August 10, 2020
While artistic excellence is one of the core pursuits of the 21 CFA Arts Excellence Groups, the groups’ endeavours also include deepening a sense of heritage, artform experimentation, and contributing to the community through inspiring and thought-provoking performances.
The groups’ executive committees (ExCo) share their vision for AY 2020 as they welcome the NUS community to explore these artforms in the Arts Spotlight @ e-Student Life Fair!
Artistic excellence is honed through hours of practice, patience and introspection. The arts excellence groups aim to achieve this in many ways, such as pursuing artistic goals, focusing on techniques or appreciating nuances.
“Wind band music is for everyone, [especially] musicians that have just recently picked up an instrument. I believe that with passion and motivation, one could get far. Thus, I would like my art to spark that passion and drive for this targeted group.” shares Chan Yong Tat, NUS Wind Symphony President.
Similarly, NUS Symphony Orchestra president, Aviel Tey shares, “My goal for NUSSO this coming year is to have everyone improve together, raising the standards in technique and to deepen the understanding of history of classical music to better give context to the music we play.”
NUS Wind Symphony wants to encourage budding musicians to embrace the challenge of excelling in their art
For NUS Piano Ensemble and NUS Jazz Band, the focus is on paying attention to the details.
“I hope that fellow NUSPE members are able to appreciate such nuances and beauty that piano-playing can achieve, and learn more practice methods and contextual knowledge to help them achieve that – for both in their solo works and ensemble playing” reveals Oh Hui Xian, NUS Piano Ensemble President.
“This year, the exco and I would love to inspire more people into jazz by making our music clear and communicative. We also want to be a supportive platform where musicians can feel comfortable in embarking on their own journeys with jazz” explains Nathanial Tan, President of NUS Jazz Band.
NUS Jazz Band wants to inspire their audience with clear and communicative music this year
“I want to help every dancer reach their personal artistic goals as a dancer and ensure that their love for Indian Dance as an art form is enhanced” says NUS Indian Dance President, Himani Dharshini Vetrivelan.
Finally, NUS Chinese Drama President, Gao Jun, keeps it simple; “We want to complete a small production that we are proud of.”
While artistic excellence is one pursuit, other CFA Arts Excellence Groups seek to deepen their members’ cultural appreciation of the artform.
For NUS Dance Ensemble, the emphasis is on understanding and expressing Southeast Asian (SEA) culture. “[This] would make our movements and any pieces we do more meaningful through a better grasp of our craft” explains Erika Goh, NUSDE President. “I hope this can be effectively conveyed to the wider audience and raise awareness in unsaid issues related to the SEA culture.”
NUS Dance Ensemble wants to connect their audiences more closely with the Southeast Asian culture through their performances
“I hope The NUSChoir’s choral singing will be able to inspire audiences from all around the world through local concerts and also overseas competitions to represent Singapore.” says The NUSChoir President Marcus Lim. “I also hope that people unfamiliar with the choral scene will discover a liking and appreciation towards the art form just like how some of my non-choir friends did.”
Sarah Roslan, President of NUS Ilsa Tari, envisions a group that inspires a deeper appreciation in the younger audiences. “As a group, I wish for us to, most importantly, be more bonded and in sync with, not only one another but also with the artform. [We] want to inspire younger dancers to pursue the artform, ensuring that it continues to live on and evolve and stay relevant with the times. I would like to inspire their creative minds to instil their own personal style and flavour to the artform, letting them feel an even greater pride and belonging to it.”
NUS Ilsa Tari wants to connect the artform with younger dancers and encourage them to make it their own
Pang Shiying, President of the NUS Guitar Ensemble wants to “deliver engaging, meaningful performances in the coming year [to] spread public awareness and appreciation of the Niibori ensemble and our unique playing style. A personal wish of mine” she notes “is that the music we play [acts as] a source of hope and comfort to people in these trying times.”
