Singing is a passion for many people, whether as a bathroom solo singer or as part of a larger choir or an A Cappella group. Yet for most people, it is rare to hear of singing lessons the way one might hear about piano, violin and other music lessons. As such, we were very fortunate to have Ms Angelina Choo, founder of The A Cappella Society of Singapore and a trained soprano, teach us basic vocal training.
Despite having been in choir for about 6 years of my life, it was rather enlightening to hear many of the techniques I have been taught from a different perspective, pertaining to A Cappella singing as opposed to choral singing. I found the experience very enriching as she also went on to explain how different pitches were derived from different ‘levels’ of your body, using how singing a G corresponds to the cheekbones area as an example. She also explained how this ‘level’ was different for guys and girls. This was an intriguing concept I wasn’t previously familiar with and it helped explain why it was often so natural to sing an octave above a male line.
The different ‘levels’ and where different pitches resonate
Following that, Ms Angie had us participate in a rhythmic exercise where we were arranged in groups of 3 or 4 and each group was to clap, stomp or tap to a different rhythm of our choice to create an interlocking rhythm. As Ms Angie herself mentioned, this is often a difficult exercise and it was exciting when we managed to execute a rather competent round of rhythm!
Rhythm exercises
We then had an entertaining time doing a SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) version of Che Che Koolay, a folk song from Ghana, following her directions. During this time, we had fun discovering many ‘hidden talents’ amongst our fellow batchmates and seniors as amazing bass and beatboxers.
Hou Yi displaying his secret beatboxing skills
After that, we were instructed to split up into two groups to do our own rendition and edits to Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are” and Jessie J’s “Price Tag”. Although it was a little challenging and not quite as entertaining as an all-out karaoke might have been, it allowed us to begin to explore and understand how A Cappella singing was like and both groups managed to pull together to perform our very own adaptations of the songs.
It was unfortunate that due to a lack of time, some of the singing techniques had to be glossed over and we were not quite given the individual attention that is often required for vocal training or music training in general. However, overall, thanks to the Holistic Development portfolio, we had a fascinating experience and for many of us, it was very much an eye-opener.
“Pfft, yoga? Isn’t that the one where old people just randomly prance around in spandex on rubber mats?” I think my initial thoughts when faced with the word “Yoga” went something along those lines. Well, I wasn’t very excited about yoga at first, and being a serial exercise-hater, I was more than reluctant to put my name down for the class. But thinking about the one time my friend told me that it would help me with my perpetual tailbone problems, I took a small plunge and signed up for yoga. Turns out, this was one of the (relatively few) decisions I’ve not regretted making.
Hanging around before the session starts
The short workshop was organised for us by the Holistic Development portfolio, who invited Instructor War War from Ohmsantih Yoga to come down and teach us a few simple poses, stretches and exercises. As I walked into the hall, we were treated to a delicious buffet with lots of cream puffs and given a free yoga mat to take home. Excited chatter filled the function hall as people started getting hyped about finally being rid of all the stress built up over the semester. As I stood preparing the camera to take unglam shots of my friends (I was also one of the photographers covering the event) I wondered to myself, “is yoga really that magical?” but I told myself to keep an open mind as I watched the instructors walk in.
The class started out with a short “health benefits of yoga” lecture, complete with Powerpoint slides. It was really interesting to learn how yoga can improve our mental state (anxiety and inability to concentrate in lectures, begone!) and it intrigued me that yoga is also used as therapy for pre-natal women and elderly patients.
Next, we shifted into doing simple stretches led by Ms War War and her fellow instructor. We were taught how to take deep breaths (which, personally, I found extremely useful, as it helps me calm down during stressful exams) and how to move our bodies according to the rhythms of the breathing. Inhale and stretch your arms up. Exhale and relax.
