Do you know that NUS has a student life theme song?
NUS ForeverĀ is a song written for the 2005 NUS Centennial Celebration by NUS faculty members A/Prof Ho Chee Kong, Master of Tembusu College, and Head of Composition at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music; and Prof Robbie Goh, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Although written nearly 20 years ago,Ā NUS ForeverĀ remains relevant to this day. The song encourages young students to aspire to greater heights. At the time of musical composition, the lyricist wanted to remind students the important role played by NUS towards serving the needs of the community.
Today, it is a tradition to close the annual NUS Achievement Awards (NAA) with a rendition ofĀ NUS Forever, where an NUS arts group is approached by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to add their own creative spin on the song and make it their own.
We are delighted to have NUS Resonance do the honours in 2023. Their rendition premiered during NAA on 28 October at Ho Bee Auditorium, and it is now available for public viewing on OSA YouTube Channel.
OSA spoke to NUS Resonance President Stephanie Aw Xue Yen, a Year 4 Economics student, and NUS Resonance Music Director Teo Jia Yu, a Year 4 student pursuing a Double Major in Social Work and English Literature, on their personal musical journeys and how they worked together to stageĀ NUS ForeverĀ with their trainer, Ms Cherie Chai, and friends.
How long have you both been in pursuing music or singing?
Stephanie Aw (SA):Ā I had no singing experience prior to NUS Resonance. I spent 10 years in the symphonic band in my primary and secondary schools, where I played the trumpet and euphonium. At 12, I found myself drawn to rap. I would playfully try out rap verses from songs such asĀ SuperbassĀ andĀ Starships, to entertain my classmates and make them laugh. I became aware of a cappella through the viralĀ Daft Punk MedleyĀ YouTube video, performed by American a cappella group Pentatonix. Despite my lack of singing experience, I joined the audition for NUS Resonance and got in as a Mezzo singer.
Teo Jia Yu (TJY):Ā I took an interest in singing in Secondary 4 and subsequently joined my junior college choir. During this time, I started to compose my own music and release them on Spotify. Being inĀ Raffles HallĀ allowed me to further pursue music, particularly in the a cappella scene. I was appointed the Head of Raffles Hall A Cappella 2 in AY21/22. It honed my passion for a cappella music and I joined NUS Resonance in AY22/23.
How did you feel when NUS Resonance was approached to cover NUS Forever at the NUS Achievement Awards?
SA:Ā It was such an honour to perform a song that is representative of NUS at such a prestigious event. Along with excitement also came the slight nerves, as we wanted to do the song justice, while providing it with a different music flair through a cappella.
Were you aware of NUS Forever before the invitation request?
SA:Ā Yes, I was familiar withĀ NUS ForeverĀ before receiving the invitation request. We learnt from an alumnus that NUS Resonance had performed the song many years ago. We saw an opportunity to raising the awareness and recognition ofĀ NUS ForeverĀ within the NUS community through our performance. We believeĀ NUS ForeverĀ should be more widely-known as it has great potential to evoke a sense of nostalgia and love for the university, particularly among graduating or graduated students.
What was your creative process in making NUS Forever uniquely NUS Resonance?
TJY:Ā I wanted the song to contain elements original to us, so writing the rap verse came naturally! Iām really glad Stephanie was able to pull it off so well and that it was so well-received.
How was the team of six NUS Resonance vocalists assembled?
TJY:Ā In a cappella, the emphasis is not on a sole singer but on the harmonious blend of the entire group's sound. Therefore, the selection process prioritised creating a musically-compatible group. We sent a recruitment call to our members and six individuals were chosen for each vocal part (Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Vocal Percussionist). We also took into account their stage experience, skill, and ability to complement one another tonally.
Were there any memorable moments that took place during the preparations for the performance?
SA: Many amusing moments arose while crafting the choreography for this performance. Given that most of us are primarily singers, not dancers, synchronising our movements was a challenge. We were so uncoordinated that our trainer, Ms Cherie Chai, had an extra tough time coordinating simple moves like getting us to move forward in sync.
TJY: The process of memorising the rap had its share of laughs. We refined the rap lyrics a few times based on feedback. During practice, whenever Stephanie stumbled on the rap and started ad-libbing, everyone would break out of character burst into peals of laughter.
What was it like performing NUS Forever in front of NUS President, your peers and their loved ones at NAA?
SA:Ā PerformingĀ NUS ForeverĀ was a mix of emotions. Leading up to the performance, I sensed a significant responsibility to deliver my best, given the importance of the school song. Once on stage, the bright lights obscured our view of the audience, and we relied on muscle memory to guide our performance. Time zipped passed so fast, and the performance concluded in about two minutes, leaving us all yearning for more.
Performing the song as a final-year student allowed me to sing it with even more passion, pride and gratitude as I reflected on all the wonderful opportunities NUS has given me over the past four years. It was truly an unforgettable feeling!
What do you want NUS Resonanceās version of NUS Forever to be remembered for?
SA and TJY:Ā We hope audiences remember us for bringing a fresh perspective to the classic tune ofĀ NUS Forever. By infusing the song with a more upbeat final chorus and incorporating a new twist in the form of a rap verse, we hope that this rendition ofĀ NUS ForeverĀ is more catchy and modern, and able to resonate with current NUS students.
Last but not least, we hope we showcased the versatility and creativity of a cappella music, one that aligns with NUS Resonance's tagline of "no instruments, no limits, pure a cappella"!
Listen to NUS Resonanceās rendition of NUS Forever at the link below! Look out for OSAās open call for the 2024 performance of NUS Forever at the next NAA in October 2024.
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