Music Matters Live 2014: Studio Crew Talks About Their Experience

By Nurul Jannah Bte Ismail

Wardah Irfatt, 18, Judith Ann Kumar, 20, and Cherylynn Poh, 20, from Republic Polytechnic share their moments and experience of being in the studio.

Working Together: Studio crew for Music Matters Live 2014 PHOTO CREDITS: NADIA AL-INSYIRAAH BTE ISMAIL

Music Matters Live 2014 kicked off to a good start with bands from all over the world performing in Singapore, for music festival goers over the course of four days. With over 60 bands rocking out on stage and in bars all around Clarke Quay, the event was a great feat in itself, which could not possibly have been accomplished without the commitment and help of Republic Polytechnic’s student volunteers.

The studio was where all the magic took place. All the bands and musicians were scheduled to be interviewed there, for their individual segments to be projected on the main stage during their performances.

Cherylynn Poh, 20, Year 3 student from Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences, stated, “I am the studio producer so I need to know and coordinate everything that is happening in here. Basically, I have to make things run, and, not just that, but I need to take care of my crew as well; for everything, you need someone to point you in the right direction or you will feel very lost and wonder what is going on.”

Not only did students get to be on the frontline, they also had the chance to brush shoulders with different bands and musicians ranging from the likes of South Korea’s Sultan of The Disco, to Tully on Tully from Australia.

Most of the studio crew’s members had to learn to operate the camera and it was definitely an eye-opening experience for them.

Judith Ann Kumar, 20, Year 3 student from Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences expressed, “It is my first time operating a huge camera, and it’s live. The first time, we were terrified. We were really lucky to have our mentor, Chris, guiding us along so we could grasp everything quickly.”

Behind the Scenes: Judith Ann Kumar, 20, operating the camera and interviewing one of the bands in the studio. PHOTO CREDITS: ARIANI BTE ADAM

However, they did not only face technical problems, but also language barriers when interviews had to be conducted.
Cherylynn particularly expressed her regret with not being able to have held a more casual interview with The Oral Cigarettes due to her lacking in Japanese, which resulted in the crew having to require a the assistance of a translator.

In overcoming the obstacles, the crew got to know more about all the different bands present and also bond with them.

A bright-eyed Judith commented that there were a lot of bands which the crew had never heard of. Hence, being able to receive some of their CDs as gifts naturally fired up their excitement.

Not only did the students get to learn more about the musicians’ personalities, but they also managed to forge relationships, albeit brief, with them too.

For Wardah Irfatt, 18, Year 2 student from Diploma in Interactivity Design, one memorable experience was when Mark Hogan, one of the members of Hogan, promised to return and gift the crew with CDs. “He waited for us outside the studio because we were busy shooting, and he brought a whole stack of CDs for the five of us. It was very sweet of him!”

Without a doubt, it has been a great opportunity for the students of the studio crew to be involved in Music Matters Live 2014.

To Judith, Music Matters Live was “really interesting” and enabled her to discover new bands.

“It’s really amazing! I would love to be part of it again.”

IGNITE! Music Festival 2013: A Student Driven Festival

by Ariani bte Adam

IGNITE! on standby, IGNITE! go!

After endless late nights of planning, the IGNITE! Music Festival crew of 2013 finally saw the festival rocked the ground of RP on 23 and 24 Aug. First time ever, the festival drew an astonishing crowd of close to 15,000 gig-goers. The annual music festival, dedicated to showcase the best of local bands, was put together with a team of dedicated RP student groups led by staff from Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC). The students were heavily involved in the planning and running of the festival line-up, designing the collaterals, marketing the event to coordinating the mechanised booths. This exposure has provided an excellent platform for RP students to practise what they have learnt in the class setting to real-life work situations.

"The best part is that the festival is put together by students. I really like that the supervisors were teaching the students on the spot. I think that learning on the spot is really good because you can't get that kind of experience elsewhere," said Caracal's drummer, Martin Kong on the stage crews.

