たちをそれぞれのクラスに連れて行きました。

We started our class by introducing ourselves to the students and teachers and we were greeted graciously by the students there. The classrooms were so clean and tidy! In Japanese schools, each period (slot) lasts for 50 minutes and between one period and the next, there is a short break of 10 minutes. This short break allows students to refresh and get ready for the next period.

私たちの授業は、自己紹介で始まりました。私たちはそこの生徒たちと挨拶を交わしました。教室はきちんとしていてきれいでした！日本の学校では、各授業（スロット）は50分、授業と授業の間は10分の短い休憩があります。この休憩で生徒たちは次の授業の準備をし、リフレッシュします。

Fudooka High School is equipped with state of the art facilities such as tennis courts, a football field, a swimming pool and also an indoor gymnasium (for basketball, badminton,etc.). These facilities that they have really provides them with plenty of choices of co-curricular activities.

不動岡高校には、テニスコート、サッカー場、スイミングプール、体育館（バスケットボール、バドミントンなどができます）など多くの最先端の施設があります。不動岡高校にあるこれらの施設のおかげで、生徒たちはたくさんの活動の選択ができます。

School ended at 12:30 p.m. and the students started cleaning their classes by themselves and when they were asked as to why they were doing that, they said that it is their daily school routine. These are the clear major differences between our education systems that we could experience and for this, we are really grateful to the Fudooka High School teachers and administrators for allowing us to join the academic classes for a day and truly experience what it is like to be a Japanese student.

学校は12:30に終了しました。生徒たちは自分で教室の掃除を始めました。なぜ掃除をしているの？と聞くと、彼らは毎日の習慣です。と言いました。これらは、私たちが体験した教育システムの明確な違いです。私たちは、私たちに日本人の生徒のような体験をさせてくださった不動岡高校の先生や管理者の方々にとても感謝しています。

After lunch, was our ensemble session with the FWO members which lasted until 5:30 p.m. Then, we had a short presentation on the races, culture and religions in our country, Malaysia and also on our alma mater, St. Michael's Institution.
昼食後、午後5時30分までFWOメンバーとの合奏が行われました。その後、我が国マレーシアの人種、文化、宗教、そしてSMIについて簡単に発表しました。

Right after the presentation, we were grouped into pairs where we were assigned to different hosting families of FWO members. There was a total of 7 families whom have hosted us for 2 nights generously! The purpose of this was for us to experience the culture and lifestyle of the locals. However, the language barrier did not stop them to make us feel very much at home. We exchanged culture and traditions and also got to share with them our national language, Bahasa Melayu! Of course we learnt a bit of Japanese as well! Thank you very much to all whom have hosted us!

プレゼンテーションのすぐ後、私たちはペアになり、それぞれにFWOメンバーとホストファミリーが割り当てられました。合計７家族が、私たちを寛大にもてなしてくださいました。ホームステイの目的は、私たちが地元の人々の文化や生活を体験することでした。しかし、言葉の壁は全く気になりませんでした。私たちは文化や伝統を交換し、またマレー語を教えました！もちろん、日本語も少し勉強しました！私たちをもてなしてくださった皆さん、本当にありがとうございました！

The following day, we followed our respective hosting buddies to Kazo Station. They went on to school while we met up with our director, teachers and other bandsmen there. We then head off to our next destination for cultural study which is the Sakitama Kofun Burial Park in Gyoda. "Kofun" is the Japanese word for ancient burial mound. Surrounded by trees and plants, the burial park was very beautiful and zen-like. There are a total of 9 burial mounds or "Kofun" located there.

翌日、私たちはそれぞれのバディとKazo駅に着きました。私たちがディレクター、先生、その他のバンドと会っている間、彼らは学校で勉強をしていました。その後、文化の勉強のために次の目的地、行田市のさきたま古墳公園に向かいました。「古墳」はancient burial moundの日本語です。樹木や植物に囲まれた古墳公園はとても美しく、とても平和で、禅がありました。そこには全部で9つの古墳があります。

At about 2:30 p.m., we headed back to Fudooka High School and had our last rehearsal before the performance on Sunday. It was a very productive day as we were able to enhance our ways of breathing, warm-ups techniques, singing and many more. The session ended at around 5:30 p.m. and once again, we followed our respective buddies home. It was our last day with our hosting families.
午後2時半ごろ、不動岡高校に戻り、日曜日の演奏前の最後の合奏を行いました。私たちは呼吸の仕方、新しいウォームアップの方法、歌など、私たちの技術を強化することができたので、非常に有意義な日でした。合奏は午後5時30分に終わり、再び私たちはそれぞれのバディの家に行きました。私たちのホストファミリーとの最後の一日でした。

The next morning, we assembled at Kazo Station yet again. Kazo Station has become our unofficial rendezvous point throughout the trip.

