Pupuk Kaltim marching band wins competition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Pupuk Kaltim Marching Band from Bontang, East
\nKalimantan, broke the domination of Jakarta bands in the 1994
\nGrand Prix Marching Band competition for the First Lady's Trophy.<\/p>\n
Pupuk Kaltim was chosen the winner of the annual competition,
\nwhich was dominated by Jakarta-based marching bands for 12 years,
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
In the final round of the competition, Pupuk Kaltim Marching
\nBand, which belongs to state-owned fertilizer company PT Pupuk
\nKalimantan Timur, succeeded in captivating both the judges and
\nspectators.<\/p>\n
The band succeeded in mixing the grandeur of its musical
\narrangements, military movements and the solid sway of its flag
\ninto a breathtaking presentation.<\/p>\n
Pupuk Kaltim band forced all viewers, who came to support
\ntheir own favorite bands, into awed silence during its
\nperformance. The sincerest of applause was heard only when the
\nband finished playing its songs.<\/p>\n
The band started the show with a repertoire of songs from the
\nBatman movie soundtrack and closed it with a famous classical
\ntune, Puccini's Nessun Dorma.<\/p>\n
Their marching configuration was extremely sophisticated and
\nrequired solid teamwork, extensive practice and strong self
\nconfidence.<\/p>\n
Rene Conway, one of the American coaches hired by Pupuk Kaltim
\nband, said that self confidence was the major problem. A lack of
\nconfidence almost hampered them from winning the prestigious
\ntrophy.<\/p>\n
\"In the beginning my major problem in coaching these kids was
\nmaking them believe that they also can win,\" Conway said, adding
\nthat the band had been practicing for the event for nine months.<\/p>\n
Kirnadi, a noted local marching band guru who was the coach of
\nthe last year's champion, Korps Putri Tarakanita of Jakarta,
\nconfirmed that Pupuk Kaltim's weak self confidence problem nearly
\nthreatened their chances.<\/p>\n
\"Luckily the coaches kept boosting their competition spirit,\"
\nKirnadi said, adding that their skill is as same as the
\nparticipants from the capitol.<\/p>\n
Their success was also supported by strong financial backup.
\nThe band's team manager, Qammaruzaman, revealed that PT Pupuk
\nKaltim spent more than Rp 100 million (US$45,545) to finance the
\nband's participation in 1994 contest.<\/p>\n
Though money was not explicitly mentioned in its success
\nrecipe, Andy Dougherty, the band's other coach, said that the
\nmanagement of PT Pupuk Kaltim had been very cooperative.<\/p>\n
\"We were forced to do a lot of hard work to realize this
\nachievement,\" Dougherty said.<\/p>\n
During the event, which was held from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30 at
\nIstora Senayan sports hall, Central Jakarta, there were 22 groups
\ncompeting for the trophy, of whom only 12, mostly from outside
\nJakarta, succeeded in entering the final round.<\/p>\n
The victory of non Jakarta-based band shows that marching
\nbands are not the monopoly of the capital's young people.<\/p>\n
Pupuk Kaltim band's position was followed by the Tridinanti
\nUniversity from Palembang in South Sumatra, which was named as
\nfirst runner up.<\/p>\n
Putri Santa Ursula, the band from St. Ursula Catholic High
\nSchool in Jakarta, was declared second runner up, while last
\nyear's winner, Korps Putri Tarakanita, also a Catholic school
\nband, was forced to take the third runner up position this year.
\nTarakanita had won the grand trophy six times previously.<\/p>\n
Kirnadi said that the inability of Tarakanita to defend its
\ntitle this year was caused by their poor musical arrangement and
\nchoreography.<\/p>\n
\"They have good music and good visual attraction but somehow
\nit was not mixed well,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 1994 competition was tougher than the previous ones since
\nall of the 12 finalists designed their performances into musical
\nshows with special themes. The finalists were not merely marching
\nbands, they were moving orchestras.<\/p>\n
Pupuk Kaltim band took up the theme of Batman movies, with all
\nof its players wearing Batman masks and robes.<\/p>\n
The second runner up, Putri St. Ursula band, called its
\npresentation \"Walt Disney Extravaganza\". It played Walt Disney's
\nsongs, such as When you wish upon a star.<\/p>\n
Another finalist, Garuda Indonesia Drum Corp, a band, named
\nits performance Masa Kecilku (My Childhood), and played noted
\nchildren songs. (mas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pupuk-kaltim-marching-band-wins-competition-1447893297",
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