Guitar Alive 2007

8 July, 7.30 p.m.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Auditorium, Malaysia Tourism Center

Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

Guitar Alive 2007 – A Fond Remembrance

‘Guitar Alive 2007’ held on 8 July 2007 was a very memorable event for many young classical guitarists. It was an event where many guitar enthusiasts came together regardless of playing abilities, age, social status or culture to present a musical performance to the public. Personally, I feel very honored to have been one of the participants. It has greatly strengthened my confidence and broadened my perspective on guitar playing.

Although the concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 pm, those participating either as performers or organizers were already at the concert hall by 4:00 pm (or earlier) for rehearsal. Well, I had to go early too and I had never been to MTC (Malaysia Tourist Centre) before. Guess what? I found MTC quite easily as the map on MTC's website is fairly accurate I must say. Now my second challenge was, where was the Tunku Abdul Rahman Auditorium Hall? Again it was not a problem, I just followed those who were holding guitars. It was much easier than I thought…

It was drizzling when I arrived and I saw people hurrying to the auditorium carrying their guitars and their beautiful smiles. As I was approaching the hall, I could hear laughter intermingled with the lovely strains of classical guitar music. When I entered the auditorium, I was very impressed. It was like a mini-theatre, equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, comfortable seats and good acoustic environment. I learned that it had a seating capacity of 400 people. It was then that I started to feel the excitement of this event!

There were a total of 12 groups comprising 90 participants who would be performing. The largest ensemble consisted of 20 members! During the rehearsal, every group was given a chance to play one piece so that the players would be familiar with the programme sequence and could get the feel of performing on stage. The rehearsal was very well organized with no major hiccups. All the participants were very cooperative and the rehearsal was over before I knew it. Then came the best part, FOOD, YES, we were fed nasi lemak after the rehearsal. Well, in case someone is wondering if I am making a complaint about the food, actually I am perfectly fine with nasi lemak. I just didn’t get to enjoy it as I was preoccupied with thoughts such as, "What is going to happen tonight?", "Will I fumble?", "What if I become totally numb during the performance?", "Will I let my team-mates down?" Such thoughts robbed me of the pleasure of any food enjoyment. Conclusion: Nasi lemak was edible, in fact, any food served would have been good but I wouldn’t have noticed.

After the break, the atmosphere was a little bit tense as the concert would be starting shortly. Many performers were making a last attempt to perfect their presentation and my 'kiasu' mentality suggested that I should do the same. Here I was, practising with my team, not forgetting there were another 2 or 3 teams practising in the same room. We had to play as loud as we could, not that we wanted to outshine the other team but we just couldn’t hear ourselves! Imagine a few groups (20-30 people) playing different pieces simultaneously, that was an ultimate guitar ensemble! Then I received a phone call from my wife saying, "We have arrived in the auditorium." When I heard her voice, somehow all my anxiety dissipated. For me, it was the most meaningful moment; to have people who are dearest to you support you and take an interest in your musical pursuit, it truly made my day. With such support, we must in turn ensure that they receive our utmost appreciation, which was to give our best in our performance.

The concert began at 7:40 pm with a short introduction and a welcoming speech. Each group did their very best to put up an impeccable performance. When it was my turn to perform with my fellow team-mates, we took a bow, made some final adjustments to our guitars and footstools, and there we went hitting our first note. I have played the pieces many times, either in my private practice or practice with my fellow team-mates, but this time it was different. Yes, it was different because we were playing for a cause, a cause to promote the beauty of the classical guitar, a cause to delight our guitar mentors and a cause to please people who are dearest to us. We felt very special and we felt honored to be part of this cause. After our final piece, we took another bow and we could hear loud applause from the audience. All of us felt that we had done something meaningful that day.

The concert ended about 9:40 pm and we had our final gathering to take a group photo. Each of us received a certification of participation. ‘Guitar Alive 2007’ has marked a milestone in my musical journey; I have discovered a new meaning in playing the guitar. I have discovered a new-found confidence in handling the instrument and I have met new friends who share my love for the guitar. I know that many years down the road, I would have nothing but fond memories of this event. Finally, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to the organisers, guitar mentors and people who had made direct or indirect contribution to this event. Your hard work is not in vain. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Bravo! Job well done!!!

Lim Seng Guan

Classical Guitar Lover


Lim Seng Guan is an engineer by profession and has just taken up classes again 3 months ago before Guitar Alive 2007.

click here for photos - unfortunately, I have been busy and will try my best to put in the photos as soon as possible. My apologies.