Hillview Surprise Visit & Performance

Date for Entry: (Friday 28th April, 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 23rd November, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went back to Hillview to perform the school song and national anthem because on Wednesday night around nine o'clock our Captain Ifeaye had asked us in our WhatsApp group chat a request to come back to Hillview to perform the National Anthem and College for the last time as an Ensemble. I saw Joshua comment soon after and then he said he will see but for me, I wasn’t going to miss it. 

    This morning, I woke up and oh my goodness it was so super hard to get up early as if it was a day of Hillview class but I did. I got showered and waited for dad to bring my black and grey stripe shirt and black pants I wear for church. It really felt like I was dressing to go to school at Hillview. I even packed my bookbag with books and other stuff last night too. I was a bit nervous seeing that I was not in school clothes and that I was wondering if the new Hall was built and they were having it in there.

    Upon walking into the gates, I switched off my phone and put it into my bag. Before I could walk up into the compound, I asked the security where the service would be and she said to follow the feller who’s walking up right now. I walked a good space behind him and then went to the two glassed sliding doors where two boys on both sides were holding programs. I took one and walked into the hall on the red carpet. Without looking at the student with eye contact, I could see how they watched me as to how I was dressed and I was like, “Keep it calm, Daryl. Don’t be worried” in my mind.

I went up to the front row and rest my bag. Then I walked up on the stage and then went over to say hello to Ifeaye and then he said, “Aye, I really thought you weren’t coming this morning yuh know.” He laughed and then I saw a new pan but I had a feeling that it was his tenor pan. It was a boring tenor pan that I got to try a time in individual pan class with Mr. Sharma. It looked good and Ifeaye even played a solo and another girl from the sixth form did another solo by voice. 

I sat a while reading the program and then the bell rang. I went to look outside and then I saw the five tenor pans in the long corridor behind the school's podium ready to play for the assembly. Then it was there that I saw Harold and when she spots me He said, “A! Daryl! Way yuh doing dong dey so?” I was wondering how come all these fellers got so taller than me. Then I saw Christian from the ensemble too. He came and shook my hand. 

Soon after I saw Mr. Narish and he asked me how I was doing I told him that I was doing music in UWI when he asked me. Soon, Mr. Hawkins came and then he gave me a nice good hug and then asked me the same along with if I was the one who sent him a towel for Christmas in the office and then I said yes. I played for the morning assembly. I must admit that I forgot to practice the national anthem and felt so rusty but as soon as the song started, I remembered playing it and went right into playing it. 

While the pan boys and I sat there in the front row, I gave Ifeaye a copy of the full score of the school song I went and put together yesterday along with a fancy design of the sixtieth Anniversary logo and the real Hillview logo on it. I knew that by the time I gave Ifeaye and he showed it to the rest Christian would have wanted one. I was thinking of printing one for him too but when I finished making one for Miss Saunders, the ink in the printer was about to finish. I didn't get to share the textbook I made with them because the timing of things went so quickly. The persons from my older Form Five class were far to the back and mixed up. Didn't see the rest of them.

The service began and then I saw Mr. Mahase there on the stage with the others who were leading the service today. A very nice lady was the leader of Worship and then I soon got to learn that she was the school’s new Vice-Principal. She spoke very lovely and gave really good inspirational words.

After the end of the service was the College song and then the Choral Benediction, which we do at Aramalaya. After the service, everyone left. I saw Jordan again and for nicknames, since Form four we used to say “onks” as short for Uncle and also a good friend Isaiah. Then I saw Christian again and I asked him for his e-mail. I didn’t have much paper again so I lend him my program paper to write it down and then when he said that he only had a marker I didn’t mind. However, it would have partly destroyed my program copy for the music journal, lolz.

While Ifeaye and the rest of the boys left the school with their parents, I took my book bag and went up to the staffroom door to see if I could have gotten to see Miss Saunders. When I knock and wait which was a big problem in my days, Mr. Ramsingh came out. It was so nice to see him and then I asked him to see Miss Saunders. He told me that I could go in if I wanted. I felt like I was given special treatment because a student wasn’t allowed to be in there.

