PASSION for music brought a group of Form One to Form Five students from Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak (SDAR) in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, together.
But it was discipline, leadership, confidence and teamwork that propelled them to greater heights.
These qualities, developed through their participation in the SDAR Symphonic Band (SSB), recently earned them the Overall Champion title at the 24th National Fully Residential Schools (SBP) Wind Orchestra Festival 2026.
The victory marked the school’s return to the top a decade after it last won the championship in 2016.
Competing against 17 other SBP bands from across Malaysia, SSB also received the Gold Award, and Best Ensemble Section and Best Brass Section awards at the festival, held at Universiti Putra Malaysia from Aug 11 to 13.
SDAR senior assistant for co-curricular activities Noraishah Mohd Sharif said the victory was particularly meaningful after the school’s decade-long wait to reclaim the title.
“It is not simply about bringing home a trophy, but proof that the effort, discipline and spirit of teamwork instilled in our students can lead to achievements we can all be proud of,” she said in a press release.
Having bagged the national title, the band, comprising 41 musicians supported by 10 quartermasters, is not resting on its laurels. The ensemble is now gearing up for the Asian Music Games (AMG), to be held in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 5.
Its upcoming participation at the regional competition follows its success at the AMG 2026 National Qualifier, where it emerged champion in the Modern Concert Band category and received a Gold Award.
The band’s string of achievements this year, including a Gold Award at the Festival Kesenian Muzik Malaysia 2026 in Penang, reflects the collective effort of students balancing academic responsibilities with intensive rehearsals and band camps, teachers managing and guiding the team, parents providing financial and logistical support, and alumni contributing their knowledge and expertise, according to the press release.
Adam Asyraf Shazly, a former SSB member who has served as the band’s coach and mentor voluntarily since 2024, has worked with the students to strengthen their musical foundations, discipline and ensemble skills, while also arranging several musical works for SSB.
He said returning to the school is about more than winning competitions.
“Many of us were once in their shoes. We were SDAR boys who were guided by those before us. So when the time came for us to return and share what we know, we did it because of our passion for music and because we love SSB,” he said.
He also expressed hope of developing musicians who not only play well enough to win competitions but also understand discipline, teamwork and the importance of listening to one another.
“When every member stops playing as an individual and starts playing as one band, that is when we hear the true ‘One Band, One Sound’,” he said.