Off to Tokyo! We were excited and thrilled to visit the capital of Japan! It was a long 2-hour train journey there. When we first arrived, we were shocked at how fast paced the city is and struggled to keep up with it. Everyone seemed to be walking at the speed of light and people seem to be coming from all directions! Moreover, it was drizzling!
翌朝、加須駅で再び集合しました。
東京へ！私たちは日本の首都を訪れることに、興奮してワクワクしました！それは長い2時間の列車の旅でした。私たちが最初に到着したとき、私たちは都市の歩調が早いことにショックを受け、それに追いつくために苦労しました。誰もが光の速度で歩いているように見え、人々はあらゆる方向から来ているようでした！しかもその時、霧雨でした！

Our first destination was the famous Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. We were able to see the whole of Tokyo from the 45th floor and the panoramic view was splendid!

最初の目的地は有名な東京都庁でした。 45階から東京全体を見ることができ、パノラマの景色は素晴らしかったです！

We went to the Tokyo Opera City Tower, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo after that. We were to attend a subscription concert by the world renowned Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra! The members were more than thrilled as it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a concert by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Moreover, the orchestra performed a piece arranged by Mr. Keiichi Kurokawa, our very own facilitator for this exchange programme! Words can’t describe the magnificence of their performance. The concert left us all speechless and stunned! It was beautiful and truly amazing! Sugo ī !!!!

The concert ended at around 4:30 p.m.. At about 6:30 p.m., we went back to Fudooka High School by train.
その後、新宿にある東京オペラシティタワーに行きました。世界的に有名なTokyo Kosei Wind Orchestraによるコンサートに行きました！メンバーは東京佼成ウインドオーケストラによるコンサートを見る機会に心から感動しました。さらに、オーケストラは、この旅をサポートしてくださった黒川圭一氏がアレンジした作品を演奏しました！言葉ではそのパフォーマンスの壮大さを表せません。コンサートは、私たち全員が何も言えずに唖然としました！それは美しく、本当に素晴らしかったです！Sugoī!!!!

コンサートは午後4時30分に終わりました。午後6時30分頃、電車で不動岡高校に戻りました。

6:30 a.m. the following day - Members got themselves ready and loaded their instruments onto the truck. Ready and set to leave to the Kuki Hall for the performance! On the way to the hall, we grabbed ourselves some breakfast at the nearby convenience store. A warm-up exercise was conducted by the FWO Concert Master. We were surprised by their warm-up exercises as it involved a lot more of breathing and singing exercises rather than playing instruments. We feel that it is very effective to relax the embouchure before playing.
次の日の午前6時30分〜メンバーは準備を終え、楽器をトラックに積みました。演奏のために久喜ホールへ出発する準備が整いました！ホールへ向かう途中、私たちは近くのコンビニで朝食を買いました。ウォームアップ運動は、FWOコンサートマスターによって行われました。私たちはウォーミングアップの練習に驚いていました。楽器を演奏するよりももっと多くの呼吸をし、歌を歌っていたからです。演奏前にアンブシュアをリラックスさせることは非常に効果的だと感じています。

We headed into the standby room for soundcheck with Mr. Kaneko and Mr. Chong. Performance time came soon after soundcheck! An audience comprising of wind orchestra members of other schools and ordinary students surely did make us feel nervous. The performance ended well and we left the stage with no regrets. We then took some photos together and witnessed performances from the other school bands, including the FWO senior band. The event came to an end at about 4 p.m..
私たちは金子先生とMr.Chongとのチューニングのためにリハーサル室に向かいました。演奏時間はチューニング後すぐに来ました！お客さんであった、他の学校の生徒や一般の人は、確実に私たちを緊張させました。パフォーマンスはうまく終わり、後悔もなくステージを離れました。その後いくつかの写真を撮り、FWOの上級生を含む、他の学校の演奏を見ました。これは4時ごろに終わりました。

The Fudooka Wind Orchestra organised a farewell party for us as it was our last day in Japan. We were so touched by their act. Speeches were given by the band leaders of both schools as well as by the directors, facilitators and the teachers who were vital in making this trip a success.
FWOは、私たちが日本での最後の日だったので、お別れのパーティーを開いてくれました。私たちは彼らの行動にとても感銘を受けました。演説は、両方の学校の部長だけでなく、この旅を成功させるために不可欠だった取締役、手伝ってくださった方々、先生たちによっても行われました。

We exchanged gifts and had some snacks together. The party ended at 6 p.m..

私たちはプレゼントを交換し、一緒に軽食を食べました。パーティーは6時に終了しました。

After that, we bid farewell to the wonderful people of FWO as it was the last meeting. Some of the FWO members stayed in school that night even though they have school to attend on the next day. As soon as we arrived in Fudooka High School, we packed our luggage for our flight back home tomorrow morning. Then, we had some fun time with them playing badminton, basketball and even watching the FIFA World Cup match. Japan played Senegal that night! We cheered Japan on with the rest of the FWO members! Ganbatte!!