A student guitar technician helping Tell Lie Vision's guitarist during the sound check to ensure that everything runs smoothly - Photo By: Ariani Bte Adam

Students who were involved in the IGNITE! Music Festival not only planned for the actual day event but they also produced the fringe events leading up to the festival. These fringe events included performances by various CREATE Club Interest Groups, RP Band Competition and also "IGNITE! Your Senses" featuring bands like Aspectrum, OrangeCove and Take Two. Beside music performances, workshops were also conducted by the festival sponsors - Macbeth and MS Works. There was even a Photography workshop for budding photographers.

"Being student driven allows us to be able to equip ourselves with more than what we learn in the classroom. It also allows the students to have an added responsibility to complete a task at hand. All in all it was a valuable experience," said 19-year-old Kelda Chua Mufen, the Overall Festival Student Coordinator for IGNITE! Music Festival 2013.

Artists like The Sam Willows, The Summer State, and big names like Caracal and West Grand Boulevard were impressed by the level of hospitality that RP students showed them throughout the two days of festival - from giving directions, getting the bands on stand-by to preparing refreshment/snacks at the artistes holding room. This is no wonder why The Summer State commended this during a post-experience video interview: "IGNITE! has one of the best green rooms ever".

The local music festival was indeed a success not only for the bands but also the crew involved. Staff advisors also felt that the festival would not have happened if it was not for the dedicated students.

Footage of the whole festival was also filmed by students from Film and Studio IG. Photo By: Ariani Bte Adam

"The festival was bound to be awesome, but what made it special to me was the fantastic students I got to work with," said 28-year-old Keith Leslie Paton Tan, a staff from TRCC and also the Stage Manager for IGNITE! Music Festival 2013.

The Overall Festival Student Coordinator, Kelda Chua felt that "the one thing I'll miss most about being part of IGNITE! is the team. The experience and friendship forged during the months of planning is priceless".

The gears have been set in motion for a bigger and louder music festival in 2014. Our passion for local music has been IGNITED! Is yours?

Putting the “passion” in Compassion

Haiqal Sari caught up with TRCC Assistant Director Mr Zaini Tahir during the RP Band Auditions to chat about his artistic experiences, beliefs and philosophies.

“Internalise”

It is a word that is closely associated with Mr Zaini Tahir. Just one word and dedication is demanded in an instant. Often repeated over and over again during Create Republic’s IG’s practice sessions and rehearsals, it is used to subtly send the message that practice is needed – immediately.

Now, who is Mr Zaini Tahir? Entering the arts scene at the age of 19 when he joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Music and Drama Company, Mr Zaini’s passion has taken him to Europe and North America as a dancer and choreographer, as well as Australia and Hong Kong as part of the cast in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famed musical CATS. As the Resident Choreographer and Artistic Director of the NUS Dance Ensemble, Mr Zaini has choreographed over 100 works for the company.

Drafted in as a judge as he oversees all the operations and performances of the 24 IGs in Create Republic, Mr Zaini, - along with TRCC’s Executive of Venue Management and IGNITE! 2013’s producer Mr Kenny Lim - runs the rule on which band is good enough to make it to the IGNITE! stage in little over a week’s time.

When it comes to performing, his typical pre-performance routine consists of physical activities and time spent in solitude as he visualizes his steps. When he is not busy doing work, Mr Zaini spends his time tucked in at home watching television. With an illustrious career that has brought him all over the world, his worst experience came back when he just started out. In his own words, he was a “struggling dancer performing for a getai function at a third-grade local Chinese nightclub where the audience was mostly drunk.”

Mr Zaini has forged a solid reputation for himself in the performing arts scene not only locally but also internationally. So, what keeps him driven?

With a swift backcomb of his hair, his eyes brighten up as he reveals the reason for his success. The secret, according to him, lies in his philosophy of “Carpe Diem”.

As he aptly puts it, “I believe that you have to live your life to the fullest because you only live once.” Having worked on performances for companies such as Theatreworks and Singapore Airlines, Zaini clearly has a burning desire for success. With a serious look on his face, he repeatedly mentions the fact that an artiste must have pride and dedication in their work.

