YST Conservatory Partners NUS SCALE

YST STORIES

29 August 2018

From 20-24 August, 15 music undergraduates and postgraduates from Jianghan University in China visited YST, as part of a collaboration between the Conservatory and the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE). Over the course of a five-day Musical Arts and Culture programme, they attended classroom and hands-on sessions alongside NUS students, with faculty Assoc Prof Greg Petersen, Assoc Prof Ty Constant, Dr Koo Siaw Sing, Dr Marc Rochester and Dr Khoo Hui Ling.

Students participating in the programme shared that they were glad to be able to study alongside full-time NUS students as well as to interact with YST faculty. A particular highlight was a spontaneous musical play session led by Dr Koo Siaw Sing, involving a relay game where each student improvised on a tune played by the previous student – a refreshing contrast to the “practiced play” typically emphasised in their studies.

This comes with its fair share of challenges, including managing the diverse cultural backgrounds, levels of musical experience, and interpersonal relationships within each group. Neil thus makes it a point to ensure each volunteer feels “equally important and included”, as well as to tailor the set list to be accessible to all participants. One of the biggest challenges is financial sustainability, said Neil. “These activities take up a considerable amount of time and energy, and as a working musician it’s been difficult to juggle these commitments of passion with work to earn a living,” he shared. To address this, he aims to focus on what is needed to keep the initiatives going and growing, as well as look for grants that can finance his efforts.

The collaboration was part of SCALE’s drive to tap the teaching expertise of NUS faculties and schools, to support talent development programmes for local and global organisations.

Assoc Prof Chan Tze Law (Vice-Dean, Professional Integration) said, “We are delighted to partner with SCALE through this initiative, and open up our classrooms to a wider diversity of students. It not only affirms the relevance of our educational offerings, but also allows us to create a greater impact on the musical ecosystem in Asia.”

View Stories by Themes