その後、最後の集まりだったので、FWOのすばらしい皆さんに別れを告げました。FWOのメンバーの一部は、翌日に学校があるにもかかわらず、その夜学校に一緒に泊まりました。不動岡高校に着くとすぐ、私たちは翌朝のフライトのために荷物を詰めました。その後、バドミントン、バスケットボール、FIFAワールドカップの試合を観戦して楽しい時間を過ごしました。日本はその夜セネガルと戦いました。一緒に泊まったFWOメンバーと日本を応援しました！Ganbatteh!!

It was truly a memorable night for all of us. After the game, some went to sleep while some of us stayed up all night playing games! We introduced our traditional MMB game, “Truth or Dare” to them and played until the Sun rose! It was very unique experience for MMB bandsmen as this game was usually only played amongst batchmates. Not only that, it was the first time we ever played this game with members from other bands!
それは本当に私たち全員にとって記憶に残る夜でした。試合の後、私たちの何人かが夜中にゲームをしている間に、その他はは眠りについていた！伝統的なMMBのゲーム「Truth or Dare」を彼らに紹介し、日が昇るまでやりました。このゲームは普段同級生間で行われていたので、MMBの部員にとっては非常に変わった体験でした。それだけでなく、他のバンドの生徒とこのゲームをしたのは初めてでした！

The final day: We set out on foot to our rendezvous point at 4 in the morning. The FWO members who stayed in school followed us to the station. It was a very sad and memorable day. We thanked everyone for being so kind and caring to us. Tears were shed by members of both the MMB and FWO. We hugged and said our goodbyes one last time! We vowed to see each other again in the future!

We left Kazo Station and arrived at Narita International Airport, Tokyo at about 8 p.m. and boarded our plane back to KLIA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for all of us!

最終日：午前4時には、加須駅まで徒歩で出発しました。学校に泊まっていたFWOのメンバーは私たちを駅に連れて行きました。この日は非常に悲しく、思い出深い日でした。とても親切に気を配ってくださった皆さんに感謝しました。MMBとFWO 両方のメンバーが涙を流しました。我々は最後にハグをして、さようならを言いました！私たちは将来もう一度会うことを約束しました！私たちは、加須駅を出て、東京の成田国際空港に午前8時ごろ到着しました。そしてKLIA、クアラルンプール、マレーシアに戻る飛行機に乗り込みました。

この旅は私たち一人一人にとって、本当に人生で一度きりの経験でした！

We would like to show our appreciation to the teachers, students of the Fudooka Wind Orchestra, Mr. Kasaoka Tsuneyoshi, Mr. Keiichi Kurokawa, Mr. Kazuaki Kaneko, Mr. Lester Lim, Mr. Chong Wai Mun and also Mr. Liew Boon Keat and Mrs. Anthonyamah!

Without them, this event would not cease to exist.

We hope that Mr. Kaneko and the Fudooka Wind Orchestra can visit us in Ipoh, Malaysia next year in 2019!

不動岡高校吹奏楽部の生徒、笠岡恒純先生、黒川圭一先生、金子和明先生、Mr.Lester、Mr.Chong、そしてMr.Liew、Mrs.Anthonyamah に感謝します。

この方々がいなければ、この出来事はなかったでしょう。

私たちは、来年 2019年にマレーシアのIpohで金子先生とFWOにまた会えることを願っています。

Terima Kasih!

ありがとうございました!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Siew King Sam and Timothy Ooi,

Translated into Japanese by Rico Hoshi,

Edited by Shaun Lim.

Leadership Training Camp 2017

2018-01-27T20:24:00.001+08:00

Saturday, 2nd of December 2017 - A camp was held at our alma mater which was organised by the alumni team of the Michaelian Military Band. The bandsmen were excited and looking forward to the camp. The camp started off with an introduction in the hall. The bandsmen were gathered and separated into their respective dorms.

The first agenda on the list , bandsmen were required to design a flag (sort of a coat of arms) according to their teams (dorms). Then, a presentation was held, based on the design and meaning of their flags.

Throughout the camp, several games were conducted to emphasise on enhancing communication skills, teamwork and ultimately, leadership were shown.

The first day ended with a talk by Mr. Shaun Lim, mainly about time management. The next morning , Mr. Yew Da Sheng kicked off the day with a talk focusing on characteristics of leaders. After that was a talk by Mr. David Aleksander Lopez which was then followed by Mr. Tan Tihn Chern's talk on his experience during his days in the band.

The camp came to an end on the third morning. During the closing ceremony, bandsmen were requested to share their experience throughout the camp. There was also a prize giving ceremony. The best dorm was called up to the stage and each member was awarded a certificate for their dedication throughout the 3 days.