“If you want to be an artiste, you need to have pride in your craft... You’ve got to know your research. You’ve got to hone your craft,” Zaini muses, index finger rubbing chin while deep in thought.

It is this same exact pride and dedication that he preaches which is clearly evident during the semi-finals of the auditions two weeks ago. Despite arriving in Singapore from China after his latest choreographical work just two hours earlier, Zaini spent the next few hours judging the auditions with the intense scrutiny that he is known for.

IGNITE! presents: RP Band Competition Finals

Held on the 15th of August, the RP Band Competition’s purpose is to serve as a platform designed for students and alumni members of RP to showcase their talents. The prize at stake was the opportunity to share the IGNITE! stage with local acts such as Caracal, The Summer State and The Sam Willows along with the Jammerz Arena and Replug IG. Five bands gave their all on RP’s South Agora stage to not only win that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also to impress the audience.  

By Haiqal Sari and Udaiya Shakti

GOLDEN TICKET: The RP Band Auditions provides a platform for the school’s very own musicians to gain recognition for their talent. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

WHO’S WHO: A notepad left by the backstage crew with the band line-up written down along with the logistics of each band. The varying requirements of each act made it a very meticulous task for the crew. (Photo credit: Udaiya Shakti)

FIRST AND FOREMOST: Temple Shift, the first band to perform, drew loud cheers as the audience sang along to their song “Descension”. Vocalist Norman Tay (middle) absorbs the energy of the audience before the start of their set. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

COASTLINES: Formed in late 2012, pop punk band Coastlines got their name from the fact that all of the members live in Pasir Ris. Leaving their hardcore band Bridges while it was on hiatus, Shahril (guitars), Niki (drums) and Izzat (vocals) developed an interest in pop punk, with American band The Story So Far as their main influence. With the recruitment of Adri (guitars) from hardcore band Limits, – followed by Ammar (bass) – Coastlines was formed. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

FAN’S FAVOURITE: Coastlines frontman Izzat taking a breather midway through the band’s first song “Distance” to acknowledge a fan’s screams of “Izzat!” He had a part in writing and composing the two songs which the band performed, the second being “I Still Remember”. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

“HEADS UP, WE’RE NEVER GIVING THIS UP”: With lyrical themes based on life’s harsh lessons, Cheers To the Past were formed back in 2011 by four ex-Republic Polytechnic students from the Replug IG and have been together ever since, with an EP currently in the works. The auditions, held at the South Agora, drew more than just the curious passer-by, with friends and fans of the participating bands – not forgetting neutral music lovers – lending their support. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

DRUM ROLL PLEASE…: All five bands were invited up on stage in anticipation of the judges’ final decisions which were revealed by emcees Natasha and Van (far left and far right, with microphones). (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

Embracing The Power of Acoustic Music

Replug drew a crowd of students during the Arts Platter held in South Agora on the 14th of August with their unique chord-driven genre called power acoustic.

By Naadiah Badib

THE MAIN STAGE: The stage was set up especially for the week-long Arts Platter series which started from the 13th of August, with Replug performing the following day. 

 GIRL POWER: To kick start the show, the four female vocalists (above) sang harmoniously to Destiny Child’s “Survivor”.

JUNIORS TAKEOVER: The juniors of Replug, Dominic and Faizal performing a mash-up of “I love rock n roll”. Upon joining the Replug family just this year, this is their first performance in front of a crowd.

STOP AND STARE: Following into the show, the crowd starts to grow with more students as they stop to have a second look and enjoy the performances.

MAD FOR MUSIC: Amongst the performers was pianist, Ron Tan (above).He suffers 80% of hearing loss. Despite his disability, Ron is dedicated to his craft –music. 

PUT YOUR GROOVE ON: Bassist, Zaim, dances to the beat as he strums to Zedd’s “Clarity”. Replug’s rendition of the top-charted song excited many amongst the crowd.

FIRING UP THE CROWD: Vocalist, Danial, invites the audience to join in the performance and sing along to his rendition of, “Pop” by ‘Nsync.

BAND BEHIND THE MUSIC: Replug’s band consists of an acoustic guitarist, bassist, cajon and drum players.