 As I went in the door, A lady gave me a nice hug and then I knew the lady's voice was Miss Saunders'. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at all but it was so nice to see her after so long. We both sat there for a long while near her desk chatting about me and how UWI was going. I also carried three volumes of my Magical Creatures paintings to show her and Miss Tappin the Visual Arts Teacher. I still used some of the tips that Miss Tapin told me about in Form One about outlining with a black marker. She then gave me tips about putting a border and then asked me about the intended audience. At that present time, I wanted it for little children but my main idea was to have it as a carton story for adults. Miss Tappin told me that if I wanted it to be for children that I "have to be really specific to make sure that they understood what was happening, especially with spelling because this is where they might be learning from as well."

Miss Saunders also showed me the trophy I gave her. I didn’t remember I gave it to her at the end of Form One and two others to two teachers. Then I got to show her some of the textbooks I did over for UWI at DCFA. She looked impressed and then say, “Hmm! You write book already? I didn’t even do oneself.” I didn’t get to explain myself properly because there was too much to catch up on. One of the other things she told me she said that she kept on noticing that I was keep on pulling things out of my bookbag. It was a lot of things because that bag was really heavy on my shoulders as if it was a regular day of school at Hillview. I couldn't speak to the class about doing Music for CXC so I waited for daddy to come to get me at the gate and we went down Curepe.

 

Link(s):

1. Hillview Faith and Confidence Service (2017) - Program. 

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

DECISION PENDING - UWI (DCFA) Vs. Hillview College??

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 7th October, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 6th September, 2021)

 

Dear Diary,

    Today I had a very important decision to make. It was to either go to my tiring and usual painful day of class (individual pan and then Intermediate ensemble) at DCFA or I can go and enjoy my once in lifetime Graduation at Hillview College. 

    My decision was to go to class because I didn’t want to lose any Lessons with Mr. Sharma and be forced to have to do a makeup session. Then there was an intermediate ensemble and if there was a new piece or n special teaching or review on another I would miss out a lot. 

    I suppose it was best because I got to learn another part of the hard song “Oye Mi Canto” Mr. Nurse gave us and there was a new piece given that day as well. The name of that piece was “Perpetuum Pan” together with “Paradise Garden” for our coursework assessment coming soon. This sounds a lot difficult but I know I can do it. I hope!

    Pan Lessons earlier this morning when smoothly with Mr. Sharma. He told me that he got the name of the first piece “With a Wink and A smile” after the piece and it was something for two pans because of the word invention. There was another Musical term he told me about but I forgot. It had a piece of ‘ word with inventing’ in it.

    During the Lesson, I got out all of my scales, thank God. The arpeggios were to be played in triplets, which I needed some more practice in. Then we moved on to my second piece of the Grade 4 Pan Examination Booklet. It was called “Invention No. 8” which was another one that Mr. Sharma did. I always had a battle in choosing which pieces to select because he and Dr. Remy always had good music in the book so I decided to make it fair where I did one he put together along with another by Dr. Remy.

Links:

1. DCFA Steelpan Exam Book - Grade 3 Tenor (2012-2014).              (School's permission for sharing not granted.)
2. Hillview College's Letters & Invitation Card to Graduation.
3. Perpetuum Pan (Tenor Score).

Daryl Zion M. Ali

CXC Results

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 28th July, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 5th July, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Tonight, I was patiently waiting for my CSEC Results with too much fear. I knew what was to come would come like that Spanish song: "Que serra serra, whatever will be, will be." The online website to view the results was giving some problems and we did not know what time exactly they were coming out.

    When I finally typed in everything, I clicked the log in button and then the big purple screen came up. I said, “Okay, Daryl. Just watch that middle column and pull your eyes straight down with the grades and nothing else for now.” There I was a four and then no one but then I saw threes and twos so I was pleased. When I called mom, she didn’t know what they meant so I had to explain that anything number from one to a three is a pass and anything four and below is a fail.  

    So, I was glad I got a good Two in my music and with the three, I hope it would be enough to go to UWI because I had my seven subjects including Music and English Language. Andrew, Dad, Mama and Nadara were all happy and excited for me. I too was surprised. It felt like it was all done and the big fear of CXC all these years was finally done. 

    Papa died some week ago. I did not get to tell him that I was finally getting to go to University. He considered me as a child of his would be the first one to do so.

Link(s):

1. CXC Certificate.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

CXC Music (Paper 1) - Set Works

 Date for Entry: (Friday 8th May, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 2nd July, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was another Musical Exam for CXC’s/CSEC Paper 1 in Set Works. It was most worrying to me because the notes that Ms. Saunders had given me was some pieces on a flash drive to listen to and notes on them but they were not enough information at all. I really wished I had a teacher or someone who knew the coursework to sit with me and guide me along the way. 