We hope that the bandsmen learnt a lot throughout the Leadership Training Camp (LTC) and will apply the values learnt in the days to come. We would also like to thank our band director, Mr. Chong Wai Mun for giving us this opportunity to experience a camp like this and Mr. Yew Da Sheng and his dedicated team for organising this camp.

LTC 2017 Slideshow: http://bit.ly/2nbJpel

Camp Organising Committees:

Advisor: Mr. Chong Wai Mun

Chairman: Mr. Yew Da Sheng

Vice Chairman: Mr. Shaun Lim Wei Wen

Treasurer: Mr. Lee Shun Jie

Program Coordinator: Yik Jing Loong

Participant Coordinator: David Aleksander Lopez

Games Master: Liew Yoon Hong, Jagroop Singh

Catering Leader: Yeong Zheng Nam

With Pride Shall We March!

espressivo 2017

2017-09-24T20:18:00.000+08:00

Saturday, 1st of April 2017 - That night changed the course of the Michaelian Military Band. The weeks leading up to espressivo were anything but easy, but the bandsmen came together and put forward music that left the crowd in awe. The preparation towards this concert was one of the most rushed that the bandsmen of the past and present have ever experienced. Every ensemble and sectional practice were crucial. As time waits for no man, the bandsmen had to sacrifice their own to put forward something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

The concert’s repertoire showcased an array of lively and expressive pieces. The conductors, Mr. Kasaoka Tsuneyoshi, Mr. Yeap Meng Hon, Mr. Lau Meng Yong and the band’s very own Mr. Chong Wai Mun, brought the best out of the bandsmen!

Sixth form students from St. Michael’s Institution also contributed to the evening, taking up the vocals on our final piece, We Are The World. In keeping with tradition, the band played the School Rally to seal the night on a high! Mr. Keichii Kurakawa’s magnificent rendition of the school rallly, O’ Donnell Abu, was the highlight for Lasallians in the audience. O' Donell Abu is an Irish folk song. It was later adopted as our school rally by Brother Marcian Cullen. Thank you Mr. Kurokawa for arranging this extraordinary piece!

That made all the months of tireless practice and dedication worth it. The Michaelian Military Band had pleased the crowd, giving them a night they would never forget. We walked away with something even greater than the satisfaction of putting on a great show, and that was realisation, that we truly love what we do.
The bandsmen left the stage with no regrets that night, and we never looked back. espressivo set the pace for our future performances, and the ones yet to come. Keep watch on The Saints, because the Michaelian Military Band is soaring to greater heights!

All credits go to Mr. Kasaoka Tsuneyoshi, Mr. Yeap Meng Hon, Mr. Lau Meng Yong and Mr. Chong Wai Mun for guiding the band towards this concert. The bandsmen had realised one thing which was, sometimes its the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.

With Pride Shall We March!

Merdeka 2017

2017-09-16T20:13:00.000+08:00

On the 31st of August 2017, the Michaelian Military Band was ready to put on a show to the people of Ipoh to celebrate Malaysia's 60th Independence Day Parade. Spirits were high as the fifty-one members stood in line. This year, we were the first band to march to lead the contingents of the parade. “Set the bar high,” said Master Mohnish Sarveswaran, our newly elected Band Leader.

Before long, the first of the contingents were marching off the field. The band took its first step in unison — and the rest came naturally. It was a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, following the signals but most important of all, marching with pride.

The parade was an incredible experience for all the members. To many, it was their first time marching to a crowd, much less in the presence of the Sultan of Perak. Leading the band was our skilled drum major, Master Fakhriz Ammar, who had been practicing tenfold for the event. It all came down to a matter of seconds — the mace was tossed into the air. If the bandsmen weren’t in the midst of playing “Jalur Gemilang”, they most certainly who have held their breath. The crowd applaud as we were marching at the grand stand!

The band marched on, the sound of cheering from the Grand Stand echoing behind us. This year, the practice involved a lot of new techniques that strengthens the fundamentals of marching. All those months of practice were worth it.
How did we know? It became clear when spectators praised us.

Of course, the band has a lot of rooms for improvement. The band currently comprises of a majority of juniors (Form 1 and 2) and are eager to learn and improve more. With new techniques being introduced by our band director, Mr Chong Wai Mun, the band will surely soar in the near future.

With Pride Shall We March!

Annual General Meeting 2017

2017-07-30T10:11:00.001+08:00

Annual General Meeting 2017/2018

Saturday, 29/7/2017 - The Michaelian Military Band had their Annual General Meeting for the term 2017 /2018. The morning started off with our usual warm-up rounds and stretching. Then, we adjourned to the hall for the meeting. We kicked off our meeting with the past term 2016/2017 EXCO reports beginning with the Secretary and ending with the Band Leader’s speech.

