QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES AND PROCESSES IN THE SINGAPORE YOUTH FESTIVAL

I would like to thank Mdm Margaret Tay for her contribution of the following document.


QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES AND PROCESSES IN THE SINGAPORE YOUTH FESTIVAL 2007 CENTRAL JUDGING FOR CONCERT BAND (SECONDARY SCHOOL)

During dialogue session for the 2007 SYF Central Judging for Secondary School Bands held on 17-Apr-07, one of the judges, Mr. Grant Okamura who was one of the adjudicators, said that standard of Singapore wind bands have improved tremendously from his experience with bands that have visited Hawaii over the years.

His statement intrigued us. It made us wonder how many of our local wind bands would
have visited Hawaii for Mr. Okamura to draw his conclusion.

Further investigation revealed that there are links between him and several adjudicators with conductors Mr. David Glosz and his apprentice Mr. Brando Tan. These conductors are the conductors of the participating bands at the SYF.

Further investigations point to the fact that only these two conductors have bands not getting less than a gold award.

Results from 2007 SYF Indoor Band Central Judging (Secondary)

Commonwealth Secondary School - Gold
Xinmin Secondary School - Gold
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School - Gold with Honours
St Andrew's Secondary School - Gold
St Patrick's Secondary School - Gold with Honours

Indeed, the evidence suggests questionable practices and process at during in the
Singapore Youth Festival Concert Band Secondary School Division.

Why was it such a coincidence these two conductors did so well when they are linked to the adjudicators? How did the Ministry of Education choose the Adjudicators? Why are there so many adjudicators selected from America are linked to these two Singaporean conductors who participated in the SYF? Where were the Best Practices that was in place in the past to ensure that the adjudicators are from different countries? Why is there such a strong coincidence that so many of the adjudicators are linked to one or two of the conductors of the participating bands? Is that why these conductors did so well in the Central Judging? Who provided the names? Who approved the names? What were the processes to ensure that these relations do not interfere in the adjudication process? Why were these links not disclosed? What were the processes to prevent conflict of interest? Were the judges’ background vetted and cleared to ensure that the impartiality in the festival adjudication would prevail? Why was the Ministry not transparent about these facts?

In addition to the investigation, some of the adjudicators are found not to be experts in the field of indoor concert band. For example, Mr. Rob Eklund, one of the adjudicators, is clearly very active and expert in outdoor marching band. From the evidence below, he has not involved actively in indoor band let alone indoor band competition. The other adjudicator, Dr. Gene Aitken, is an expert in Jazz music. For the 26 years in the University of Northern Colorado, Dr. Aitken had been involved actively in jazz studies. His 30 publications are all in Jazz studies. Getting him to adjudicate is equivalent to get Michael Jackson to adjudicate our Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

In comparing to the past adjudicators panel, qualified adjudicators were selected. How were this year’s adjudicators selected? Why are they, despite not an expert in the field of concert band, are selected? What were the processes to screen the background of the adjudicators? Why were the Best Practices of selection of adjudicators like in the previous years not continued? How can we ensure that judges selection for future SYFs would be carefully assessed?

The Singapore Youth Festival Indoor Band Central Judging 2007 (Secondary) has a strong significance and impact to the principals, teachers, parents, students and instructors. Students have spent hours of relentless practice and sacrifices in preparing this event. Schools have spent significant amount of time and economic investments. Schools instructors’ livelihood is also dependent on the result of the SYF central judging as a measure of their employment. Indeed, these questionable processes and practices found in the Singapore Youth Festival Indoor Band Central Judging 2007 (Secondary) are detrimental to the entire Ministry of Education. These practices bring our goal towards a transparent government into question.

We strongly urged the Ministry of Education to investigate these issues. Thank you for taking your time to read this.

EVIDENCE

Singaporean Wind Bands in Hawaii
Researching on the matter, the list bands which visited the prominent Pacific Basin Music Basin Festival in Hawaii are as follows:-
Year Band Conductor Award
1992 St Andrew’s School Military Band Mr. David Glosz Gold
1993 St Patrick’s School Military Band Mr. David Glosz Gold
1994 St Andrew’s School Military Band Mr. David Glosz Gold
1995 St Andrew’s Junior College Band Mr. David Glosz Silver
1999 St Andrew’s Junior College Band Mr. David Glosz Gold

2000 Singapore Festival Winds (Comprising Of: St. Andrew’s Junior College, St.
Andrew’s School, St. Patrick’s School,Commonwealth Sec School)Mr. David Glosz, Mr. Brando Tan, Mr. William Yeo, Mr. Jason de Hummel Gold

2000 Chinese High School Band Mr. David Glosz Silver
2006 St Patrick’s School Military Band Mr. David Glosz Gold

The findings reflect Mr. David Glosz and his bands as the key representation of Singaporean wind band participation at this particular festival over a period of fourteen years.

