ACE OF MACE

PIONEER journalist Jing Ting learns some musical moves as she takes up the role of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band's Drum Major.

Commanding a band. Twirling the mace, tossing it in the air and catching it swiftly.

Challenging? Check. Fun? Double check. Cool factor? Triple check.

Meeting the SAF Band's Chief Drum Major, Military Expert (ME) 1-2 Muhammad Hafis, was the easiest part. After agreeing to train me for a day, he revealed that he also had plans for me to command a 20-man band to give me a real taste of what it was like to be a Drum Major.

Learning the basics

I started off practising a clockwise twirl with a 0.6kg display mace (a normal one weighs about 0.9kg). The move began with holding the 1.4m mace upright with my right hand (thumb down) while my left hand (palm up) was positioned just below my right wrist.

As I twirled the mace clockwise with my right hand and let go, my left hand would continue the circular motion. And when the crown, or head of the mace, was upright again, my right hand would take over.

Considering that I'm rather strong for a female and my background in volleyball, I thought I would have no problems handling the mace.

However, I had a hard time twisting my right wrist just to hold the mace upright for the right-hand twirl. It got worse when I had to twirl the mace around my arm just using my wrist. My wrist ached with every twirl.

Let it go

ME1-2 Hafis then introduced me to the vertical throw. This turned out to be a nightmare. I had to flip the ferrule (the tail of the mace) up into the air completely with my right hand such that the mace did a 360-degree spin, and catch the mace as it came down vertically with the same hand.

The moment I threw the mace and looked up, I screamed and dodged. And every time I threw the mace, it flew all over the place. In the end, ME1-2 Hafis decided that I should attempt a less challenging throw.

It was the right-hand half flip from crown to ferrule that saved the day. This involved my right hand holding the top of the crown with the mace at a 70-degree angle to my waist while my left hand provided additional support. I then had to flip the mace up by the crown with my right hand and catch it upright with the same hand.

Finally, we moved on to the choreography that ME1-2 Hafis had created specially for me.

To my horror, I had to memorise a whole bunch of things - march, remember the sequence and moves of the display, all while counting to the beats under my breath. Luckily, ME1-2 Hafis was really patient and walked me through the steps tirelessly.

The real deal

The next day arrived almost too soon and I was a bundle of nerves. Each time I forgot a move, my stress level went up. I didn t want to waste the time of the 20-man SAF Band who took time out just for this story, and worse, disappoint ME1-2 Hafis.

However, all that changed when I donned the SAF Band uniform. Perhaps it was the weight of the drum major sash strapped across my shoulder or the smart white coat, but I really felt that I could do it!

As I shouted my commands and began my 10-minute routine, ME1-2 Hafis was never out of sight.

As he silently cheered me on, I suddenly realised what it was like to be him as a Drum Major. It was powerful yet stressful.

One wrong move and I could mess up the entire routine and music. Yet, with every swing of the mace, I commanded authority. The feeling was awesome.

I picked up speed in my displays and despite my calm demeanour, it was a big challenge recalling the next routine while performing the current one.

And then it was over. As I thanked ME1-2 Hafis and the band, I never felt more relieved. Through this experience, I gained a newfound respect for ME1-2 Hafis - his passion and commitment to his job and the band.

Now, I stand proud to say that I've been part of the SAF Band.

Moves in a typical mace display

Twirling (clockwise)

Duration to master: 1.5 months (master-hand); 2 months (non-master hand)
Difficulty level: 2 maces

Right-hand twirl

Duration to master: 2.5 months (includes transition between both hands)
Difficulty level: 4 maces

Right-hand half flip (from crown to ferrule)
Duration to master: 2 weeks
Difficulty level: 2 maces

Half-pendulum throw

Duration to master: 3 months
Difficulty level: 5 maces