Junior Orchestra

CCA Overview

Dazhong Primary School is currently the only primary school in Singapore offering a full Junior Orchestra (JO). At present, the members of the Orchestra stand at 100 members strong. One of the key aims of this programme is to uplift students through music and by providing opportunities that they may not have access to.

Objectives of Dazhong Junior Orchestra:

Besides equipping our JO students with musical knowledge and 21cc skills, JO programme is set up to:

uplift and transform young lives through music (social change).
provide our students opportunities and multiple pathways based on their strengths, interests and talents.

Junior Orchestra is an extension of the Learning for Life Programme (LLP) and is part of the Arts Education Programme@Dazhong (AEP@Dazhong). As part of AEP@Dazhong, all Primary 1 to 3 students go through the String Ensemble (violin) music programme. Students who show an aptitude and interest in the performing arts are invited to further develop their skills and deepen their passion through JO. The JO programme has brought about positive outcomes for our students. They are more attuned to their social and emotional competencies and their self-efficacy has seen positive growth. Our Junior Orchestra students had performed in many outreach community platforms like at Hong Kah North Community Club National Day events, National Gallery, SYF Arts Presentation as well as President Charity Show. Our students are featured in the Straits Times, Lian He Zao Bao as well as Suria TV.

Junior Orchestra as Uplift Force – Inclusive Music approach

Taking an inclusive approach, the Junior Orchestra provides students with access to learning an individual instrument and strengthen music education. In order to create an inclusive music environment with meaningful learning experiences for all students, teachers leverage the school’s value of Acceptance to instill the importance of this value by teaching students how to accept all students regardless of their backgrounds or abilities.

With the development of Music curriculum at Dazhong Primary School, our students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to explore further their interests in the various fields of instrumental playing and in their secondary school of choice or through Direct School Admission (DSA). Some of our students have also been identified for the SOTA Temasek Foundation Award for Arts Development. Our students have been given opportunities to participate in school and community events, collaborate with other schools, and perform at community and/or national level.

Dazhong Junior Orchestra has collaborated with Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) since 2018. The MGS students have inspired our Dazhong students with their talents, knowlwedge and skills in music making. Our students have benefited from this collaboration with MGS as it has helped them to become more confident, focused and disciplined. In 2023, Dazhong Junior Orchestra collaborates with NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (NUS YST) through sessions in which YST students are guided towards coaching our Dazhong students through their undergraduate module, Orchestral Pedagogy. This culminates in a Children’s Concert in which our JO students perform side by side with YST students in a family-oriented concert at the Conservatory Orchestra Hall at NUS YST.

The school also firmly believes that music can bring about social change and has helped transform the lives of many of our students. Many JO students have joined the JO alumni and exemplified the vision of serving leaders by giving back to their juniors by coaching and mentoring them. Junior Orchestra Programme helps to inspire students to share their love of music and bring joy to the community and all.

CCA Schedule
Tuesdays, 7.40 a.m. to 9.40 a.m.
Thursdays, 2.20 p.m. to 4.20 p.m.

JO Advisor:
Mrs Dawn Kuah (Lead Teacher, Music)

Teachers-in-Charge:
Mdm Sun I-feng (Overall Teacher-in-Charge)
Mr Edwin Lim (2nd Teacher-in-Charge)
Miss Foo Li Wei
Miss Crystalbelle Chang
Mdm Chen Liqin
Mdm Muneera Abu Bakar
Mdm He Jingwen
Miss Shereen Ong
Mdm Humairah Rahman
Miss Charmaine Chia
Miss Lee Hon Choo
Miss Justina Tan Hui Ru
Mr Nasrul Bin Roslin
Mdm Hamidah Hardi

Instructors:
Mr Adrian Chiang, Main Conductor
Mr Damien Kee, Assistant Conductor (Strings)
Miss Lydia Wong, Violin Instructor
Miss Jolene Goh, Viola Instructor
Miss Ophelia Toh, Cello & Double Bass Instructor
Mr Ralph Lim, Wind Instructor
Mr Joseph Teo, Brass Instructor
Miss Angeline Wee, Percussion Instructor

Achievements / Peak of Excellence / CCA in Actions

PAssionArts Festival Village and National Day Carnival at Hong Kah North Community Club

In honour of our nation’s 58th Birthday, our talented Dazhong Junior Orchestra Strings students delivered an awe-inspiring performance at the Hong Kah North Community Club on 5 August 2023, Saturday. The event was graced by Dr. Amy Khor, Adviser to Hong Kah North Grassroots Organisations.