    I reached in school at about quarter to nine and I met up with Ifeaye and he walked me up into the Auditorium just before the bell could have wrung for the morning’s assembly. I showed him the syllabus and some notes on Genres I made over the internet’s definitions and YouTube late this morning, desperate for knowledge and the feeling of failing the subject was so strong in my mind. I did not like that at all. 

    On arriving at the examination room, it was the same Chemistry lab that I did the paper 2 Music exam in also. I find that this was the room I should have done the recording inside of there instead of my room. There was enough tight space like a soundproof room to keep the sound in, even when you spoke, you could hear the loud echo. But I didn’t know that was so. I should have maybe gone and gotten permission from Ms. Lalchan to do the recording there.

    It was a bit easy and then finally, it came to the Set works section. The paper was designed into three sections. One for music literacy, one for musical perception and the last one for set works. The set works were kind of easy, however, the question was designed to match me and then I felt as if I mixed up two of them. Before one of the Examiners left me, Aunty Maureen, told me, “thanks for making me feel special” and she left. That was because I had given her a booklet from the Paper 2 Music exam and the other two examiners, Aunty Janice and Mr Batholomy. I was so happy I met them since in Form 1 in the third term when they had come to supervise the CXC examinations of that year as they always do.

    For this entry, two other sheets of paper are attached with my CXC Time Table for the Examinations. These two sheets show proof that I wrote the exam and were also the backover of the Official Examination Booklet. Somehow, they should have made it perforated so it would be easy to take out but I believe now that the place of the uneven and torn sides where they took it out of the book made it look like history. At least in my history I will cherish this special memory and include some of the hardships as well because it was a journey I went through and succeeded by the mighty touch of God, Amen.

 

Link(s):

1. Official CXC Timetable & Receipt for Paper 1 (All Parts & Sections).

Daryl Zion M. Ali

CXC Music (Paper 2; Parts A & B)

 Date for Entry: (Wednesday 6th May 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 2nd July, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was my Musical Exam for CXC’s CSEC Paper 2 in Performance and Composition. I had to do a composition and an arrangement for this Examination as well as to prepare a file of musical scores in work that “I had done for the two years of experience.” I had never had that experience, however; I had the experience via “Graded Performances in Solo Steelpan” from the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) thank God.   

    I only did the scoring and writing of the arrangement and composition from Saturday until Tuesday night. Plus, we had to record them all on a device and then burn them onto a CD. That was hell! I had problems with recording because I needed the music room which we never had in school to do it. There was a dog in the neighbour’s yard in Tunapuna that was barking and children making noise. I was glad the children voices didn’t come out in the audiotape but the dog kept on barking. It was a good thing that it was not enough to have to do over the recording.

    I made photocopies of the examination booklet I made all with CD recordings of the songs. They were presents for some of the teachers. Ms. Sirjosingh got hers and she told me that I was a real sweetheart. It took me some time to get everyone's names on the booklets in a fancy font and handwritten in a purple fine point gel ink pen.     

    For the examination, I chose to play my Arrangement and for the Solo, I played “Jesu Joys of Man’s Desiring”. The Viva Voce questions were quite easy and I gave the answer to the questions in full detail. The Moderator was pleased with my answering and then she made me tell her what the bars in the music were describing. That part was easy for me because I had made a storyline telling my journey into Hillview, what happened and how the story developed in each segment of the piece. She said that the "piece was very comprehensive."  

    At the end of the exam, she let Ms. Saunders back in after the two of us talk about what I wanted to do when I’m finished with CXC. Then Ms Saunders and the Moderator who was a past student of Ms. Saunders’ father had a long chat that involved me. She told Miss that I should have been at a very high level than Grade 2 in Pan practical. Then the subject changed into talking about the school in terms of the unfortunate ways they treat Music Education.

    The moderator then walked the both of us to her car, to show us how the file should have looked like. Apparently, I went and did extra work that was not needed. She only needed the arrangement and the composition. She showed us one of the students she had moderated earlier that day, to give her an idea of what was expected inside of the folder. The only difference is that mine will be a prettier book which will be bound together so that pop out and look to go “bye-bye.”

