By Chloe Lim (20J04) and Hannah Soh (20J18)
Presenting our very own… talents of RV! (Photo credits: UI Here)
Dear students and teachers of River Valley High School, we regret to inform you that in view of the COVID-19 situation, the highly anticipated annual ReVel Fest has unfortunately been cancelled.
Fret not! - It might be pretty different, but we are here to give you a very warm welcome to our edition of RV’s talent show, hosted by RV’s very own Student Editorial Club! We are gathered here today to find out more about the unconventional capabilities of our fellow RVians!
Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
First up… Singer-songwriter Zixuan!
For our first act, please welcome Liu Zixuan from 1H, perhaps better known as @flowerpixy on Instagram! Not only has she been posting videos of her singing covers of popular songs, she has also recorded a few original songs!
Zixuan told us that she had always wanted to try her hands at singing and songwriting for years.
“I would always come up with the lyrics and then whatever tune could fit it, but it never really worked out until recently when I started getting the flow of songwriting,” she said.
To our surprise, we found out that while she takes guitar lessons weekly, Zi Xuan does not take any singing/songwriting lessons! However, having been part of a choir since Primary 2 has built up a lot of her musical knowledge.
Given all that, you must definitely be wondering: So what exactly can she do? Well, let this video answer your question:
We definitely were in awe of her melodious voice!
Perhaps her immense talent might inspire you to pick up this same hobby of your own!
Next, we have... A Capella group The Crackheads!
For our second act, please give a warm welcome to The Crackheads, an a capella group comprising 6 members: Liu Zixuan (1H), Gan Xi Yee (3C), Lee Xin Bei (4B), Ji Chang Kuan (4G), Xu Jia En (4G) and John Tang (4G)! They often post their melodious covers on their Instagram page, @the.crackhead.s.
Listen to one of such covers, which has garnered more than 1.3k views on their account!
Their voices go so well with one another!
Founding member, John got into a capella singing in Secondary 1 and had been looking to form a group ever since. The group came together in November last year, with its newest member, Zixuan, joining in January.
Having received tons of encouragement from family and friends, they have been working hard to arrange covers in spite of the Covid-19 situation, and have posted one such virtual cover so far - do be sure to check that out!
“John, being the arranger for the group, is usually comfortable with arranging scores for 4 or 5 voices. Having 6 voices in a group is a challenge but he tries to arrange and is still learning,” said Xin Bei. They informed us that unfortunately, they are not looking to recruit any new members as of now - we’re sorry to dash your hopes!
In spite of that, we hope that you will be inspired to create a group of your own - if they can do it, so can you!
Following that… Writer Xin Mei
Do welcome our third act, Lim Xin Mei from 3H, with her talent for writing!
“I have been writing since I was little,” Xin Mei told us.
Her diligence to her craft picked up last year, when she tried to write a short story for her teacher.
To our surprise, Xinmei told us how she mastered such a talent on her own, “I read a lot, and have tried to imitate other works when I was trying to find my own writing style.”
Something she also found very helpful in writing was researching on how to write a compelling story online.
If you’re looking for advice from a talented writer like her, look no further! This is what Xin Mei had to offer us: “Listen to your critics, and tell them not to sugarcoat it. Too often, critics are worried about offending creatives and so they sugarcoat their words,” she said.
“At the same time, we are self conscious about what we put out, and are always tempted to defend our work when it is being criticized. Always listen from the critic’s point of view and improve.”
To those who are interested, you may look forward to a novel that Xin Mei is currently working on, as she says that her dream would be to see it published. We sure can’t wait to read it in the near future! In the meantime, do check out a short sample of one of her works:
Next up… Flexi-bender Wei Jie!
Introducing our fourth act, let’s welcome Ng Wei Jie from 20J16, our very own flexi-bender! You may be wondering what talent this “flexi-bender” possesses… Here's a video to illustrate!
The shrieks in the video might give you an idea of what to expect…
If you felt a slight bit of bewilderment just watching how insanely flexible he is, you are most definitely not alone! You see, when asked how he discovered this special talent, he said: “I never discovered it because I was born with it... But what I did discover is how disgusted people are when they look at me.”
You must be wondering whether this special skill is of any use other than for pure entertainment.
“During camps, there’s always the self introduction segment where everyone’s still very awkward,” he said.
“I will usually break the tension by saying that I am very flexible, and then proceed to bend my hand.”
It might be a unique and rather rare talent that seems to be a bit of a stretch for you now, but what better way to get through all the long periods staying at home, than to train your flexibility and stay in shape?
Last but not least… Artist Faye!
For the very last act of our show, please welcome the talented artist Faye Kerk from 3H! You might have come across some of her artworks featured on her Instagram account, @fayeceit, where she sells art commissions as well. If you haven’t, don’t worry! Here are a few of her pieces that we are very much in awe of:
Faye shared that the artwork on the extreme left was her most memorable piece of artwork as she drew it to bring to her favorite band’s concert.
“It was all worth it in the end because I held [the painting] up high and got the attention of the band’s manager who helped me to get it signed!!”
If you are hoping to master the ability to draw more than just stickmen, you should know that it is a skill that requires both patience and practice. Faye shared that she had always been drawing, literally since she could hold a pencil. However, she actively tried to improve in primary 6 when she had a friend who could draw much better than everyone else, and got jealous.
She also finds inspiration for her art through a collection of saved posts on Instagram, of art that she likes, or inspires her to improve her skills as an artist. Perhaps this tip might also help kickstart your inner artistic abilities!
Faye has also left us with a piece of advice on how to improve our drawing skills.
“Draw whatever you want, however you want!! Maybe you’ll say you “can't draw”, but you can draw stick figures. I think anything is worth creating. It's still worth it even if you hate it in the end, even if it felt unoriginal, or even if you think it was a waste of time.”
To wrap the talent show up…
“The world becomes a slightly more interesting place every time someone chooses to make something new.”
We definitely agree with this quote that Faye left us with. Thank you to all five acts for participating in our show, and for the insightful experiences shared!
Now, these talents might seem impossible to master, but if these RVians could do it, so can you. Now with more time spent at home, why not try out a couple of these, for you never know what you might discover about yourselves!
We hope, from the bottom of our hearts, that you’ve thoroughly enjoyed the show, and have found the inspiration to begin your own journey of self-discovery as well! Thank you and good night!
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