NUS Lion Dance President, Luna Hua, wants to revive the traditional artform amongst the youth. “I hope NUS lion dance would be able to inspire young people and increase their interest in Lion Dance. I hope that it could also encourage more people to be part of [the artform] and change some of the negative mindsets they have towards people [who practice it].”
NUS Lion Dance wishes to revive the traditional artform
Some CFA Arts Excellence Groups are also looking into modernising their artforms and experimenting with techniques.
NUS Electronic Music Lab President, Tan E-Reng, seeks to liberate his members from conformity. “[I want to foster] an environment where my peers do not feel at all pressured to “perform well” or to achieve some arbitrary marker of “excellence”, but instead feel comfortable experimenting with their own styles and techniques.”
Suet Cheng Phua, President of NUS Chinese Dance is looking at refining the dance form as it evolves “I hope that we can continue developing our dance literacy together, be it in terms of technique, theory or understanding the history and context of Chinese dance. At the same time, I also look forward to engaging in more contemporary styles and concepts that can bring fresh and relevant perspectives into our artform.”
NUS Chinese Dance wants to include more contemporary styles and concepts to bring fresh perspectives to the artform
To Amanda Goh, President of NUS Dance Blast!, the artform is a tool of inspiration. “[Our] group will be a family of unique individuals who inspire, support, and positively impact the wider dance community through movement. I feel that dance is something dancers and non-dancers alike can appreciate. I hope that [our] art can inspire other dancers to always challenge themselves [and] discover new ways of moving!
“IIE wants to further explore new possibilities with Indian classical music like melodies and harmonies that are not usually found in “traditional” Indian classical music” explains Divyadarshini Thiruganasambandan, NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble President. “But at the same time [we] want to stay true to the essence and specialities of Indian classical music.”
NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble will experiment with harmonising Indian classical music with contemporary melodies
An encouraging outlook shared by many of the CFA Arts Excellence Groups is their desire to contribute back to our community through their works.
The Exxonmobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) Crew wants to support the arts on campus through their talents. “EMCC aims to offer more streamlined training for our members such that they have a platform to pursue their passion and transform their interests into a skill set. We also hope to continue providing quality support to the different arts events and productions on campus.”
Isha Jose Meleth, President of NUS Stage, has a clear vision of community engagement. “I would like NUS Stage to collaborate with, and engage in, community works. Theatre has the profound ability to inspire change amongst people and communities, and to do it in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner.”
Addressing social issues in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner is one of this year's goals for NUS Stage
NUS Dance Synergy President, Wong Jing Ting, wants the ExCo to “inspire the group to be active learners who seek out opportunities outside of the CCA, be it to perform, choreograph or watch others dance! In addition, I hope that Synergy can continue putting thought-provoking works on stage, and encourage conversations with the audience regarding our pieces.”
“I hope [our] art can inspire people who have an interest in music, especially if she or he has not been musically trained” shares NUS Harmonica President, Wang Peixuan. “It is never too late to pick up an instrument, and there are many things awaiting for you to explore in the world of music.”
nuSTUDIOS President, Ching Peng Chin wants to inspire NUS students to express themselves, “As a studio that is fully student-run, we hope that our films can become a form of expression of ideas for the student community, and hence we hope that our art can inspire other fellow students, give the students a little something to think about as they are about to step into the working society.”
nuSTUDIOS want to inspire the NUS community to express themselves through films
It all comes down to connections and community with NUS Chinese Orchestra President, Shi Peiyun. “We are in a fortunate position with the ability to connect with people of different ages, especially the youths. I hope to be able to construct a close-knitted CO community that is poised to grow and soar to greater heights.”
A common wish shared by all the CFA Arts Excellence Groups’ ExCos is to enhance the lives of their group members and audiences. If you share this passion, we invite you to learn more about them through conversations, open classes, welcome teas and online performances prepared by the groups throughout the e-Student Life Fair from 27 July to 6 September.
