FIRST STEP INTO AJC...
or rather the AJChoir...
Let's go into the figurative use of "step" first. I recall that I first know of the college from the booklet showing the various Junior Colleges, Polytechnics, etc (Tetiary/Pre-Universirty Institutes) and their various achievements. So I spotted Saint Andrew's Junior College initially having heard of it from a senior before, and then Anderson Junior College. I had wanted to go Saint Andrew's Junior College, not sure of the reason why then. Mind you, I was Sec 3 then. Then I made up my mind with Anderson Junior College. And what convinced me to go to Anderson Junior College was simply it's O level entry points or the T-score -- then showing 9, which I believed was within my abilities and a good choice so as to furthere stretch myself adequately (which I did eventually meet).
So I was determined to finish my Tetiary education here at Anderson Junior College, and I didn't really care how I should get in, be it getting a raw score of 9 or DSA via Choir. And so, in Sec 4 after stepping down from BBSS Choir I began to make arrangements to DSA to AJChoir. I asked seniors who were studying or studied at AJC and those who were in the Choir about the environment and results. That was when I first found out that in AJC's Promo '09 the average Math grade was a U. Not long after I was already on my way to AJC for the DSA Audition. I was rather lost in the college, it just seemed so weird and oddly constructed, and I actually almost got lost on my way to the college having went out of Yio Chu Kang MRT via the wrong exit (the other exit), and after which I actually took the bus to get to the college...
So I was greeted by a friendly senior from the Choir whom asked me my name and school, whom also guided/brought me up to the Choir room. So I can actually still recall that I actually went up to the Choir room via the spiral staircase closes to the library and passed the CO room. So I filled in my details and went on to do warm ups by myself. I walked all the way to block 11 (not knowing that was block 11) and walked past the group of (whom I later realised were tenors) choir members practicing. I headed to the toilet and on the 2nd floor I believe and did my own warm ups there.
The next time similar scenes happened would be after I received my O level results, where I actually went for the appeal auditions. Many of the seniors remarked that it was unnecessary that I come for the appeal auditions seeing that I'm a 9 pointer. While, I guess I was pretty desperate and stuffs like that. So inside the Choir room, I was auditioned by Mr Kwei himself for the 2nd time.
And true enough, I got to AJC by merit of my O level results and there was no need for appeal. That afternoon I got my results, I went to the Choir room to be auditioned by Mr Kwei for the 3rd time. And this time, I got into the Choir. Mr Kwei had initially ask Cindy what were the results of my previous audition (i.e. the appeal auditions), Mr Kwei said that he vaguely remembered it to be B1...
So yea! Stopping here, I actually might have been a B1. But it didn't stop here.
Still, Mr Kwei auditioned me and asked me, this time, what was my section back in BBSS and I replied Tenor. When he asked further if I was T1 or T2, I couldn't gave him a reply since I wasn't sure. Not because I lied that I was a "Tenor" but we never had a further split. And perhaps of my reply, Mr Kwei sent me to the T2. And that afternoon I joined the Choir for the first practice. So I met Kuek and Pangyi on the first day of the choir practice. What I didn't realise was the huge impact it will have on my life soon and the crazy schedule and the extra effort needed to juggle studies and choir in the next a year and a half or so. A the next practice, I met the first J1 Tenor (then) I know - Chin Siang (who have sadly left us... no, he didn't die.)
I still recall the next day I met and got to know Kheng Hian and Chin Ho; I also recall how difficult I found it to remember their names.
I still recall that day at the CCA Showcase which I walked around in the hall with the "Press Me" board infront of me, going around trying to attract attention to join choir and go to the booth. Not forgetting that some J2s (girls) commented that I can sing and stuffs like that (which inspired me to join AJ Idol later that year and to fail in the prelimary auditions).
I recall that afternoon practice when more and more J1s joined me and the J2s for choir practice, like Mark who made a grand entrance arriving in home clothes (later when asked he said that he only got the news that had successfully appealed to the Choir shortly before that), how we started to introduce ourselves one after another -- our name and our secondary school, and then I never knew that there was a school called Xinmin Secondary School or Riverside Secondary School... Then there was Shaun who requested to be transferred to Bass... So yeah, we actually started off with 7 J1 Tenors, minusing Shaun whom really did join the Basses after that; there was Teck Chuan, Bryson, Teng Yong, Chin Siang, Keith, Mark and myself. 4 of which I later found out to have appealed. Bryson and Mark whom appealed to AJ from some other colleges, Teng Yong and Teck Chuan to have appealed from Arts Stream to Science Stream.
So yea... That was pretty much a brief of the beginnings of then I first joined the AJChoir and before I joined AJChoir...
OH OH OH! AND THE CONCERT WAS A BLAST! I REALLY LOVED IT A LOT! ENJOYED IT A LOT!
