4th Jul 2009

Enter a world where souls in kindred are given the space and listening to roam freely and take time to connect with each other. That is exactly the kind of grace and beauty that embraced over 60 concert-goers in the very unique, musical appreciation event, Music in Cognition.

Seated in a simple yet aptly furnished studio with a live band on set, many were first unsure of what to expect but their eases vanished quickly as host Jada Seet kicked off the event with an introduction and the band transited into the first of a series of classic songs.

As the beautiful lead vocalist of the night, Ms Fu Shihua later revealed, Music in Cognition is all about taking a step back to revel in the deep, enchanting mix of words that often gets unnoticed when one stumbles upon a melody pleasing to the ear.

Playing with a special emphasis on the singing and attention to lyrics, the band- composed of guitarist, Arun, bassist, Felix and percussionist, Melvin, performed superbly well to produce a tune that is neither overwhelming nor underappreciated. A noteworthy task, as you could visibly notice the audience being drawn away from the distractions of daily life and into the meaning behind the songs and appreciation.

One of the highlights is the rendition of the song. Imagine by pop Beatles icon, John Lennon. You could truly feel the baring of the soul reverberating throughout the room as Shihua voiced her heart out. What a truly captivating scene as the words sung captured the hearts of everyone present and left nothing to idle. In a world where we face an incessant bombardment of attention-grabbing noise everyday, it’s hard not to feel gratitude for this moment of bliss and purity.

A surprise performance by an elegant Teng Nging to the smooth and sexy sweetness of Dream A Little Dream of Me left many to adore what could be her hidden talent in singing. Furthermore, Si Min, founder of the Hello Campaign, also took the stage with both Shihua and Teng Nging to put in an unfamiliar, all-girls tribute to the smash hit, Caravan of Love by The Housemartins.

Towards the end of the event, the blend of rhythm, tunes and song had already transformed the studio into one with plenty of fun, shakes, claps, open affection and joyful bonding. A claim of exasperation could also be heard; when the now loved Shihua announced that the last of the songs were to be played – Man in the Mirror.

The combination of the words,“If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself, and then make a change,” the music present, and each other’s company – topped off as the climax of the night as they reached another depth of regard and recognition for the messages the people of the world tried to share through song and dance.

Music in Cognition presented a tremendous yet tasteful and refined effort into an art of listening to music and the pleasant journey a being can go through when one fully engages body, mind and soul into the melodies. It is one of the best, meaningful pockets of time I have ever invested on. The fact that this inaugural event had sold out all tickets and still had a waiting list is encouraging feedback to the organizers. To top that, requests are already being made for Music in Cognition 2, as well as listening CDs or DVDs of the event.

When was the last time you took time off and really appreciated the music you enjoy?

Drumming event

10 Jul 2009

Growing up with the TV and radio, you might have already been infused with a variety of favourite sounds and of different eras. If the only musical experience you have consists of singing along to the Karaoke system, playing air guitar (as well as the recorder) and finger-tapping to the beat of your favourite song, maybe you can appreciate the chance to play and make your own kind of music.

That is what transpired at the Andrew and Grace Home (AG Home) as a huge group of 25 youths and coaches attended the Heartbeat, Bring out the Drummer in You social event. Facilitated and led by accomplished and world-class percussionist NC Prakash, this group who knew nothing about drumming took a deep crash course into the skill of drumming.

When different drums of various shapes, sizes, sounds, origins and cultures were handed out to everyone, it became apparent that no one would be left out of the day’s program. Many were silently surprised because it was unexpected that everyone would participate. In fact, a majority did not know how to play either but Prakash easily brushed aside all their fears as he introduced the simplicity in playing a beat.

All it took were a few hits to a beat carefully guided by Prakash and soon enough the whole building, and later, the whole neighbourhood started being bombarded by the melodic dom, tak, tak, dom, tak sounds. By this time, the air of excitement had already gone up a few notches and there was a steady groove being built. I even went back to being a kid again and the only thing on my mind was to hit the drum over and over again.

A huge group orchestration added a big climax (amongst climaxes) to the fun as Prakash divided everyone into 3 teams and taught different rhythms for each of the teams. With each team playing at different times and different paces, the medley of knocks created a highly successful melody. This proved powerful indeed as it was the appearance of a real and collective heartbeat made by everyone.

In case incessant beating of drums devoid of all meaning except play is not your cup of tea – a special drumming technique for the beating out of negative forces were also engaged and played out by the drummers. Another drumming process led to a musically-fused declaration and showcase of everyone’s personal and important self-values.

Heartbeat delivered exactly what was promised. In the event of the drumming, worries about daily life started to fade out and in place came an elegant serenity followed by gradual flow weaving in and out of each drum beat. An enthusiastic belly dancer in practise had come up to the center of the group and freely danced herself away, knocking away many fears of embarrassment. In some drummers, you can observe and feel their full and spirited engagement showing up in their art of beating. Others laughed their hearts out with purity. In another case, a quiet girl whom you would think of as shy and introverted from the first glance, transformed into a being filled with passion and loudness of her expressions.

Maybe there certainly is some magic that occurs when a person is allowed the space, time and freedom to safely express what is in their hearts. Within this group of excellent individuals and in the short 2 hours spent together, I felt an utmost sincerity flowing across the group and with it, a feeling of silent joy and well-being. Heartbeat truly produced a rare and authentic display of expressions that were gratefully received in the hearts of everyone present.