As reflected in Mr. Okamura’s profile, extracted from the University of Hawaii Music
Department website at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~gokamura/welcome.htm, Mr. Okamura
has served as adjudicator and clinician at the Pacific Basin Band Festivals

Most evidently, Mr. Okamura would have most definitely engaged with Mr. Glosz since Year 2000. Mr. Okamura was the adjudication for the 2000 Pacific Basin
Music Basin Festival where Mr. Glosz and his bands, Singapore Festival Winds and Chinese High School, had participated.

Singaporean Conductor’s Association with American Wind Band Colleagues
Mr. David Glosz’s profile indicated his close association with the colleagues from the American Wind Band arena like Prof William Johnson, Dr. David Goedecke and Dr. James Bankhead. Other prominent figures include Dr. Robert Halseth, Past President of the Western Division of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and Mr. Meryl J. Wamhoff, who served as the President of the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) from 2003 to 2004. (http://worldwidehoney.com/fov/DavidFrame.html)

Both Dr. Halseth and Mr. Wamhoff have acknowledged their association with Singapore
Festival Winds as their Principal Guest Conductor and Conductor respectively.
Mr. Glosz’s ties with his American colleagues would have been strengthened with his visits to the Pacific Basin Music Basin Festivals in Hawaii, US as well as his visits with his bands to California, US in 1994, 2000, and 2004. In 2004, his St Andrew’s School Military Band was a guest of the California Band Director's Association (CBDA) Conference in Fresno, California.

SYF Judges as Fellow American Colleagues
Dr. Tony Mazzaferro, also one of the judges for the 2007 SYF Central Judging for Secondary School Concert Bands, is a Californian and a member of California Band Director's Association (CBDA) and College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).

Besides being members of the same band associations, Dr. Mazzaferro had worked with Dr. Halseth at least on one occasion during the University of the Pacific - Pacific Music Camp, not to mention the annual band association conferences orgainised by the CBDA and CBDNA.

Dr. Mazzaferro was also fellow adjudicators with Mr. Grant Okamura at the 20th Pacific Basin Music Festival in 2005 (refer to the video presentation for the 20th Pacific Basin Music Festival at http://world-projects.com/dvd/pbmf_03_320.wmv. Declaration of festival adjudicators at point 1:53 of video presentation). Dr. Mazzaferro was again, an adjudicator at the 2007 Pacific Basin Wind Band Festival in March 2007.

Dr. Mazzaferro and Dr. Gene Aitken, another US judge for the 2007 SYF Central Judging for Secondary School Concert Bands, were committee members at the 2001 Midwest Conference, in Chicago.

Mr. Grant Okamura and Dr. Halseth were also fellow adjudicators at 2000 Pacific Basin Wind Band Festival.

Domination of North American Judges in 2007 SYF Central Judging for Secondary
School Concert Bands

The recent Central Judging for Secondary School Concert Bands saw a record of number of North American Judges in the panel of adjudicators, making up five of the seven
adjudicators.

With such close working relations amongst the North Americans in their wind band
movement, and given the strong networking that Mr. David Glosz and his apprentice Mr.
Brando Tan had with the North Americans, what were the processes to prevent conflict of interest? Why these links not been disclosed? Why was there an over dominance of judges from the continent of North America in SYF2007? Was it not a conflict of interest? Is that why they did so well in the SYF?

Questionable Expertise of Judges for 2007 SYF Central Judging for Secondary
School Concert Bands

The some of judges for this year’s SYF did not have their expertise in wind band concert music.

Dr. Gene Aitken is more well-known in the US for his expertise in Jazz education and
computer technology. Quoting from http://www.geneaitken.com/biography/, “From 1976 to 2002, Dr. Aitken was Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado, Colorado, one of the most well- known jazz programs in the world.” Dr. Aitken was been appointed Professor Emeritus by University of Northern Colorado in 2002 since his retirement from the position Director of Jazz Studies.