JOB WELL DONE: After putting on the half an hour show, the performers gathered together for a debrief and exchanged praises.

THE REPLUG FAMILY: Be sure to catch their performance for the upcoming IGNITE! Music Festival set on the 24th of August.

RP Band Competition: The Path to IGNITE!

By Udaiya Shakti

On 15th August 2013, the RP Band Competition Finals was held at South Agora. This event was seen as an opportunity to many bands for them to showcase their talents as the winner of the competition will be given the honour of performing at IGNITE! Music Festival with the likes of Tiramisu, The Sam Willows, The Vacant Affair and many other great bands. The 5 finalists were Coastlines, Frission Wonder, Tell Lie Vision, Cheers to the Past and Temple Shift.

Music lovers, fans and friends coming down to South Agora to support their favourite bands in action.

Prior to this event, these 5 finalists had to battle their way through other bands as well. They were first judged by their audition’s video and those who were successful, were invited to perform in the first ever open live audition which was held on the 5th of August at the TRCC LAB.

Judging them were Zaini Mohamad Tahir, TRCC’s Assistant Director and Kenny Lim, TRCC’s Executive of Venue Management and IGNITE 2013’s producer. When asked about their judging criteria, they said that they were looking for bands that have a perfect balance of both substance and style.

“I’m looking for bands that have very good musicianship. This means that they excel not only in terms of their sound, but also their pitching, their rhythm, all the little parts and the technicalities. The second part is their audience engagement. This concerns their delivery and how they sell their band to the audience and the judges, their energy on stage and the dynamics within the band, so on and so forth,” said Zaini.

With these criteria, they chose these 5 finalists to be featured for the Finals. One band, Coastlines were particular excited as this was their first time performing on stage. This band was formed towards the end of 2012 and consists of members with interest and passion for pop punk music.

“I feel great as it shows that we are somewhere. We are just not a mediocre band. We have the potential to showcase our musicianship and gain support from people,” said Niki Iskandar, the drummer for Coastlines.

The Finals got underway with Temple Shift setting the bar with a rocking performance followed by Coastlines, Frisson Wonder, Tell Lie Vision and Cheers to the Past ending the event off on a high note. As all the bands performed well, the judges had a hard time deciding the winner. After much deliberation, they had the results.

The winner was none other than the fan’s favourite, Tell Lie Vision which eventually got the golden ticket to perform on the IGNITE! Stage. They were stoked that they won the competition and glad that their efforts in their preparation paid off.

Members of Tell Lie Vision happily taking photos after knowing that they won the competition and will be performing at IGNITE! Music Festival.

To prepare their upcoming performance for IGNITE!, they said that they just have to jam more.

“We jam until we make sure that we play together and have the harmony in our sound,” said Muhammad Hasif Bin Jasman, the vocalist for Tell Lie Vision.

Catch their performance at Day Two of IGNITE! Music Festival on the 24th of August, as they will set to do some damage on stage.

Power Acoustic: An Acoustic Affair

By Nadia Al-Insyirah

Last year, Replug and Jammerz Arena shared a stage for IGNITE! Fringe event, Arts Platter. This year, both Interest Groups (IG) were given the opportunity to have their own solo productions!

On the 14th August 2013, Replug IG managed to gather a strong crowd at South Agora who watched their Arts Platter production titled: Power Acoustic. Bringing their own rendition of familiar songs to the audience, it got the crowd hyped up, which eventually led them to sing along with the performers. With the accompaniment of only guitars, bass, keyboard and cajóns, Replug managed to show the audience wonders of what unplugged music can do.

Missing a drum to provide the thumping beats that will make you tap your foot and bob your heads? Fret not because Replug’s very own beat boxer, Shafiq, added life to the songs with his beats, giving an adrenaline rush to both the audience and the performers themselves.

Beat the box: Prince (a Replug junior) on the cajón.