We then took a 10 minutes break to freshen up before we moved on to our next agenda which is a video presentation made by Master Siew King Sam and Master Timothy Ooi. The video consisted of our activities and events that had been carried out during the last term.Later on, we moved on to the speech by our band instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun, on the events and activities that lie ahead. He wished the next EXCO board the best of luck to bring up the band to greater heights. It was a very inspiring speech from the great man.
Finally, what the whole band has been waiting for, the new EXCO of the term 2017/2018. The feeling of eagerness was gaining momentum. Now let us look at the EXCO board of term 2016/2017 before moving on to the newly announced EXCO board.

EXCO 2016/2017

Band Leader: Yik Jing Loong
Asst. Band Leader: Shaun Lim
Secretary: Benedict Sia
Treasurer: Chastan Nevin Gabriel

Uniform Officers: Amierul Hasriel, Siew King Sam
Instrument Officers: Thong Enn Syuen, Anselm Francis
Bandroom Officers: Cohen Cheong, Lim Sheak Mun
Librarians: Nawaliq Haziq, Isaac Yaw
Marching Officer: Chastan Nevin Gabriel
Welfare Officers: Jagroop Singh, Enrico Ooi
Publicity Officers: Shaun Lim, Siew King Sam

Trumpet & Horn Section Leader: Nawaliq Haziq
Lower Brass Section Leader: Benedict Sia
Woodwind Section Leader: Darveen Nair
Percussion Section Leader: Danysh Nazhan

Concert Master: Yik Jing Loong
Drum Majors: Fakhriz Ammar, Sarvess Ganesan
Recruit Officers: Ahmad Farhan

We would like to thank the EXCO board of 2016/2017 for all the hard work and contribution!
Now, let us move on to the newly announced EXCO board.

EXCO 2017/2018

Band Leader: Mohnish Sarveswaran

Assistant Band Leader: Ahmad Farhan

Secretary: Isaac Yaw

Treasurer: Koong Wai Yin

Brass Section Leader: Ahmad Farhan

Woodwind Section Leader: Mohnish Sarveswaran

Percussion Section Leader: Koong Wai Yin

Uniform Officers: Ishwarjeet Singh, Nick Liew

Instrument Officers: Maverick Chan, Anselm Francis

Bandroom Officers: Siew King Sam, Ahmad Farhan

Librarians: Pravin Parram, Koong Wai Yin

Publicity Officer: Siew King Sam
Timothy Ooi (Assistant)

Marching Officer: Amierul Hasriel

Concert Master: Isaac Yaw

Drum Majors: Fakhriz Ammar, Caven Sua

Recruit Officers: Pirabakaran, Yishvan Palani

One by one, the past EXCO members came up to hand over their post to their successors. To put the icing on the cake, the newly appointed Band Leader of the Michaelian Military Band, Master Mohnish Sarveswaran came up to deliver his speech. He thanked the past committee especially the Band Leader and Assistant Band Leader for building the band and and also for all the encouragement that made him who he is today.

The meeting was then adjourned with the School Rally being sung.

Good luck and all the best to the new board and we hope that they will bring the band to greater heights!

-With Pride Shall We March! #mmbsmi

Annual General Meeting 2016

2016-06-28T15:58:00.000+08:00

The Annual General Meeting was held on the 26th of June 2016 in the school hall.The meeting was held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..The meeting commenced with the presentation of annual reports by the EXCO's of term 2015/16.

There was a 15 minute interval in-between the meeting. After that, the meeting resumed with the presentation of reports by the remaining EXCOs. Next, the meeting proceeded on with the video session, a video that displays the events and the achievements for the term 2015/16, presented by the Publicity Officer.

After the video session, our instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun, gave a speech to encourage the bandsmen to prepare for an upcoming exciting term by equipping themselves with great knowledge and skill. He told the recruits what being the band is all about. He gave a few hints to the recruits on what is on their way for the upcoming term.

Then, we had a matters arising session that is open to all the bandsmen for discussion.

Next, it was the handover of duties to the new EXCO board. Now, let's look at the EXCO Board of term 2015/16 before we move on to the newly announced EXCO Board.

EXCO 2015/16:
Band Leader: David Lopez
Chief Recruit Officer: Benedict Sia
Drum Major/Marching Officer: Chuah Hock Hwa
Secretary: Yik Jing Loong
Treasurer: Yeong Zheng Nam

Quartermasters:
Uniform Officers: Jagroop Singh, Darveen Nair
Instrument Officers: Nadzrul Kamal, Danysh Nazhan
Bandroom Officers: Hafiz Hazman, Cohen Cheong

Librarians:
Lye Jun Cheng (Leader)
Nawaliq Haziq (Asst. : Brass)
Megat Zulkarnain (Asst. : Woodwind)
Yik Jing Loong (Asst. : Percussion)

Section Principals:
Nadzrul Kamal (Woodwind)
Yeong Zheng Nam (Brass)
Chastan Gabriel (Percussion)

Publicity Officer: Shaun Lim

Concert Master: Chuah Hock Hwa
Recruit Officers: Mohnish Sarveswaran, Anselm Francis

We would like to thank the EXCO 2015/16 for their hard work and contributions towards the band. Well done!

