Teen acapella group imagines a way to encourage frontliners in the fight against Covid-19

Safe distancing measures and the prohibition of large group gatherings in this pandemic have taken a toll on the arts scene.

Concert performances and competitions that we usually expect to be taking place annually are now put on hold thanks to the other big C.

But with great crisis comes great persistence. Despite not being able to perform their music in an in-person concert, Syncopella, a student acapella choir from the School Of The Arts (SOTA) decided to continue singing to help others (and themselves!) ride through this tough time.

Project Imagine, a student-initiated collaborative project was thus born.

This group of 24 teen musicians aged 13 to 17 from across six artforms (Music, Dance,Theatre, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, and Film) at SOTA, came up with an acapella rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine.

The famous song aims to spread positivity by portraying a world where everyone is equal. It encourages listeners to imagine a world at peace without the divisions of religion and nationality and to hope for the whole of humanity to coexist without material possessions.

Says Val Chong, the head of Syncopella and Project Imagine coordinator: “We would like to raise awareness of the importance of art in this time of crisis. Art is multi-purposeful, powerful, and influential. The power of music is able to unify all Singaporeans and encourage us to press on through these tough times.”

She tells The Pride: “We hope that our acapella rendition is able to inspire other like-minded youths and young artists in pursuing their passion for music and to continue to remain hopeful and optimistic despite the cancellation of many live performances.”

To spread appreciation and hope through the power of music

Inspired by their teacher from SOTA, Project Imagine dedicated the music video to frontline workers during this pandemic.

Says Val: “Just as the song aims to spread positivity, we would also be able to spread this message of optimism to the frontline workers. We hope for them to pull through despite the tough times and to remain hopeful.”

The team wishes to let all frontline healthcare workers know that their efforts in keeping our nation safe is being recognised. They also want to remind everyone not to lag in our efforts against the virus and to inspire others to continue encouraging frontliners whom they know.

Singing virtually did have its challenges. For example, singing over Zoom meant that the team had to deal with audio latency issues – lag that made singing together much harder to coordinate. Nevertheless, the team saw these challenges as a motivation that kept the project going.

Says Val: “The power of music is best demonstrated in how we are able to convey this powerful message despite many hurdles and obstacles that come our way. Though we are unable to sing together as one acapella choir, we have the power to unite as one voice and show great appreciation for the frontline healthcare workers.”

She adds: “The power of technology made us realize that we can continue reaching out to our audiences through online platforms. Music should not only be limited to watching live performances, but it can be appreciated by anyone, anytime and anywhere.”

With the continuing global pandemic, many of our frontline healthcare workers are still risking their lives to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and performing the piece was a constant reminder for the team not to take their blessings for granted.

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Growing stronger as a team

Through this experience of giving back, the team has also emerged stronger together.

“Project Imagine has broadened my horizons as a student and as a performer. Even though switching to an online medium was definitely our biggest challenge, we managed to utilise it to its fullest potential to create a music video that exceeded our expectations, making this such an unforgettable experience for all of us.”

Mak Yau Wai, 17, conductor and music editor of Project Imagine shares with The Pride: “Project Imagine was both an interesting and fun experience for me as it allowed me to explore ways to express myself in both conducting and behind-the-scenes work. I am very thankful that we were still able to share what we have to the community, even in these difficult times.”

Reaching out to marginalised communities

Project Imagine’s goal is to reach out to as many people as possible across Singapore and to bring peace and happiness despite the Covid-19 situation.

Moving ahead, the team hopes to reach out to more marginalised communities.

Says Val: “We plan to do this through our participation in fundraising concerts and community services to be more engaged with the local communities. We will continue to hone and improve on our skills and techniques to strive for excellence.”

About Syncopella:
Syncopella consists of SOTA students from Year 1 to 6 from various artforms who work together on composing, performing, re-interpreting, and rearranging their favorite songs. Check them out at https://www.youtube.com/user/syncopella and https://soundcloud.com/syncopellaofficial

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