    There were these two pictures that Ms. Saunders and I liked with the music. She took a picture for me to insert in the folder and she sent it for me on WhatsApp over might. But the way it was, I found similar ones on Google Images and downloaded them to put in the project. These were downloads looked brighter and perfect for the project.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

My Faith & Confidence Service (2015)

Date for Entry: (Friday 24th April, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was my Faith and Confidence Service. I had to play for my own Service, not like the other times. Before it was for the other forms going to write exams and this time it was my turn. It was long and the Reverend from Church did the Sermon. 

    I got to sign other boys’ shirts and I had to see Ms Saunders up in the Staffroom but by the time she was done signing other boys’ shirts, the bell had wrung. She then told me to meet her in her two East classrooms. I gave her some printouts I did for the set works. She looked happy to get it. Then I went to get mom and we leave the school.

Link(s):

1. Hillview Faith & Confidence 2015 - Program.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Form 5 Parents' Day

 Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[Wednesday April, 2015 - FORM 5]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 10th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was parent’s day for me. I was surprised at all the good comments I got. I was not expecting that but then I know that Ms. Saunders wouldn’t be there because no one signed up to take her subject for CXC. After talking to all of the teachers, I took mommy up to the staffroom to see Miss because I was doing her subject and she was the only one who we didn’t get to talk to in the Hall.

    She came out and spoke to us and then she told us about the two booklets from past students who did the same CXC Music course as an example. She then told us some of the things for the SBA. At this time I was already filled with the negative commentary by teachers in the school including Mr. Lewis himself. They were all saying that I couldn't do it or pass the actual exams. Mommy wanted me to do it although in my mind I had planned to cut it out since everyone was saying that it was too late to begin the course.

    She then told me that I could do either an interview, analyse 10 television commercials or analyse a religious place and the type of music they use. The ten commercials sounded like hard work but it sounded like the easier option for me. So I took the papers from Miss that she offered me and then mom and I felt shortly after and went home.  

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Hillview's Easter Service (2015)

Date for Entry: (Friday 27th March, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    This morning was another Easter Service with the same old hymns and same old songs. However, it was much different as before because, at the Service, I was the only Form 5 Student who attended. I felt like I made the right choice by going. I wondered if I was supposed to be in school. There was a new Spanish teacher that sat with me. She was one of the many teachers that stood at the Staffroom windows and watched me do my performance for my Music Paper 3: School-Based Assessment (SBA).

    While singing “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” the organist and his other accompanist which were the students and Mr. Bedase wasn’t ready to play so Reverend Adrian started us off. Two big things happened in that one song. The Reverend started to sing us and then in the program, they missed out two lines and the students in the congregation had stopped. We did the song over with the organist this time.   

    I felt curious and a bit sad at the end of the Service because at the conclusion, the Principle had asked the Steel Ensemble to come up to play the National Anthem and the College Song. And it was only me so I didn’t go. I stood there like all of the others. And I could have really impressed my new Form 3 friends that I made during the Test Time that had just passed. So they got a student who played the Tenor pan for the same Service to play the National Anthem. 

    Even now I still regret not going up and if Miss Abbey from the television show “Dance Moms” were there with me she would have been somewhat disappointed but I knew she would have said, “That's what you get for not going and taking the opportunity when it knocks at your doors.” 

    I wanted to see if they were prepared for when all the Steel Ensemble members got promoted to Form 6 and some leave how they would handle it. And after that, I went to pack my classroom and neaten up the classroom and pull all of the desks and chairs together. I saw Miss Khan come but she left me there and didn’t say anything much. I wondered what her problem was as though I didn't ask.

 

Link(s):

1. Hillview Easter Service - Program.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

CXC Music SBA (Paper 3; Part 2) Perf Exam [Part A (i-ii) & B]

Date for Entry: (Monday 9th March, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

 

Dear Diary,

    Today Miss Graham came back to Hillview College to examine me for the SBA (Paper 3) for the analysis of the eight commercials [Part 1] and the two types of performances which would include a solo [Part 2 (A; i-ii)] and an Ensemble piece [Part 2 B]. The worry I had was to be in part of the Ensemble piece. It was only Monday we had started and that was that so I didn’t know what type of miracle had to happen. 

    At the end of playing my solo performance, Ms. Graham gave me permission to leave the stage and to go and find my friend for the Ensemble performance. At the front, we were all in a short problem because they didn’t know the song I gave them and then Ifeaye and my other old friend Christian helped me to play in the Ensemble. 