This event serves as a wonderful platform for our Dazhong students to spread joy and foster a love for the Arts within the community.🎶🎻l

We take this moment to celebrate and acknowledge the small yet significant successes of our students in the realm of performing arts. We firmly believe that our students involved in the Performing Arts CCA are poised to strive for even greater musical excellence. They have indeed become more self-directed, poised, confident, and engaged musicians, consistently serving beyond themselves every step of the way. 🎵🌟

Dazhong, let your brilliance SHINE forth! 🌟

#DazhongDareToShine #PassionForTheArts

JO – SCGS Mentoring and Collaboration 2023 (6th July 2023)

On 6th July 2023, Dazhong Primary School Junior Orchestra collaborated with Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS). Students from the strings section were mentored by SCGS girls in preparation for the upcoming 85th Anniversary ARTS Fest 2023 event. Through the SCGS-Dazhong Junior Orchestra Collaboration & Mentoring 2023, our students make new friends with the secondary school girls and they were meaningfully engaged in musical and orchestral activities, developing their self-esteem and confidence in music making. There will also be another mentoring session coming Thursday, 13th July 2023.

JO & Choir Performances at 85th Anniversary Community & Eco Carnival 2023 (1st July 2023)

During our 85th Anniversary Community & Eco Carnival Day on Saturday, 1st July 2023, our performing arts groups: Junior Orchestra and Choir students put up a wonderful performance for the school’s Opening ceremony. Junior Orchestra students performed this joyous piece called ‘Ode To Joy’ while Choir students sang ‘Yellow Bus’ and ‘Shining Light’ songs. Well done to our Performing Arts students! Dazhong Dare to Shine! 😄🤩✨✨✨

Dazhong Junior Orchestra - SYF Arts Celebrations @ Esplanade Theatre: 1st July 2023

Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Celebration 2023@ Esplanade Theatre The SYF Arts Celebration is organised by the Ministry of Education annually to provide students with multi-modal and collaborative platforms to get them to express their artistic talents and creative voices and to share their passion for the arts with the wider community.

On Saturday, 1st July 2023, our Dazhong percussion students performed at the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Celebration 2023 at Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. Our student performers did a brilliant performance while they collaborated with secondary schools in their Ethnic Fusion drumming. We are also happy to meet up with Minister Chan Chun Sing who grace the SYF Arts Celebration opening ceremony. Dazhong Dare to Shine! 😄🤩✨✨✨

Dazhong Junior Orchestra - YST@NUS Children’s Concert: Side by Side: 12th March 2023

It had been a wonderful and great learning journey for our JO students who were mentored by YST students from 4th February to 11th March 2023. A total of 6 mentoring sessions and finally a Children’s concert where Dazhong JO students played side by side with their YST mentors at YST Concert Hall on Sunday, 12th March 2023. We celebrated our JO students’ success through their performances. Some of our JO students did solo pieces while playing by ear as they listen and respond to the rhythm playing by the main conductor. Parents, JO alumni plus staff also came down to support the event.

Dazhong, Dare to Shine! 🤩✨

Dazhong JO Collaboration with Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (4 February 2023) - JO 1st series of workshop collaborations with YST@NUS

Our JO students had a great time learning musicianship knowledge and skills from YST students today. Students will have opportunities to learn from the YST musicians every Saturday and they will be having their final concert performance on 12 March 2023. Great to have parents coming to support this collaboration. Dazhong, Dare to Shine!

85th Anniversary Flashmob Community Outreach event (31 January 2023) - One of 85th Anniversary celebrations Act of Kindness

Our Junior Orchestra students did us proud by bringing joy to the community with their wonderful singing, dancing and instrumental play performances at Bukit Gombak Market Square. PSG and parents also came to support this wonderful and meaningful event. Weather was good and great too! This platform encourages our students to share their joy and promote Arts to the community. We celebrate and recognize our students’ small successes in performing arts. Dazhong, Dare to Shine!

Junior Orchestra Budding Talent Management Music Programme

On 15 September 2022 (Thursday), selected Primary 2 students embarked on the Junior Orchestra Budding Talent Management Music Programme, where they learnt music reading and ear training as well as how to use their bodies to understand the musical elements introduced through singing, music and movement.