Now, the newly announce board of term 2016/17.

EXCO 2016/17:
Band Leader: Yik Jing Loong
Asst. Band Leader: Shaun Lim
Secretary: Benedict Sia
Treasurer: Chastan Nevin Gabriel

Uniform Officers: Amierul Hasriel, Siew King Sam
Instrument Officers: Thong Enn Syuen, Anselm Francis
Bandroom Officers: Cohen Cheong, Lim Sheak Mun
Librarians: Nawaliq Haziq, Isaac Yaw
Marching Officer: Chastan Nevin Gabriel
Welfare Officers: Jagroop Singh, Enrico Ooi
Publicity Officers: Shaun Lim, Siew King Sam

Trumpet & Horn Section Leader: Nawaliq Haziq
Lower Brass Section Leader: Benedict Sia
Woodwind Section Leader: Darveen Nair
Percussion Section Leader: Danysh Nazhan

Concert Master: Yik Jing Loong
Drum Majors: Fakhriz Ammar, Sarvess Ganesan
Recruit Officers: Ahmad Farhan, Kalvinren Gopalan

We would like to congratulate the incoming EXCO 2016/17 and hope that they will strive to bring the band to greater heights!

With Pride Shall We March!

Alumni's Flashback: Jeffrey Cheong Kok Yew

2015-08-02T11:36:00.000+08:00

Jeffrey Cheong Kok Yew - currently working as a medical representative.

Jeffrey Cheong Kok Yew

Describe what's like being in the band during your time.

It’s fun but tough. We have to learned to play the instruments and music by ourselves during my years because we didn't had an instructor. We were taught to play by our seniors. The band was at the down side during my years but we manage to uphold our spirit and discipline to strive for the best.

Jeffrey Cheong at the Merdeka Parade 1993

What's the best/proudest moment/achievement you've experienced.
Well I guess my proudest moment was during the Merdeka Parade in 1994. I was invited back to play with the band and we emerge the Runner’s up for that year. I’m grateful and honoured to have the band played in my wedding in 1999. It was such an unforgettable day of my life. I guess many members that performed in my wedding will remember that day. To those members who performed in my wedding, again I say thank you.

Jeffrey Cheong and the band at his wedding in 1999

How was the training sessions like back then?

The training was tough. We do a lot of physical training and punishment was a scary stuff. We have minimal formal music training and most of us don’t read music. So most of the time we play depending on our hearing and play by memorising the music.

Merdeka Parade in 1993

Your role models, or the people you look up to in the band. Why?

During my years in the band I looked up to Ho Hock Doong. He is very talented in music, a great senior and leader of the band. He inspired me a lot (I think he doesn’t know) especially his commitment towards the band, his dedication and perfection towards music. He introduce and encourage me to listen to classical music and I’m still loving it today.

Later years, I was grateful to have known Ooi Liang Hin, Francis Yap, Iskandar Shahrim & Chew Keng Huei. They have inspired me to continue to care for the band even I have left school. From then on we have been best of friends.

Jeffrey Cheong (centre) at the MSSPK 1991

Are you still involved in music?

Yes I am. Currently I’m a percussionist in the Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra. Music has always been in my life.

Do you reminisce about the days you were in the band?

Yes I do. Thinking back my days in MMB still bring a smile on my face. How I wish I can be in the band forever and never left (some say I never left). Seeing the band perform every time reminds me the days I was performing.

Jeffrey Cheong in his band uniform for his pre-wedding photo

Message to the current band members.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the current member for choosing to join MMB. Being in MMB is something that nobody can take away from you. The music skill you learned will be with you forever. The discipline you learned and character you built during these few years will be an asset to you in your adult life. Being a member in MMB, you need to strive and work hard to make MMB great. You need to appreciate what you have now but must not be complacent. Work hard together with your seniors, juniors and especially your instructor Mr. Chong. You guys are lucky to have a great instructor like him. Lastly, play hard and study hard!

With Pride Shall We March!

Jeffrey Cheong Kok Yew

Percussionist, (1988-1992)

Annual General Meeting 2015

2015-06-28T19:20:00.000+08:00

The Michaelian Military Band's Annual General Meeting 2015 was held on 27th of June 2015 in a classroom. The meeting started at 10 am. The meeting began with the presentation of reports from the EXCOs' of term 2014/2015.

Then the meeting moved on to the video session that presented the achievements and moments shared by our fellow bandsmen throughout the term of 2014/2015. This video surely has brought back a lot of memories even though it was just moments from a year ago.After the video session, the meeting continued with a speech from our instructor, Mr. Chong Wai Mun.Then, we had a session to discuss about matters arising in the band that is open to all. After that was the interval of fifteen minutes.