    Ms. Graham told me and my friends that I could not play the piece of music I planned to do because it was not fully my official work. So, she allowed my friends and me to play one we did from the Steel Ensemble. This was where we choose “Hero”. There were some sudden crescendos and abrupt parts I had to playmaking me feel worried. However, it was mistakes made I was able to cover it up. 

    Then I had to do over a second solo piece because that first one was not my work also. I decided to play “Besame Mucho” because it was a little sophisticated song, carrying so many rhythms and the use of triplets might have been the only complex piece we did in the ensemble. I felt that it could also earn me some high marks. I was then asked to play the scale and arpeggio used for the piece. 

    After doing the scale and arpeggio, Ms. Graham told me that she was so "touched by what you played" and she made sure to mention how well the arpeggios were done. I was like, “Yes! Thank you, Jesus!” It seemed as if she was trying to find a way to describe the way the arpeggios were played to Miss Saunders but did find the word.

    After I took a chair from up on the stage and sat by the table with Ms. Graham, Ms. Saunders and I asked her for tips about my Set Works in Paper 1. Unfortunately, she didn’t know about that either. So, I didn’t know how I was going to get the information to study for the part of the examination. Mr. Lewis was also not going to help me which I had a strong feeling about from the very beginning and there wasn’t anyone else to ask for help. I mostly had to use the CXC music syllabus as I was doing all this time.

    Ms. Graham gave me a form to fill out concerning the paper 1 examination. It was to do with how many songs I had in my "folder" and also how much I had to play. They didn’t tell me what was my student’s number or what the number of the registration was but I knew my school centre number was 160023. Ms. Graham signed it and then gave the form back to me to sign. Both she and Ms. Saunders look at the paper when I was about to sign. I looked at them and laughed out when I saw their curious faces to see how I would have signed. After Ms. Saunders signed the form Ms. Graham took the paper and then said, “Oh Shery-Ann, you could do much better than this.” It was about my signature and I still loved it, lolz. 

    As she was leaving, I gave Ms. Graham the SBA with the CD inside and the Performance booklet I had made and had bound to give her. She didn’t know that it was a present. I decided to give her it as a personal gift because at first, I thought that it was something to submit with the examiner. Then I gave Ms. Saunders a copy also. I had my copies of the SBA, Performance booklet and the CXC Music syllabus. 

    Ms. Saunders was asking how much the cost for all the copies was because she so appreciated how I had gone and bonded her CXC syllabus for her. As for me, I didn’t like having a book to be so unprotected. I have this very big obsession for books and I certainly could not have given her back syllabus copy in a way that it could have been damaged easily. 

    On walking to the Auditorium with my heavy bags and my book stand in my green cloth bag, I held out a bag with two small boxes of cheesecake and two forks. She told me that she had to go and pick up her niece and then I told her I had planned to sit down and eat a cheesecake with her after the exam. I let her go and I took home the cheesecake and stored it in the fridge for the next day. 

    Another day was over and finished successfully. I still cannot imagine the morning I had today to get copies of the work I had made of today’s examination as presents for some of my teacher’s. I had to miss the whole morning sessions of classes to get the SBA printed and put together the CD for it and then run to the stationary store with it to get them spiral bound. All in the end it was worth it and I am grateful for the happy ending.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Stress with Hillview Music Teacher

 Date for Entry: (Friday 27th February, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today at lunchtime in Hillview I went up to the staff room to see Miss Saunders about the CXC music School-Based Assessment (SBA). I showed her an amended scrap copy of the SBA that Mr Bartolome went through with me. I was not sure about the deadline date to hand up the SBA and so I told her that all the other subject teachers were collecting their projects to hand into CXC. 

    She told me that she called Ms. Graham and she said that the deadline was to be submitted a long time ago. So, the two of us went down to the Deans' office. Ms. Saunders was going to ask for some advice from Miss Brooks. The three of us had been in a deep conversation about this same project for about half an hour. While Ms. Brooks left getting angry, Ms. Saunders sat down with me by a small table in the same office and we both went through the project. I didn’t like having to be so unprepared because I didn’t know about the things to do for the SBA and time was now of the essence. Miss Saunders too seem like she didn't want to go through this. 

    We both took the sixth to eighth periods in the deans' office to do this. And then Ms. Lalchan came in to help us print some forms after they called Ms. Graham again over the telephone. She had said that the marks were to be submitted over the computer by midnight that night. 

