St . Josephs Institution Military Band
The St . Joseph ' s Institution Military Band ( S . J . I . M . B .) is ' a living memorial to the efforts of Rev . Brother Lawrence Robless who sought to give the celebration of our school functions that added dignity which only the presence of our very own marching band could . In 1957 , Mr . Adrian Villaneuva , who was men a Sergeant in the St . Joseph ' s Inst . Cadet Corps , was appointed the first Drum - Major . Far a long while afterwards , the Band drew its lifeblood from the Cadet Corps . This accounts for the many British military traditions one finds moulded into the character of the Band . From its very foundation the Band was to be a military one in every sense of the term . Besides its army affiliations , there was also incorporated into the Band , a woodwind section , thus making it military in the musical sense as well .
Our discipline , standard of drill , uniforms and martial music are prominent features of our military identity but we never fail to instil in our Bandsmen a deep comradeship that softens somewhat our harsh military regimentation . The welfare of Bandsmen comes first before all else in the implementation of Band policy . Never1heless when duty calls the Band can rely on its members to put in all the effort necessary to give a display worthy of the S . J . I . M . B .
A feature of the Band which has come to represent the proudest of our traditions , is the use of ropetension drums . Despite the taxing labour and skill needed to maintain such drums in good playing condition , our Band has managed to preserve the usage of these unique instruments which give a tone and quality to the music that no modern-day rod - tension drum can . We are ยท the only band in Singapore equipped with rope-tension drums and their continued usage is a tribute to all past drummers who have faithfully passed on the skill and experience necessary for the preservation of such a cherished institution . It is a matter of pride that on special occasions the whole Band is addressed by the Drum Major with the title ' Drums ' ( short for Corps of Drums ).
The S . J . I . M . B . is grateful to all who have contributed to what she is to-day . Rev . Brother Justinian is especially remembered for the interest and concern he had for the Band during his principalship . Mr . Vincent Undasan , a former Drum Major and later Officer-in-charge , will always be remembered ir , Jur Band signature tune " Josephians ' March " which his grandfather composed . Mr . Joseph Peters , another former Drum Major is a familiar face to all Bandsmen , helping us whenever he can . Rev . Bro . Joseph Guan and Mr . Arthur Tan , our present Music Director were responsible for our transition from musical infancy to a more mature standard . The latter especially made the transition possible by his patience and selfless effort . If it were not for Mr . Tan , our Band would have had to be disbanded and started again from " scratch ". He surely deserves to be made a part of our school and is already accepted by the Band and by many of the teaching staff as one of the Josephian family .
With all me effort being put into the Band , it cannot but always remain in a vital . integral part of our school . Rev . Brother Lawrence ' s ambition is still being realized to-day as the St . Joseph ' s Institution Military Band takes to the field to add that extra dash of colour and pageantry on all important school functions . It is not by accident mat the Band has always chosen to march under the School Colours . We know that we still have an important part to play as both Josephians and Bandsmen . By our many performances out of school , we become public witnesses to the well being and success of that education which me early founding Brothers sought to establish in this country . We also know that there will be obstacles and failures to face but with the experience of the past and the bright promise of the future , we cannot but take courage .
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