Petaling Jaya Sound

Petaling Jaya Sound is a Drum & Bugle Corps based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia and led by director Wakasagihime21. The corps was founded in July 19th 2020 and competed in its first season of FMA in Season 88. Currently, the corps compete in Division 1 of the Drum Corps Circuit.

Petaling Jaya Sound is a member of Drum Corps League (DCL).

## History

### The Dark Ages

Prior to the formation of Petaling Jaya Sound, there were no other drum corps that existed in the state of Selangor, let alone the entirety of Malaysia. Instead, there was only chaos in the local marching arts scene.

Ever since the early 2000s, bands from all over Selangor were perpetually embroiled in a musical war, vying for bragging rights to prove who was the best among the rest. High school bands were engaged in fiery feuds with one another, and even bands from one district bore a heavy dislike for one from another. Kepong provoked a war with Subang Jaya, Damansara had beef with Puchong, Kajang basically invaded Shah Alam, and the list goes on and on.

Yet, there was never a clear-cut answer. Sure, some bands claimed that they were better than others, but who's to say that that was the case? Performances are subjective, and the only ones who deserve to judge are the audiences themselves. The state of Selangor itself had a ton of musical talent, but it was sadly hindered by all the warfare that was going on.

### The Spark of Invention

Around the year of 2020, a freshly-graduated Wakasagihime21 heard about an up-and-coming marching arts circuit that accepted competition from all around the world — Fantasy Marching Arts. After attending some FMA shows personally, they were inspired and in awe of the sheer amount of talent and prowess displayed by the various corps and individuals who competed. This would soon serve to become sparks that would light the fire of a plan forming in their mind.

Upon returning home, Wakasagihime21 quickly put their plan into action. Putting their life at extreme risk, they somehow declared a ceasefire and managed to gather all the leaders of the various bands in Selangor for a daring proposal, now dubbed the "Petaling Jaya Conference". The young musician stood up for a passionate monologue, and the most essential part of it is as follows:

***"Our children will not grow. Our children will not grow if we continue to fight. Look at yourself. Look at all around you. Think about those who aren't sitting with us here today. Digest the amount of musical talent we have with us. Musical talent that will not grow — if we continue fighting. There is a whole world out there, and we are merely confined to this small bubble. It's time to take the next step already. It's time to broaden our horizons. It's time to put ourselves on the map. Show everybody from around the world what this small state from this small nation is capable of."*** - Wakasagihime21, *"The Petaling Jaya Conference"*, 21st March 2020.

Touched by this passionate speech, all the leaders unanimously agreed for an armistice — a permanent end to the war. At the end of the day, everyone reluctantly agreed that the battles were all meaningless and everyone lost. They lost because they lost opportunities to unleash their true potential; to take their talents to greater heights. But that all ends now.

### The Beginning of Petaling Jaya Sound

After the conference, Wakasagihime21 gathered a few trusted individuals among these leaders to form a committee with the objective of forming not only Selangor but Malaysia's very first Drum & Bugle corps. Bands from all over Selangor were ecstatic to hear this news. The top performers from various bands offered to join (and were accepted without hesitation) while others underwent an intense process of interviews and auditions. The ones who were eventually chosen all shared common values — they were extremely passionate in marching arts, and were eager to learn and improve themselves on an international level.

This drum corps didn't have a home nor a name yet. After an intense discussion, the location of the headquarters was chosen: The city of Petaling Jaya. Petaling Jaya was chosen as it has thick roots in the marching arts history of Malaysia, as well as its strategic location which allowed logistics to be performed with ease and swiftness. Members not from this district could easily arrive as the public transport system in Petaling Jaya connects to virtually the entirety of Selangor (excluding the more secluded locations such as Kuala Selangor, Ulu Selangor, Sekinchan, etc.).

The name "Petaling Jaya Sound" was chosen from a shortlist and the colours blue and yellow were chosen as the offical corps colours. Blue represented the unity between all the bands in Selangor; Gold represented the constant strive for excellence and improvement as a team. A motto for the corps was soon devised: ***"Kita Harmoni. Irama. Melodi."*** which translates to "We are Harmony. Rhythm. Melody." This emphasizes the unity and teamwork displayed among the members of Petaling Jaya Sound.

### Season Uno

After a series of crowdfunding and fundraisers, Petaling Jaya Sound finally had enough money to partake in a season of the FMA Drum Corps Circuit. With high ambitions, the corps travelled to the United States of America in hopes of a successful tour. However, a scheduling error meant that they only joined the circuit during the middle of the season instead of the beginning. In spite of this, they were not deterred and continued to perform with all their might and will, finishing in 20th place of Division 3 with a score of 57.380.

To many, this would be regarded as a failure, but to all the young and ambitious individuals of Petaling Jaya Sound, they were just so amazed and thankful that they were able to receive this opportunity to perform in front of an international audience. Director Wakasagihime21 told the members to just regard this as a learning experience as this was just their very first time competing as a corps. "This was fun, wasn't it? That's all that matters," they said at the end of the season.

### Season Dos

Petaling Jaya Sound returned to Fantasy Marching Arts with a newly improved version of the show they performed in their very first season, **"Malagueña Malaysia 2.0"**. This time, they managed to partake in the beginning of the season rather than the middle, which meant that this was their very first "true" experience of Fantasy Marching Arts. Under the direction of Wakasagihime21, all the members worked hard and tirelessly to improve both their musical and visual technique. Although the show was similar to last season's, it was significantly cleaner as the members slowly started to get used to the experience of competing in a Drum Corps Circuit.

This time, they managed to reach the Finals of Division 3, scoring 68.195 and placing in 11th Place. This would be a moment to remember for all the members of Petaling Jaya Sound, as this is where their journey truly begins.

### Subsequent Seasons

To be added.

P.S. Hi Si Feng. We took some of your mellophones. Will return soon. Probably.