    Miss Brooks had to beg Ms. Saunders to correct the SBA for me and then I had to promise to bring Miss Brooks a roti by Monday for getting Miss Saunders to correct the SBA. 

    Then Ms. Saunders told us the story about how a student who wanted to do music couldn’t because she was "judging for Panorama and then the time for marking his SBA was done over." I just felt so bad and remembered that morning earlier in the week before assembly when Ifeaye told me he wasn’t bothering to do the Music course for CXC again and I knew that it would be tough for him especially with those labs he had to do. 

    After that was done, Ms. Saunders told me to go and collect my bags from class and to meet her back by the Vice Principal’s office. Ms. Lalchan was acting Vice-Principal at that time of the school term. She had made copies of Music forms for CXC music three different times because both Ms. Saunders and I didn’t know which forms were for which project. There were also the same sets that had to be filled out separate by myself, Miss Saunders and the person to mark the project. 

    On reaching back to Ms. Lalchan’s office, Ms. Saunders came in after and she sat beside Ms. Lalchan. They both went through all the information with me on the side of the Computer table. They put in my name and the Ifeaye’s names into the mark sheet of CXC’s score sheet since we were the only two students who registered to do the music. They had to put an Ungraded (U) for Ifeaye because he didn’t submit the SBA. Ms. Lalchan told us, "If you don’t do the SBA, it comes as if you didn’t give an account of the work you’ve done for the past two years."

    Well, I can understand he couldn’t make it because of the science and had to write up all of those labs. For me, I wish I had all of those labs to write up. They are so enjoyable to me and fun to write up. Thank God he sent Ms. Lalchan to teach us Integrated Science. She was a better teacher in this subject for me than the other three who stepped in to carry on our class. Even that class did not have a teacher. 

    In the end, Ms. Saunders was asked by Ms. Lalchan, what grade she should give me. Then she asked me and I told her a two (II) because Ms. Ramnarine told her class before I left it, that when she put a grade, CXC usually gives you another either above or below. This was my chance to hopefully aim for a one (I) but it will take so much for that Paper one Set Work of which I am definitely not prepared or even ready for. 

    Before I left school, I meet Ms. Saunders back up where we both had this long eventful evening to get the syllabus. I wanted to photocopy it because it had vital information about the whole course and I had to be prepared for what was expected, especially for what was coming and to see if I had to do more things we both did not know about.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Meeting with a new Music Teacher

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 25th February, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today this afternoon, dad picked me up very early in Honeymoon Ground outside of the school compound. We were both going up to Mr. Lewis’ School in Trincity. He had helped me to get some knowledge about some information about the CXC music from another music teacher.

    Arriving at the school’s compound, I didn’t have an extra notebook to take notes so I took my Information Technology notebook instead and used the back like the Quran. The security made us sign an attendance book and then I met Denisa who played for Panorama with me in Starlift last year. She helped us to get to the correct classroom.

    Shortly after, Mr. Lewis came to check up on us before he left school. Then there were a lot of things to learn but I took it all down. But I knew that Mr. Lewis told me the reason why I shouldn’t have taken this CXC class. It would be extremely difficult to complete a two-year course in one month and that with this Music Programme and there is always more to learn that is required for the examination. I could feel a lot of work needed and in my mind, I was aware of the short space of time remaining for me to do it.

    Mr. Bartolome showed me the difference between polyphonic and monophonic musical textures with the “Hallelujah Chorus” in the Symphony form using only voices. Some other thing I needed to know was done in brief. He also explained how a teacher is expecting to see the assignment upon submission. a copy of the assignment in the draft was emailed before the meeting.

    Meanwhile, he went through the same SBA again and told me that the examiners wants it to be in point form instead of being in essay format because it would be easy for the moderator to mark. He then told me that I was missing most of the things needed for the analysis so he printed out a mark sheet and showed me. He also pointed out that I can try to use commercials with different genres to give a better comparison.

    I asked him for some tips about the compositions and arrangement and for on the set works. He could not believe me when I told him the problem with Ms Saunders and me not having a Music Room in school and didn’t start the two-year Course for CXC Music. So, then he told me that I can ask Mr. Lewis for some help with the set works. 

    We left the school soon after. The lesson spent had given me some confidence and more encouragement to keep going on forward with the CXC music. That night I took out and rearranged the things in the advertisement analysis’ I did for the SBA. I went to search for advertisements on YouTube for better comparison that night. I had the mark sheet that Mr. Bartolome gave to find easy ones I might be able to do. 

