I first picked up guitar in the 5rd grade in the AS programme in our school. Although was never able to develop a keen interest towards music and the instrument, this meant that throughout the years i kept jumping from instrument to instrument from guitar to bass to drums never able to enjoy one, and eventually left music in the 7th grade. Practicing instruments always felt like a forced lesson instead of a passion driver venture. Although in the lockdown I gained an eager interest in listening to music. When school started I was given a unique medium to channel this passion of music to join the band in the Arts special programme.

LO1 IDENTIFY THEIR OWN STRENGTHS AND DEVELOP AREAS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
Upon joining the Arts special in the 10th grade, I hesitated playing in the band and instead always preferred playing the guitar all by myself. This always made the band sessions that happened very disoriented where there was no coordination between the members despite all of them being good at what they did, We had to identify where we lack and develop keeping the betterment of the band in mind. Being a lead guitar player I lacked a good sense of rhythm, this meant that more often than not i would play out of rhythm in the song or would be in the wrong tempo. Making a conscious effort to hear the bass and the drums ( the rhythm part of the band ) and implement so that I can keep a better track of the rhythm helped me grow as a better band member.

LO5 DEMONSTRATE SKILLS AND BENEFITS OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY
A band represents the integral dynamics and the collaboration of each member. Failing to perfect a single element of a performance would mean that the song loses its essence. Seamless coordination is paramount and makes sure there is synchrony in the performance. When starting off we faced a multitude of challenges where each part was tangentially playing their parts without coordination. Although continual practice across an entire year made sure that we overcome these problems.

LO4 SHOW PERSEVERANCE AND COMMITMENT IN A CAS EXPERIENCE
Working on the band was a one and a half year pursuit, from the midterm of grade 10 to the end of grade 11 ( present) . The commitment that went into that was beyond the mere workings of a band, although it also meant that I had to improve my guitar playing ability to cope with the development of the band. Learning an instrument is an endless pursuit one that masters in the craft dedicate their entire lives to. Working persistently throughout two year may seem insignificant when compared to that, although I saw great changes in my personal playing ability. Upon starting off in the band I was only able to play simple riffs, lead parts and simple barre chords. It was during this time in the band where I studied music theory, scales and improvisation. Learning these things seemed tiring and it often felt counterintuitive, although it took relentless effort and time working repeatedly to improve to become a better player. Winning music competitions with the band and gaining recognition for our efforts and determination drove us to work even harder and aim to work on more difficult songs.

The image above is from a kalakriti, an interschool band competition where more than 16 bands participated , we came first !