Getting there

Hi dear readers, I have been disappeared from here for quite a long time, was a bit lazy to blog haha, sorry for that(lol you guys don't even care I guess -.-) Anyway, I feel like writing this post today..

Recently, I joined the System Blue clinic in KL which was held for 3 days. The program was under the Blue Devils drum and bugle corps organization, which is the place where I dream to be in. So few weeks ago, when the event was just announced on Facebook, I immediately asked my dad about it and he agreed to let me join immediately, that's so cool of him right? haha.. So as days went by, the time has finally come!

On 13 Dec, I came out from band camp which was on going, felt really sad that I couldn't finish joining the camp cause it's my last year of joining it already, tears dropped an hour before I left the camp though, not sure why, but yeah, something made me felt sad to leave! 

So after I left, I went home and packed everything. Then I met up with my friend, Gaheris at Miri Airport and we left for KL together. In KL, Taw Wei, my friend whom I met through drumming came and picked us up at Bandar Tasik Selatan train station. He brought us to eat and then back to his house and we overnight there for 2 nights!

 Property of the Blue Devils

On the 14th, Taw Wei and Edwin (a friend who I met via drumming too) brought us to some popular music stores in KL. Unfortunately, there wasn't a thing which I wanted to buy..

 one of our dinner in the camp, the food was terrible throughout the camp

15 Dec, first day of camp! Taw Wei brought us to the camp venue at 8:00am, we sat there for a while and Taw Wei left. The organizer was late for the registration though, everything was off the schedule! Later, the camp started, we split into sections and started our session.We learnt really basic stuffs on the first day. I didn't bring my drum, cause it would be a burden for me to carry it around from East Malaysia. Suddenly, one of the Blue Devils snare drummers asked who wants to take his drum? I quickly ran toward it and had it! So yeah, I played on that drum for that day, Keelan Tobia, one of the Blue Devils snare drummers saw me and shouted 'Larry Yong' and turned back and walk away, he knew me via FaceBook I guess. Even though there were only basic stuffs on that day, but Andrew Odello, one of the Blue Devils snare drummers caught something bad about me, it was about my left hand, I used my arm to play taps, but it should be using wrist according to their style, so I tried hard to change it cause anything wrong about myself should be changed so that I can get better. I've been using arm to play since I started drumming though!(bad habit) 

me and Hong Yin, one of my best friend! he let me to drum with him on the same drum when I didn't have a drum to play on during the camp, without him I would have been only drumming on my pad throughout the camp!

16 Dec, second day of camp. Today we finally split into more groups among snare players, Keelan picked some of us who were slightly the better players among the team and he brought us to a shady place and drummed with us. He also shared his experience about auditions with us, it helped me to be more prepared for auditions too.. Then we had a Q&A session, we asked lots of questions, it was a great time with him. Anyway, that night, I was still not satisfied with the teachings, I felt like it wasn't enough for me, so I posted something on Andrew's facebook wall asking him to teach me more and catch and correct more of my mistakes on the next day. 

 Nabila and Wardah aka bunga from Sultanah Asma, they were fun to get along with :]

17 Dec, last day of camp. That morning, the Blue Devils team arrived the training place. As Andrew walked pass me, he called out my name, and asked me to follow him. Along the way he told me "I got your message and I will try to help you out alright!", I was shocked after I heard that, I was thrilled actually, he then brought me to the staffs room and asked me to take his drum. So I played on his drum for the whole day, he also put a lot of attention on me, he told me many things and kept trying to correct my mistakes. He even recorded a video of me playing and showed it to me so that I would know what was wrong with myself. I really appreciate what he did for me that day! And I will never forget something that he told me that day during the practice, after he told me many things about my mistakes, he asked about my age and he said "you can make it", that really woke me up lol, I was like "oh yeah?!? a Blue Devil told me that I can make it!!!", that really made me to be on the cloud line lol. It even motivated me to practice harder to achieve my dream!  

 me and Rudy, tenor tech of Blue Devils, fun guy

At night, we had section performances, Keelan lent me his drum for the performance, Andrew set my position around the centre. Actually I was standing with my good buddy, Hong Yin during the rehearsal, but a St. John guy took his spot and became the light bulb between us, how bad he was =[

Battery section performance, I the guy with the blue shirt playing on the white drum in the centre

this is a video that I drummed with Keelan, featuring his 10 seconds lick

Then it was autographs session, as I waited at the hall for the BD snare drummers, Andrew came to me and gave his pair of drumsticks to me! And Keelan came to me and gave me a broken drum head which he had been using it! Both of the gifts are used, but they mean so much to me! After some time I finally had a chance to take a picture with all of the snares!

the Blue Devils snare drummers and me! From left : Matt, Andrew, me and Keelan.

The camp was really a blast for me! I didn't learn many things, but I EARNED many things. For now, I really have to practice hard and smart, cause I'm planning to go audition for DCI next year, but it will depend on Andrew's comments on my video which he asked me to send him after 6 months, so I gotta do it, for my dream, for my future! 

That's all from me,

count your blessings =]