After the interval, the meeting proceeded with the handover of duties to the new EXCO Board. Now, let's look at the EXCO Board of term 2014/2015 before we move on to the newly announced EXCO Board.

EXCO 2014/15
Band Leader : Yew Da Sheng
Asst. Band Leader : Krithan Santhana
Secretary : Brian Ray Siew
Treasurer : Liew Yoon Hong

Uniform Officers : David Lopez, Hafiz Hazman
Instrument Officers : Yong Mun Fei, Nadzrul Kamal
Librarians : Foong Soon Hong, Yeong Zheng Nam
Marching Officer : Krithan Santana
Publicity Officer : Yew Da Sheng
Bandroom Officer : Vesnuraj

Woodwind Section Principal : Yew Da Sheng
Brass Section Principal : Teo Boon Tao
Percussion Section Principal : Foong Soon Hong, Chastan Gabriel

Concert Master : Yew Da Sheng
Drum Major : Chuah Hock Hwa
Recruit Officers : Benedict Sia, Yik Jing Loong

We would like to thank the excellent board of term 2014/2015 for their hardwork and commitment towards the band. Well done!
Now, the newly announce EXCO Board for term 2015/2016.

EXCO 2015/2016
Band Leader: David Lopez
Chief Recruit Officer: Benedict Sia
Drum Major / Marching Officer: Chuah Hock Hwa
Secretary: Yik Jing Loong
Treasurer: Yeong Zheng Nam

Quartermasters:
Uniform Officers: Jagroop Singh & Darveen Nair
Instruments Officers: Nadzrul Kamal & Danysh Nazhan
Bandroom Officers: Hafiz Hazman & Cohen Cheong

Librarians:
Lye Jun Cheng (Leader)
Nawaliq Haziq (Assistant: Brass)
Megat Zulkarnain (Assistant: Percussion)
Yik Jing Loong (Assistant: Woodwind)

Section Principals:
Nadzrul Kamal (Woodwind)
Yeong Zheng Nam (Brass)
Chastan Gabriel (Percussion)

Publicity Officer: Shaun Lim

Concert Master: Chuah Hock Hwa
Recruit Officers: Mohnish Sarveswaran & Anselm Francis

We would like to congratulate the new EXCO Board for term 2015/2016 and we also hope that they will do their best to bring the Michaelian Military Band to greater heights!

With Pride Shall We March!

Concert Under the Stars 2015

2015-01-25T21:08:00.000+08:00

A new year has started and the Michaelian Military Band presents "Concert Under the Stars".

Concert Under the Stars

In keeping with the great tradition of St. Michael's Institution, we are staging a band concert this year to raise funds for the expansion of our school band. This proceeds will be used to acquire new instruments and also repair and maintain the current ones. We wish to thank you for your kind support for our school band which has brought much glory to our alma mater since 1960.

Details:
Date : 14th of February 2015
Time : 7:30 p.m.
Venue : Dewan Lee Loy Seng, S.J.K(C) Yuk Choy, Ipoh
Ticket price:
RM 20 (Back Seat)
RM 50 (Middle Seat)

For further inquiries, kindly contact:
Mr. Liew Boon Ket : 016-5414767
Yew Da Sheng : 014-8888811
Liew Yoon Hong : 018-3781998
MMB Facebook Fan Page : http://www.facebook.com/smiband/

Tickets can be purchased from any band member of Michaelian Military Band, or contact the phone numbers stated above. Get your tickets now or before it's too late!

Alumni's Flashback: Keigan Lee Kean Ho

2015-01-10T20:04:00.000+08:00

Keigan Lee Kean Ho - recently applied for a few music colleges in the US.

Keigan Lee Kean Ho

Describe what's like being in the band during your time.

Keigan Lee (most left) during the Perak State Marching Band Competition 2009.

To be honest, the band has been one of the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I’m going to elaborate a little more here so it might be a little boring to some people and some would find it interesting.

It all happened when MMB had an induction performance for the form ones in January 2006. What caught me the most was when the drumline performed an outdoor cadence and I was instantly attracted to the snare drum. I told myself that I would give music a try and will do whatever I can to get a position to play the snare (there were only 2 snare drum slots at that time). At that time as I remembered, at least 30 form ones joined the percussion section and half of them was from my class and half of them wanted to play the snare as well, so competition was tough. But I showed the seniors my capabilities by attending every practice there was and practiced everyday from ground zero, by lessons from the seniors and also a lot of self research and practice.

Trainings were tough, marching was tough, and I was fat back then, out of shape and low in stamina so I had to really work super hard. I was then chosen in 2006 in my first year to play cymbals for the marching competition (where we achieved 3rd place), and I was really proud and extremely motivated because only two Form ones were chosen for the percussion section back then. From then on, I was even more inspired and motivated to practice even harder to reach the top of the class.

