I shall dedicate this post to Mrs Ee alone and her alone. Where do I start? How do I start this? From the time when I was Sec 1, after NYCO successfully clinched a GWH at SYF 2005.

I was then under the rod of Lin Lao Shi, who had come in to replace her as the temporary conductor (due to her maternity). My seniors seemed to be in love with Mrs Ee. I was disgusted. It did not seem to make sense to love your conductor, who, to me, was by far just another ordinary person. Wasn't my conductor in primary school just another person too? Why love Mrs Ee so much then?

Afterall, she looked scary when she didn't smile. That was one.

Fast forward to the time when it was NYCO concert next year. I started my first relationship with TIM on Lin An Yi Hen. It was nevertheless, a great opportunity for me as an individual. Mrs Ee was the conductor yet again. It was then when I suddenly saw how special a conductor she was. Unlike other conductors that I have been guided under, Mrs Ee was one who spoke of music. She was no score reading instrument. She spoke of her dreams and ideals in music. She opened up my eyes to details and observations seemingly distant to the wandering eyes. She told me how counting bars could be an art.

I recall having her terrorizing me when I played yangqin for Huang He. If you have been living in my era, you should know a great deal that I am not that big on yangqin. Mrs Ee never let down her stringent efforts on anyone. To me, that meant hell. That meant extreme torturous practices at home, attempting to perfect all my notes etc. And when I am perched behind the yangqin Mrs Ee was different. She showed me how a worm fears a bird.

Contradictory, wasn't it?

Fast forward to SYF 2007. Back with TIM = So totally myself! I realised Mrs Ee is becoming nicer and nicer. At least to me I guess. Her every stroke tells of delicate precision. Now that I have mastered the art of counting bars, I do enjoy watching her smooth conducting. It would be quite a treat if she decides to recount some story from her past.

And then I compare to the past in Sec 1. And how disgusted I was when my seniors were in love with Mrs Ee. Now I struggle to argue with my demeaning past self, as my present self insisted: "Stop being so narrow minded! You know Mrs Ee rocks."

And of course she does. NYCO is what it is now, because of Mrs Ee. Mrs Ee was a talented musician and performer. Her distinctions and credits were so much I couldn't put them all in my head. She could have been a world class performer if she had continued in her own musical pursuit. But instead, her beliefs in us overcame those desires. She became our conductor instead.

She had a faith that NYCO could be good.

She had continued in her faith till now. She had, not once, not twice, never given up on us. Had we been so reciprocative all this while? Do we sometimes lament for her letting us off late for dazu? Or have we been fidgeting when she would be busy trying to practise with other sections? Deep in our hearts, the answers speak for themselves.

That's why we must do her proud this time. NYCO will get the GWH. Let's just play music which would touch ourselves, Mrs Ee and that will be good enough.

Mrs Ee you rock. Although sometimes you are still rather scary, I love you very much. Cheerios.