It was almost as if somebody had died. They were just so quiet that I really wondered if they were listening to me at all. Juliana was crying away, so was Dee. Ben looked sullen and Nicholas looked pissed. The rest...I can't explain.

I'm at my wits end. I am not sure what sort of strategy would work on these bunch of kids anymore. I've tried both hard and soft approach. I pep talked them, scolded them, threatened them, tried to made them understand...almost everything. It just does not seem to be working. They have their own cliques among themselves, to begin with, and that makes it difficult for the section to gel together. They have a ring leader, but this ring leader has an attitude problem.

I am lost. The leaders were at a lost too. I had to tell them to perservere on and not to give up. I had to tell them that they were already doing a great job and that they were not lousy leaders just based on one section of the band. The whole band looked so sullen and gloomy when I dismissed them just now. Then Libin and Andrew nearly got into a fight and they were shouting at each other. I had to talk to Libin and then I talked the Andrew. Then I talked to the percussion section.

I did so much talking tonight! I scolded, advised, encouraged, chided, pleaded...everything.

I'm so exhuasted. Physically and mentally. They drain heaps of my energy.