Getting into Bersama after submitting my audition was a gratifying experience. I felt overjoyed in realising that I could carry on the moments I had in grade 11 over to grade 12, with new faces and new projects.

This year, I’ve taken on a different role by transitioning from alto to soprano. This change felt small at first, but I realise that becoming soprano has changed my perception of our songs. Rather than singing the melody, I’ve had to learn to complement the alto singers by singing in a higher key. Although higher keys are not my strength, I worked on them outside of bersama rehearsals and practiced the techniques my teachers have taught me (LO1).

Additionally, our group has changed a lot this year, the collaborative aspect of Bersama has remained unchanged. I find it exciting when we, as a group, brainstorm ways to edit certain parts of our score, change the tune/melody, or even deciding what song we should learn next. Bersama never fails to remind me how collaboration is an opportunity I’m eternally grateful for, as without it, I wouldn’t be the singer I am today (LO5)

 

Videos of me and my friend singing in class (Dancing Queen, Eleanor Rigby) :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yc-weuQv4FrExuYcix1YJvvNTJTZzl1H/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T4QItQ_tRPnINQ8n-pqkvD4eQEihgh5y/view?usp=sharing

 

As this is my second year in Bersama, I remember that the experience I had last year was overwhelmingly positive, so I am very excited for the future prospects of Bersama this year. I enjoy being involved in this singing group for many reasons, one being because it has individual and group elements that are equally important. Due to different voice ranges, everyone has an individual role as a singer (alto, soprano, mezzo, etc). This means that every singer is responsible for learning their part. As someone who has mostly done singing as an individual activity until I joined bersama, self-managing my time and making sure I’m keeping up to date with our projects is something I have learned to develop and enjoy, since I think having an individual role in a group activity helps to manage my individual goals as a singer and therefore, it is quite quite self-fulfilling. In contrast, the group element of this CAS experience is also immensely useful. In bersama, we often explore songs and styles that I am unfamiliar with, so having the support of peers really helps to stay on track with the group. Additionally, as a group, we have a much larger impact. (LO5)

This activity holds a lot of value to me, as someone who not only enjoys singing, but also enjoys collaborating and interacting with other people. During the initial stages of quarantine last year, Bersama teamed up to put together a video of us singing an inspirational message to the school community which was then played during the online assembly. Although it was difficult at first, aligning our parts together, making sure everyone is synchronised, it was a great time for us to overcome the challenges of not singing face-to-face and build our technological skills. It also helped us reach a larger audience (LO2). This was a great experience for us and also served as an example of how we can make a large impact with our creativity and passion for music.