    It ended the day which was a really tough day at school with one of the most heartbreaking conversations I had to go through. I hope that this person could forgive me for all the wrong I have done even though I do not deserve it. The problem is rising and I'm still in all this hurt. Jesus, please help me. Maybe more rain can come to assist with this situation.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Visitor & Big Trouble

Date for Entry: (Unknown/ Forgotten)

[2015: Form 5 West; Friday]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today during my last two periods of school in Spanish class with Mrs. Naidoo-Paul, a student came by to send a message. He said that Ms. Saunders wanted to see me and Ifeaye in the school’s office. But when Mrs. Paul was giving me permission to go, she called me to her desk and said that she didn’t see Ms. Saunders all day so she let me go down to the office.

    While leaving class, I met up with Ifeaye in the corridors and we both walked down together. We both didn’t know what was happening but it must have been something t do with music. And that being about music, I felt happy. I thought may there was some type of challenge or special assignment we might get to work on? I really wished it was that way, lolz.

    At last, we arrived up in the office. This lady was standing up by the doorway talking to Ms. Saunders and then Miss called us over. She took us and the lady into the conference room. It was more of a small dining room looking are with various trophies in a wide glass cabinet above on the walls. It looked like millions of them in there.   

    While the conversation was going on, Miss Saunders looked like if she could have caught an instant heart attack. As for me, I had sharp chest pain and headache from the lady. She said that I look like the one getting the heart attack this evening. 

    Firstly, Ms. Graham (the lady) gave us a copy of the Music Syllabus to look through and she went through the objectives of the School-Based Assessment (SBA) – Paper 3, as well as the Paper 2 – Composition and Arrangement. I had a big fear about the performance art in Paper 2 because she said that we would have to do a group performance and arrange it ourselves. I didn’t even know how to arrange it as yet. 

    Ms. Graham was completely shocked when she found out that there was no work done for the past two years to get the CXC Course. This was by music classes and included no work done at all towards our SBAs and other individual projects that were expected to be submitted. 

    Miss Saunders, Ifeaye and I knew that we had no Music Room in the school and the timetable the school design would never permit it. Even if we did try to make it work, a certain teacher would give us trouble and say that we're not allowed to have a free period. 

    Ms. Graham gave both Ifeaye and me a short but quiet message as well to Ms Saunders that Ms Saunders should have been checking our SBA work along the time, while we were not doing so. More trouble came with this. 

    As all that was over, she gave Ms. Saunders the Syllabus to keep, some forms (mark sheets, the Music Declaration forms and some others for the SBA). She then showed us some other things about music compositions about finding out motifs, and tips on how Beethoven did with his fifth Symphony.  

    My issue was the length and how we should begin to start arranging and composing. With that question asked, she did a short activity with us in front of Ms. Saunders and Ms. Ramnarine who was my Principles of Accounts teacher. She was cutting tickets for the School’s Annual Walk-a-thon on the side of the same table we were at. I was glad to drop her class eventually after some time. I don't know if she really did hate me.

    Experiencing this activity doing improvisation and singing, I knew that I would have to learn arranging skills from Ifeaye and he might get an idea of composition for me. Because he always said that I was a good composer and I know that he is a good arranger. 

    Ms Graham told one of us to start a beat. Any kind of our liking and then the other should come in with a piece of melody to suit the background beat. While the two of us were trying to find a beat, she wanted us to start immediately when she said, “Anytime today would be fine” so I began to sing a bass piece in the same rhythm of “Sugar Bum” that I did for Pan Minors. After repeating two times, I started to solo but Ms. Graham wanted me to continue the same thing while she put Ifeaye to do the Improvisation. Ms. Saunders told me to start again and Ms. Graham told Ifeaye to join in. Then she cut Ifeaye out and then I finished it with the same thing twice. 

    That activity was fun and then she told us it was about more than fifteen bars made in singing already. Ms. Graham said that the piece we were to compose should match our current grade in performance. She said that the composition should be about sixty bars and above because anything less might have been too short. 

    At the end of this conversation, it gave me and Ifeaye worries about dropping the subject. This was our little conversation during the last few minutes of the eighth period in the corridors by the Form four-block. There was just so many things to do and will not be that easy to do in such a short space of time before the CXC Examinations begin. Even if I can do music as normal, it felt impossible to do all the coursework for the two-year program in three weeks. 