What's the best/proudest moment/achievement you've experienced.

Keigan Lee (5th from the top left) with the percussion section after the Perak State Marching Band Competition 2009.

I think the best moment that I went through was in 2009 when we got 2nd place in the marching competition. I was the section leader that time and working to bring the percussion section to another level was a huge challenge but really enjoyable. That year, I achieved my goal of expanding the percussion section to a lineup of 4 snares, 4 bass, 1 quad, 1 quint tenor, 4 cymbals and 1 keys player together with my fellow section leader Aloysius Raj. The EXCOs that year (under the leader ship of Sir Tan Tihn Chern) worked really hard to get the band to perform as what we did to grab the 2nd place position.

How is it like being appointed as the Band Leader?

It was actually a big shocker to me back then when they announced that I would be the next band leader. Definitely chills and goosebumps were what I felt when I got appointed, as I knew now the whole band will be under my leadership, and not just one section. It was a really superb experience for me as I learnt to cooperate more with others, communicate differently to different people, time management and planning skills drastically improved. It was even better because the whole EXCO of that year were all very close friends of mine so we rarely have arguments and we always come to an agreement at the end of the day.

How was the training sessions like back then?

Trainings were tough. Really tough. I remembered my senior asking me to run 10 rounds of the perimeter of the school field in 8 minutes, and if I was late, another round would be added! Imagine that! Not forgetting I was out of shape that time! Punishments were strict, touching instruments of other sections were punishable. We had a very “senior to junior relationship” and we were most of the time very afraid of the seniors. Percussion trainings were always often and tough, as newer and harder sheet musics were asked of us to be played constantly. But hey, you gotta work hard if you want to achieve something big right?

Your role models, or the people you look up to in the band. Why?

I have tons of role models and people I look up to in the band! Definitely, Sir William and Sir Keng Joon was the biggest ones (they were the section leaders in 2006). Andy Lai, Navindran, Tan Tihn Chern, Lee Wai Hin, Kok Jun Lum, Sir Chong Wai Mun, Aloysius Raj, the list goes on and on!

Are you still involved in music?

I actually am! I picked up the guitar during my third year in the band as a hobby and now that has been my principal instruments. I still play drums as well and still practice when I have time in my room. I also just applied for Berklee College Of Music to continue a degree in the music industry. Let’s see how that goes!

Do you reminisce about the days you were in the band?

Everyday, constantly anytime of the day! Flashbacks often occur to me of my whole band life and sometimes it still has the ability to make me to feel sad that the five years had ended so fast!

Message to the current band members.

Love what you do, enjoy doing what you do in the band! When you’re in the band, at some point you will feel like you’re tired of it and want to leave, but let me tell you, once your five years is up, there’s no going back! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in this great family of musicians and to go through a new stage of life with them! For thee new members who are reading this, be thankful that you have been given a chance to join one of the most influential and multiracial family of musicians, and the best in Perak! For those older and retired from the band, I miss you guys.

With Pride Shall We March!

Keigan Lee Kean Ho
Percussionist, (2006 - 2010)
Section Leader, (2008 - 2010)
Band Leader , (2009 - 2010)

Michaelian Military Band

Quest for the Cempedak: A Night of Tradition and Unity

A Rising Force : Our Military Band Sucess at the MIMAC Competition

Annual General Meeting ( 30 September 2023 )

Annual General Meeting (2 December 2022)

Annual General Meeting 2022

MMB VLP Program

Virtual Meeting With The Recruits 2021

"SMI Cow The Prosperity " Chinese New Year Music Online Concert

Annual General Meeting 2020

ALL JAPAN BAND COMPETITION 2019 - Fudooka Wind Orchestra (FWO)

Annual General Meeting 2019

MUSIC・CONNECTS

Written by Timothy Ooi

Merdeka 2018

Annual General Meeting 2018

National Wind Orchestra Festival 2018

MMB-JPN Exchange Programme 2018

Oshi Castle in Gyoda, Saitama - 埼玉県 行田市 忍城

Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore - 埼玉県歴史民俗博物館

Terima Kasih!

ありがとうございました!

-With Pride Shall We March!

Written by Siew King Sam and Timothy Ooi,

Translated into Japanese by Rico Hoshi,

Edited by Shaun Lim.

Leadership Training Camp 2017

espressivo 2017

Merdeka 2017

Annual General Meeting 2017

Annual General Meeting 2016

Alumni's Flashback: Jeffrey Cheong Kok Yew

Annual General Meeting 2015

Concert Under the Stars 2015

Alumni's Flashback: Keigan Lee Kean Ho

Oshi Castle in Gyoda, Saitama - 埼玉県行田市忍城