Take 5: 22 May 2017 by Mrs Thang
Good morning, Gessians. Before we start today’s Take 5, let’s take a listen to a short piece that I’m about to play. Pay attention to the percussive part. Also, see if you can identify the motif within the song. It’s a tune which most of us are familiar with.
Play Fusion (Chan Mali Chan) ft. Riduan Zalani: https://youtu.be/NeuLJ1U_Mcw [1:00 fade out]
Anyone can guess what this song is? [Wait for responses] Well, it’s actually Chan Mali Chan, a variation played by Singapore’s renowned group, The TENG Company. How about the percussion part? Can you identify what instrument was that? [Wait for responses]
It’s actually a percussion called the pandeiro. This hand frame drum is popular in Brazil. Although it looks like a tambourine, the sound that it produces is different. The drumhead is tunable, and the rim holds metal jingles, which are cupped creating a crisper, drier and less sustained tone than the tambourine. One special function of the pandeiro is that one can run a finger along the head to produce a roll sound.
The person playing the pandeiro in this recording is none other than the Youth Artist Award winner in 2015, Riduan Zalani. As mentioned by PM Lee in his National Day Rally in 2013, Riduan, other than being a successful Malay percussionist, has brought the rhythm of kompang and other Malay percussions to countries like France, Australia and the US.
Riduan’s key influences were from his uncle, who brought him along to his traditional Malay dikir barat, tarian and kompang ensemble practice sessions since he was seven years old. Although Riduan is a multiple award winner, his success did not come easily. As a teenager, he faced hardships at home and had to work part time while studying to support the family. As he grew up, he realised his strong passion for the drums and began his journey of studying and understanding music from all over the world, venturing out to many other cultural heritages to learn about their traditions of music. And guess what, he did it without a drumming instructor.
All these could not have been possible without resilience. Imagine if Riduan had given up his love for music so that he can fully focus on working to earn money for his family, could he have been where he is today? He had to work very hard; juggling between work and pursuing his passion. That requires resilience! Mid-Year exam has just come to a close and I believe that most of you would have known your results by now. For those who have not done so well, let us not dwell in what we could have done better, but to look at what we have not done well and use it as a propeller to work even harder next semester.
Holidays are coming, and I believe most of us will take time to relax, rest and recharge for the coming school term. In order to bounce back, we need positive energy. Running out of positive energy can mean burn out, and undesirable illnesses like depression. How can we generate and conserve enough energy to keep us resilient in times of crisis and stress?
The key is to have balance in whatever we do. Balance includes taking time for relaxation and doing the things we enjoy, such as playing our favourite handphone game and catching the latest episode of our favourite Korean drama series. But don’t indulge in it. There are other pursuits that can give us a deeper, and more enriching fulfilment. How about helping out at an animal shelter or elderly centre? How about learning typography or photography? How about listening or remixing our favourite music?
This week, we celebrate the multifaceted strengths of Gessians through a series of Aesthetics programmes and ViA activities. I am heartened to see many of you signing up for the Doodle Wall, Cake and Soap Making Workshops and Recess Performances. Some of you have even come forth to submit your artworks for display and for the rest of the school to appreciate the process of engaging with creativity. There are many exciting programmes lined up for you, such as song dedications and Guess the Song trivia on Tuesday. On Thursday, which is the highlight, I am sure you will be thrilled and exhilarated by the many exciting recess performances put up by your teachers and peers. Not to forget, there will be Superpads and Piano Tiles showdown as well! I encourage everyone to participate actively, as performers or as audience.
This Wednesday, we will also be stepping out of the school to touch lives of others. On this ViA day, all of us will be visiting various care centres such as Thye Hwa Senior Activity Centre, Apex Daycentre, NKF Dialysis Centres, Jalan Kukoh Senior Activity Centre, Chin Swee Senior Activity Centre, Indus Moral Care, Kreta Ayer Senior Activity Centre, and so on. Just like your teachers and mentors, your words and actions, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, will impact someone, and who knows, it might even lighten up someone’s day.
Last but not least, spend some time to reflect the things you have done for the first half of year 2017. Make a note of and collect things that give you joy. These can be people in your life, jokes, poems, greeting cards, photos, stories, quotes, songs and so on. Anything that makes you smile, laugh, daydream or ponder. Each day, make sure you do at least one of the things, and truly immerse yourself in the experience.
All these things we do for the mind would not amount to very much if we do not do anything for the body as well. So, eat nutritious, healthy foods and exercise regularly. By strengthening our body, we can perform better under pressure, and recover from setbacks faster and more easily. Gessians, pay more attention to maintaining the positive energy in your life, and you will find yourself more resilient to the stresses of daily life.
References:
A Slice of Life by Eugene Loh
http://media.dropr.com/pdf/RhRmgC8f8QlnDeeI9Keib35woaBDKgKp.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandeiro
https://www.nac.gov.sg/naccorp/dam/jcr:c73dfb86-12a8-4379-a3e4-b3f02c89556d
https://www.schoolbag.sg/story/building-the-resilience-muscle