1st
Square is a band geek.
When I got to work this morning, a stage was being built right across my office, outside the Airedale Hotel. Trees were trucked in, seats and a podium were set up (“testing mike, test test, test one, two three”). The speed and manner in which it was all carried out was so impressive that I thought the Queen was coming.
Some dude started making a speech. I looked out the window and there were uniformed officers standing around. My ears perked up. I opened a window. “March… parade… 1.6km from Viaduct to Queen Street… in honour of the RNZAF anniversary… band…”, said the dude whilst the sky began to protest by graying over and spitting almost instantaneously.
I sat there for a moment, as though waiting for something. Then suddenly it hit me. Bam! Memories of my teenage years spent in a Military Cadet Corps Band, endless hours spent under the red hot sun, countless knuckle pushups on fiery hot tar, the seemingly never-ending torture of raising one’s legs 90 degrees over and over again in marching practice whilst carrying a 4kg tenor saxophone… Oh boy. Did I feel nostalgic.
I grabbed my Lights and my phone and ran downstairs. From afar I could hear the faint taps of the sidesnare, supported by the booming thuds of the bass drum. Horns tooted unintelligibly, trombones flaring incontrollably. This was a life I lived for four full years, amongst 90 like-hearted comrades, towards the common goal of being the best darned marching band in Malaysia, which we were.
“OMG. Square’s a band geek?!” Yesh. Former NCO Lance Corporal Lee Yee Yang, ‘00, Brass Section, Victoria Institution Cadet Corps Band. That’s me.
So the RNZAF Base Auckland band, officers, airmen and women arrived on Queen Street. I was utterly dissapointed. The music was alright but dang I thought the marching and drills were downright sloppy. Where was the pride? Where was the precision in the marching movements? Where was the Never Say Die attitude?
I know it is kinda weird to take so much pride in being a band geek, but I was a well dedicated bandsman. It is very hard to describe how it was for me going through the ranks in the band, starting from a lowly Recruit to a Private, earning the E-badge and Chair of the CBM before finally being accepted as a Non-Commissioned Officer and retiring a Lance-Corporal. It was a hard four years, training 4-6 days a week, 4-8 hours a day in a harsh and rather brutal environment (my knuckles were always bruised and broken through high school). It was a painful one week when I underwent “orientation” to complete my appointment as an NCO. But damn how I loved it all. Especially winning a First Priza Medal at the World Association of Marching Show Bands competition in Calgary, Canada and a before that, a First Class Performance Award at the International Japan Music Festival in Yokohama, Japan.
I wish we had similar competitions here. There is no marching band culture to speak of in New Zealand. Heck at least Oz has the McDonald’s Band.
As for the RNZAF, I’m sure they have more important things to do than to march better. Can’t fault ‘em. Pfft.
If you are interested, here is a video of the band that I am very very proud of.