Then it started getting intense. “You guys are only 18-25 years old, you should be able to at least reach your ankles!” Ms War War’s voice boomed out around me as I struggled to even reach my knees during the stretch, let alone my ankles. That was just the warm up, apparently, as I was then told to stand on all fours and lift my leg high up into the sky (whilst keeping it straight). The grimace on my face was clearly visible and my yell of pain clearly audible as I lifted my leg up and up. I was legitimately dying but I persevered and in the end I did manage to pull off the Three-Legged Dog pose somewhat legitimately. No, this was definitely not something only for old people who like prancing around in spandex!
Some “simple stretches”
As the class went on, time flew by, and before we knew it, we were all lying down on the floor with our eyes closed for the end-of-class relaxation exercise. The lights went off and my thoughts drifted away from the pile of homework waiting for me on my table. It was the most relaxed I’d felt since starting university and I was reluctant to wake myself from the trance. It was obvious that I was not the only one feeling this way, as some of my friends were still out cold on the floor when the lights came back on!
That night, I slept the best I’d ever slept in my life (a full 12 hours, to boot!). Thank you to Holistic Development for introducing us to the wonderful world of yoga!
A close-to-5-hours workshop was indeed worth it for a person who is kind of clueless in terms of personal branding, like myself. I am sure many people ask themselves these few questions when they are planning to write their resume: What qualities do I write on my resume; How do I write them without sounding too arrogant; and most importantly, how do I impress my potential employer with my resume?
Studies show that a resume on average only has 30 seconds to impress! In other words, to stand out amongst the hundreds of applications, you must have a strategy. Fret not, there are some guidelines on how you should write your resume effectively:
1. Have a target The resume should be written in the context of the company and the job position you are applying for. Before writing your resume, take a look at the company’s website to find out the key attributes they want in their applicants. More importantly, it also serves as a platform for you to find out if the working environment there suits you.
2. Paying attention to the nitty-gritty Errors to do with spelling, punctuation and grammar should be wiped away from your resume! One way to prevent these mistakes would be to proof-read your resume again and again, and it is important as committing these minor mistakes make it seem like you have done your resume haphazardly – which won’t give a good impression, will it?
3. Short and simple is key One major takeaway from this segment of the workshop was that “Simple is powerful; Less is more.” The ability to condense your prominent skills and abilities into a one-paged resume tells a lot about how you prioritise these achievements. To be able to stand out, it is essential to define the values you have acquired from the activities or events that you are involved in: many other people undertook the same type of leadership/event as you – it is the set of values that differentiate you from them.
Then again, language plays a great role too! Our career consultant, Mr Leo Tan, has kindly shared with us a systematic approach in writing our resume: by using the C-A-R, which stands for Competencies, Actions, and Results.
Thereafter, we moved onto the second segment of the workshop after a scrumptious dinner – how we can build connections using a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is similar to Facebook, except the fact that it is mostly utilised for professional purposes – to share ideas, to scout for job opportunities, or to promote corporate events. Being a newbie in LinkedIn, the sharing session by Mr Tan was definitely useful as he discussed how LinkedIn has helped him gain more connections and friends, which is crucial for his job as a career consultant.
LinkedIn sharing by Mr Leo Tan
Our dearest CY1101 Assistant Professors – Prof. Shao and Prof. Felipe have also kindly shared with us some tips on the prestigious Ph.D. scholarships in USA and Europe respectively. One main thing to take note for the application of overseas Ph.D. scholarships would definitely be the deadlines, so it would be recommended for those who are interested to start planning early! Again, a haphazardly done application would not reflect well on yourself, and do plan for time to go for university tours and open houses to understand more about the cultures of these schools and their curriculum.
Prof Shao sharing on the PhD scholarships in the USA
To end off, spend some time thinking about what you are special in – what attributes set you apart from the other candidates?
Special thanks to Mr Leo Tan, Prof. Shao, and Prof. Felipe for their sharings, and last but not least, thanks to the Holistic Development Committee for organising this workshop!
The CN Yang Scholars’ Club (CNYSC) is set up and run by the scholars of the CN Yang Scholars Programme. The management committee is elected by the scholars on an annual basis.