Their first song was a mash-up of well-known classics which are none other than Destiny’s Child ‘Survivor’ and Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’. The vocalists belted out their strong vocals with little to no mistakes making the songs sound flawless. The one of the highlights of the show would be none other than the mash-up version of famous old school rock song, ‘I Love Rock N Roll’ originally sung by Arrows in 1975. Replug gave a breath of fresh air to the song, adding a layer of beat boxing which gives the song a hip hop feel.

“All I wanted was to sing my heart out. I thought the performance went pretty well but I know I can always do better! I was so hyped up after the performance and wanted to do more!” said junior vocalist, Mohammad Shyaifuddin, 19.

‘Power Acoustic’ is his debut performance as a new member of Replug. Shyaifuddin said that he was grateful that he has been given the opportunity by his seniors to perform for the show. “We didn’t know how to react when it our seniors informed us via Whatsapp. We were definitely happy and excited to perform! But one thing’s for sure was that we were definitely nervous”.

Besides his group of friends who were down to cheer him on, a group that he holds dearly came down to encourage him as well. This group of supporter were none other than his parents who came down to South Agora to catch a glimpse of their son flaunting his talent.

Pillar of support: Mohammad Shyaifuddin and his parents who came down to support their son. 

The performance that stole the hearts of many would be an all gentlemen band from Replug who took the stage and performed ‘N Sync’s ‘Pop’. Aside from that, the highlight of their performance would be them performing Pussycat Doll’s hit song, ‘Buttons’. The reason they chose this song specifically was because they wanted to show to the audience their definition of sexiness. “Not only female can be sexy. We men can pull of our version of sexy as well!” said Mohamad Rusydi, vocalist. Did they pull it off well? They definitely did!


Replug will be performing as an opening act for the second day of IGNITE! Music Festival on the 24th August! If you cannot get enough of acoustic music, be sure to come down to support Replug because they promised an amazing performance!

Fire it Up! with Jammerz Arena

By Naadiah Badib

Loud applauses and cheers could be heard from South Agora on the 13th of August. A crowd of Republic Polytechnic students waited anxiously for Jammerz Arena (JA) to take to the stage. Performing for the Arts Platter (AP) series, Fire it Up, JA wowed the crowd with their covers from both local and international bands.

The first band to kick start the performance was Black Cat, show stopping many RP students (Photo by: Naadiah Badib)
 

AP – an art series offering platforms for rising artists – is organized by The Republic Cultural Centre and Campus Arts Production, as part of efforts to entice new audience to the arts and allow them to get a taste of the talent around us. A total of three bands performed, namely; Black Cat, Downtown Grace and Maple Chapel.

It took a whole three months, involving many rehearsals and full runs, to perfect the production. A lot of hard work and time was dedicated, evident through the eyes of the producer, Ariani Adam.

“Not only do we have sessions among ourselves, we critique each other so that we know where to improve”, said the 18-year-old who is also the vocalist of Downtown Grace.

JA’s commitment was indeed paid off as many of the audience were impressed, especially 18-year-old Nadia Al-Insyiraah. Said the Diploma in Mass Communication student: “The band not only sang to the audience, but they allowed the crowd to sing along and interact with them”.

Guitarist of Downtown Grace, Mohd Farhan bin Nasruddin strums to the beat of Caracal's "Charlatan". (Photo by Naadiah Badib)

Nadia also added that watching JA perform was a refreshing experience. “Usually it can get tiring to listen to music for half an hour but it seems like the crowd could not get enough of it”.

This year, JA puts a twist to their performance. To warm the crowd of what to expect from IGNITE! , they covered most songs from local bands such as Caracal, Plain Sunset and Youthwreck.

“We want to gear up for IGNITE! Music Festival to let people listen and get a feel of what local music is about”, said Poh Cherylynn, 19, vocalist of Maple Chapel.

Mohd Farhan B Nasruddin, a 20-year-old guitarist of Downtown Grace gives an advice to those who will be attending the festival. “Be sure to bring your friends along or you’ll miss out on the mosh pit and screaming with the crowd...wear proper shoes too!”

JA will also be performing for the IGNITE! Music Festival on the 23rd of August held at the RP Lawn. Be sure to catch them live at 4PM as they will be opening the festival with a bang.