Choir & SYF

had a long talk with my Choir on monday...almost to the verge of being 'naggy' & long-winded at them, but i guess it was for the best.

After last week's choir practice and the feedback from my choir instructor, i had to find a way to talk to my choir. The feedback given to me was that the choir was being complacent. They acted this way after attending a choir-exchange during the March hols.

I was thinking long and hard, thinking how to talk to them, how to advise them, how to motivate them....so on and so forth. I even had to ask my former chair-person to visit the choir last friday to listen to them!!!! so that she can give them some advise and comments.

But i guess the worst or shall i say the best happened during this Monday's assembly program.
One of the students (most unfortunate, a student from my form class), mentioned the word 'FAIL' very loudly during the interval break from the 1st song to the next. I guess they were kind of affected by it, and luckily, they did not show it. (i think they did not show it, as i was busy running behind the stage)

The next comment which i received, and which i shared with the choir was from Mrs Chew.
Mrs Chew commented that the choir improved. When i heard it, my 1st inital reaction was 'WHAT???? Are you sure?'. Followed by the next question, which was 'When was the last time you heard the choir?' Which Mrs Chew replied with a 'last year'.

I had no idea what to do with the comment till i spoke to the choir at 4pm. After going 1 big round about my own experience and what i have gone thru in this school (changes of CCA etc), i told them about the comment given by the teacher. At this moment, i did not want to mention Mrs Chew's name. But i did ask the choir, what do they think of her? Comments that i received were...'fierce, fussy, strict, no nonsense to be given'...etc.

The students know that Mrs Chew demand the best from them, and that she can be very strict, and of course, she has many many years of teaching experience.

When I told them that Mrs Chew said that the choir improved, the whole choir was in shocked. But i had to explain to them, what it meant, and how much more they had to improved, how they performed, how they behave, and how they sound like, and most importantly, their attitude towards learning and performing.

I had to mention about the band performance, and since half the choir attended, i thought that they will be able to relate to what i was going to comment and how they can learn from each other.

.........to be continued.....(with editing)........