by Timothy Ng (P6 2021)

                Clarinet, percussion, saxophone. All of these made up the range of instruments I had played.  The instruments never agreed with me. I had been transferred two times to different sections, ending with the saxophone section. I never really got the time to master any of them and to me they were a waste of time but never had I ever been assigned a special project before. It changed everything.

                It was my Primary Five year and every day was filled with negative thoughts and rage due to the highest expectations of the school. The biggest contributor to this rage was my co-curricular activity (CCA). My sudden transfer to the saxophone section had left me dumbfounded. I grew defiant and refused to play the instrument and I plummeted into depths of rage. The word “rage” possessed me but soon it would be replaced by a special project.

                My only favourite teacher in the school, Ms Lee, who also happened to be my band teacher, was retiring after 4 years of teaching and our principal requested that we organise a farewell concert.  She appointed the band to play some of Ms Lee’s favourite songs for the concert. The news did not worry many of the band members except for me. No sooner had the news reached than trepidation gripped me like a chokehold. I definitely wanted to impress Ms Lee but my fundamentals of my saxophone playing still needed some work.

                All of my free time was devoted to practising the saxophone just for the special project.  The piece we were going to play was relatively easy but I had a lot of work on.  Ms Lee was the only teacher who looked out for me.  She ensured that I was coping every time my band conductor transferred me.  I was determined to put on the best show for Ms Lee on her last day at the school.

                The special day had arrived. The hall was filled with an abundance of people waiting.  My favourite teacher was in the hall sitting down in anticipation.  Anxiety caused my heart to palpitate wildly but the time was now to impress Ms Lee. The conductor bowed down slowly turned around and the band sat down.  We then started playing a medley of Ms Lee’s favourite songs. Music filled the entire hall. I tried hard to focus on the score but the array of people before me could not be ignored. In the blink of an eye, the concert was over.

                After the performance, we all stood up and bowed down before leaving the stage. A mirthful smile crept across Ms Lee’s face as she held up a thumbs up sign. This made me realise that maybe, it was the effort which counts. This was in spite of being a bit off tune. I knew Ms Lee was thrilled by the concert we dedicated to her. It was such a special project.

                From that day onwards, I promised to myself to be grateful that I was in band and able to play the instrument well. It was this that gave me the opportunity to be part of a truly special project that I will never forget for years to come.

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