Mr. Rob Eklund was the President of the Canadian Band Association in 1983.
However he is better known as the Executive Director and Founder of the World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB) based in Calgary and as the retired Director of The Calgary Stampede Show Band.

Mr. Eklund has been actively involved in the various marching show band programs in Asia. Most recent and upcoming events include:-
- 2006 World Marching Show Band Championship (Jeju, Korea – August 2006)
- 2007 Hong Kong Marching Band Directors’ Conference (Hong Kong - 5 April 2007)
- Launch of Kuala Lumpur World Marching Band Competition 2007 (KL, Malaysia – 14 April 2007)
- 2007 Hong Kong Marching Band Festival (Hong Kong – 30 July 2007)

Judges of Previous SYFs

In contrast to the 2007 SYF judges, the judges in previous SYFs would consist of a panel
wind band experts across various continents, making up a fair composition. The judges
included:-
Mr. Toru Miura (Japan)
- B.M. degree From Tokyo National Univ. of Fine Arts and Music
- M.M. degree from Southern Mississippi Univ.
- attended in the world renowned Eastman School of Music and performed in the Eastman
Wind Ensemble under conducting of Dr. Donald Hansberger.
- Solo Euphoniumist with the world famous Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
- Instructor of euphonium and ensemble at the Kunitachi College of Music, the Sobi Music
Academy, the Soai University and the Toho Gakuen College.
- Served as the Euphonium Coordinator and the Vice President for International Relationship
of T.U.B.A..

Mr. Ralph Hultgren (Australia)
- Head of Pre-Tertiary Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, where he also directs the Wind Symphony program and lectures in conducting and instrumental pedagogy
- Active Composer and arranger
- As a trumpet musician, he has performed with the Central Band of the Royal Australian Air Force, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
- The recipient of the “Citation of Excellence,” the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association’s highest honor in 1998

Mr. Robert E. Foster (USA)
- Professor of Music, and Assistant Chairman of the Department of Music and Dance at the
University of Kansas
- Active composer and arranger
- Vice President of The John Philip Sousa Foundation
- Past president of the American Bandmasters Association, the National Band Association,
the Southwest Division of CBDNA, and of the Big 12 Band Directors Association.
- Has been on the board of directors for CBDNA, ABA, NBA, The John Philip Sousa
Foundation, and the Kansas Bandmasters Association,
- Selected one of the Ten Music Educators honored by the School Musician magazine, US
- Sits on the advisory board of the Instrumentalist Magazine
- Inducted into the US National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors in 2006

Why were the judges with obsolete relevance in the SYF2007 adjudication panel?
How was the selection criteria for the judges formulated for SYF2007? Why despite their
irrelevant expertise, they are still invited to adjudicate? Was it because they are linked to Mr. Glosz?

I wish to emphasize the fact that I am not alleging accusations at anyone. I am merely raising questions which I am sure are also burning in the minds of many.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW THIS

Dear Band Member,

Infringement of the SYF Rule

Hi. Thank you for visiting this site.

As a band member, it is your RIGHT to know about this incident which took place on 17 March 2007.

I refer to the SYF rule which states that the set pieces cannot be performed before 31 July 2007. On 17 March 2007, a public performance was held at Ang Mo Kio Community Center, involving the bands from Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, Commonwealth Secondary School and Xinmin Secondary School. Parents and friends of the performers, as well as members of the public, could purchase tickets at the entrance of the hall and view the performance.

The conductor of the three bands, Mr Brando Tan, was showcasing the growth of the junior band to the parents. However, there were also performances of the above-mentioned bands of the SYF set pieces, ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Safari’.

The assistant conductor of Ang Mo Kio Secondary School appeared to make an attempt to stop Mr Brando Tan from performing the set pieces. However, Mr Brando Tan confidently reassured the audience that he is on close terms with a CCAB officer, should any trouble arise.

This is a blatant infringement of the SYF rule and suggests that the CCAB will grant him personal favour in breaking a rule that applies to all. This shows scant respect to all other school bands which strictly adhere to the rule.

It is regrettable that Mr Brando Tan's success in his charges are tainted by such a character flaw, clearly exhibited to all attending the performance, which surely have a negative impact on the character development of every young mind present.

It makes a mockery of his speech before the performance that being in a band aids a child’s character development, when he openly suggested in such a way that pulling strings will get himself out of trouble. I deeply doubt his supposedly 'good' intentions as a music educator to instill knowledge and strong moral values to our young.

I believe that all of you are smart enough to make the correct judgement.

Thank you for taking your time to read this.