We interrupt the Japan report to bring you...

SIBF. It's tomorrow. I'm not overly nervous. My heart isn't pounding away like an enraged timpani. It's a bass drum. Slow, soft, but foreboding. A sensation of ominous feelings. Will we play well tomorrow? Yes, we will. I'm confident. Am I overconfident?

RJCSB is sounding good, we should be able to do well enough to get into the finals unless something bad happens, and if that does happen... well it's unavoidable I guess. Uncontrollable stuff happens. So let's not let stuff that can be avoided happen.

Ultimately, the only reason I want to get into the finals is to extend my time under Mr Oura's baton for just a while longer. I can't describe my feelings for him. He's been a conductor, of course but more than that. He's taught me music, teamwork, respect, discipline and so much more, acted as a teacher and a friend, as much as a conductor. I can tell how much he loves our bands, sacrificing a dinner meet to make sure we got the practice. I remember having chats with him in Japan, at Prometheum. But most of all I remember playing under him during Prometheum X and XI, A Tempo XVIII and XIX, and so much more.

UNISONO concert

I am 43 now. how long, how many years, how many times I will conduct the bands?
10years? 5more SYF? 30 major concert? Or more?

UNISONO was one of the best concert, I have ever conducted. Technically, it was not the best performance but the way students put their effort, shining eye balls!! moved audience's heart. When conducting "It's a small world" my tear almost dropped Trumpet played bright fanfare, horn screamed, band suppoce to play much softer for the song but everybody just play from their heart, and saw juniors singing out loud with happy face, saw rgs alumni singing joyfully and etc
almost tear dropped.
I was the happiest man in the world.

I'm going to share this joyful life with my students for another ten years or more.


at the SYF, let's send our message to the people with love.
music without message is really boring and it is not music , just a sound (or noise)
if the message doesn't have any love in it. something awful.

only the message with full of love makes people happy.

i believe our music will give them the best message ever.


Do I really have to say anything more than how much I will miss this guiding light, this inspiration to all of us?

RIMB, I have the utmost confidence in all of you to do your best tomorrow. It's not the award that matters, as long as you can play your hearts out. RJCSB, likewise.

We Should, We Must, We Can, We Will!!

RAFFLES BANDS