Link(s):

1. CXC Music Syllabus - May/June 2011.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Hillview College’s 60th Anniversary

Date for Entry: (Monday 19th January, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 23rd June, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the Anniversary of Hillview College. All the students had to wear our formal clothing in the white shirt and tie with our school pants. However, all of us in the Steel Ensemble had to wear long-sleeve shirts. While I was in the Auditorium, I helped them place chairs out and Uncle Ralph from Church met me and I shook his hands. 

    Finally, the processional took place. There were people from Radio 91.1 and the Government Ministers: Kevin Ramnarine, Rudy Indarsingh and Dr. Tim Goopesingh. During the service, the Steel Ensemble had to play Happy Birthday on the Pan but then the boys were who supposed to play were late and the four students who were there to learn the song in practice got nervous and didn’t want to play. This meant that I had to go and play all by myself. 

    While playing, Ms. Ramdeen had to sing along. I thought it was going to be fun to play while she was singing. But I was dead wrong. The woman messed it up and I couldn't believe what she did. This is one I will regret forever. I thought all the time when she was moving like if she could actually sing she just did that to me. I felt like one big fool up there behind the pan on the stage. Although it is something the ensemble members and myself unbelievably had to get accustomed to not being thanked for the services we provided.

    While the function went onwards, she had to sing in a group with three students and the nice lady who was the president of the PTA. It was not really a choir but something that they probably tried.

    At the end of the function, the Education Minister and the Principle was in an activity called “Turning of the Sod” to give us permission to construct a new building. I was hoping that there would finally be space for a Music Room. Even Miss Saunders said the same thing when some of the pan members were in a workshop with a Hillview Old Boy named Mr. Patrick Mcnielle, who started the pan Ensemble in his days at school. He taught us some basic secrets he discovered on the pan about scales and arpeggios. 

    From this lesson on the Tenor Pan, he taught us one of the secrets in playing the major scale, which was that the first three notes of the scale would be on one side, while the other four pitches surrounding them and you go home to the tonic note in the higher register. 

    The whole school had left to go on a marching activity to Aramalaya and I decided to stay back. I stayed in the Hall and Watch the Flags of the different Houses and also cleaned up the table on the stage. It was there that I got a copy of the Programme not in the white photocopied paper, but the pretty coloured brown paper and I took another one in the cardboard to the side. I didn’t bother to ask for them because I knew that it was going to be thrown away or get thrown into a cupboard and get forgotten about. 

    All-day long I felt proud to be a student of the school and there was the voice in my mind that told me how important education is. I would have to work very hard to "climb the hill" in order and conquer success. Seeing that education was the purpose of the school while sitting in the remainder of today’s function, showed me that I too have the power to succeed in my examinations at CXC if I put in that extra bit of work to get a good grade.

Link(s):

1. Hillview College's 60th Anniversary Program.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Field Trip to Chaguaramas Convention Centre

 Date for Entry: (Thursday 1st May, 2014)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 24th June, 2021)

 

Dear Diary,

    Today some students of the school were going on a field trip to a Career Fair, Conference and Entertainment Expo at the Chaguaramas Convention Center. I was excited about this. The trip was very long but it was good. The boys from Form 4 East sang most of the songs during the day. The formal wear made it all hot too.

    The lunch break was short. Probably about half an hour. Three teachers and Ms. Saunders went to the side of the bay. This was outside of the building, across the road and far down to the part meeting the ocean. While I was walking with Joshua, we both had a  really good joke to laugh about we both lost it. The four teachers sat on a tree log and I stood in the back. I did not feel to eat anything so I opened a bottle of cranberry water that they were giving out for free. I took an extra free bottle but gave it to someone who got thirsty. 

    Later that day, I saw Akeelah from CXC Masters but she was very busy so I just wave bye-bye with my hand through the air. When the conference continued after lunch, we were taught about two boys who first worked for Marchell Montano. And then Kes and Riki Jai were there. I was glad to leave because it was a bit kind of boring at the same time. Plus, Chutney isn’t really my favourite type of music. 

    On leaving the Convention Center, we were given a Police escort back from Chaguaramas all the way to Hillview's compound. I took my blue Decibel cloth bag they gave us and went home when dad came to pick me up. I wished that I was able t take photographs of some of the things that had happened.

Link(s):

1. Official Hillview Letter to Chaguaramas Field Trip.

Daryl Zion M. Ali