Our Dalcroze-trained or Orff-trained Musicianship instructor EXCITES and ENGAGES our students by guiding them in understanding music and movement with the use of the piano as well as singing and dancing with them to help them appreciate the rudiments of music. We hope that this programme will serve as a stepping stone for our students, EMPOWERING them to become self-directed musicians who are motivated to further hone their instrumental skills in music playing and their passion in the music field. Students who join this programme will automatically be enrolled into our school’s Junior Orchestra CCA from Primary 3 onwards!

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Flexible Band

On 19 August 2022, the Wind, Double Bass and Percussion players from our Dazhong Primary School Junior Orchestra took part in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Flexible Band 🎺🥁. With the Choice Piece ‘Windsong’ by Jay Chattaway at the Republic Cultural Centre, Republic Polytechnic, the audience present at the theatre were enchanted and mesmerized by our self-directed and resilient Junior Orchestra students’ incredible and spectacular performance 👨‍🎓. This musical journey has been an EXCITING one for our Junior Orchestra students 👨‍🎓, who have deeply ENGAGED themselves during this school year in gaining deeper knowledge in musical skills, instrumental techniques and performance etiquette.

The EMPOWERMENT that Dazhong Primary School provides to our self-directed, gracious, confident, motivated and engaged musicians, imbuing them with the school’s IREAP values, has motivated them towards musical excellence and love for the arts. We look forward to more inspiring stories from our students becoming self-directed learners, serving leaders and concerned citizens who serve beyond self. 🎼🎶🎵

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Percussion Ensemble

On 17 August 2022, the Percussion players from our Dazhong Primary School Junior Orchestra took part in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Percussion Ensemble 🥁. With the Choice Piece ‘Marcha-Cumbia’ by Stephen Tillapaugh, the students’ impactful and enchanting performance tugged at the heartstrings of the audience present at the Republic Cultural Centre, Republic Polytechnic.

Through this musical journey, our self-directed and resilient Junior Orchestra students 👨‍🎓 exemplified our IREAP values, practising tirelessly, in school and at home, for the past four months to deliver this stellar performance at the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – a testament to their love and passion for music and the performing arts! Through this musical journey, they have certainly gained deeper knowledge in musical skills, instrumental techniques and performance etiquette, becoming more self-directed, gracious, confident, motivated and engaged musicians and serving leaders! 🎼🎶🎵

Hong Kah North National Day Celebration @ West Rock & HKNCC

In conjunction with our nation’s 57th Birthday, our school’s Performing Arts CCA students in Choir, Dance and Junior Orchestra staged sensational performances at West Rock and Hong Kah North Community Club in the Dazhong Primary-HKNCC Collaboration National Day Celebration 2022 on 30 July 2022, Saturday. The event was graced by Dr Amy Khor, Member of Parliament for Hong Kah North SMC. Our dexterous students certainly put up a show of exceptional quality that day, captivating the bustling crowd with their astounding musical talents!

Teamwork makes the dream work. This successful collaboration has indeed fostered strong relationships as well as promoted camaraderie and great team spirit among our students. We believe that our Performing Arts CCA students are ready to strive for greater musical excellence in becoming more self-directed, gracious, confident, and engaged musicians, serving beyond self in every step of the way.

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Instrumental Ensemble (Strings)

On 8 July 2022, Friday, the Strings players from our Dazhong Primary School Junior Orchestra took part in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – Instrumental Ensemble (Strings) 🎻. With the Choice Piece ‘Theme from Symphony No. 5’ by Ludwig Van Beethoven, the students’ expressive and impactful performance tugged at the heartstrings of the audience present at the School of the Arts, Singapore.

Our self-directed and resilient Junior Orchestra students 👨‍🎓 have been practising tirelessly, in school and at home, for the past four months to deliver this stellar performance at the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2022 – a testament to their love and passion for music and the performing arts! Through this musical journey, they have certainly gained deeper knowledge in musical skills, instrumental techniques and performance etiquette, becoming more self-directed, gracious, confident, motivated and engaged musicians and serving leaders! 🎼🎶🎵

Singapore National Youth Sinfonia Presentation Concert at the Victoria Concert Hall (25 May 2022)

On 25 May 2022 (Wednesday), our Primary 4 and 5 Junior Orchestra (JO) students were cordially invited by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) to attend the Singapore National Youth Sinfonia Presentation Concert at the Victoria Concert Hall.

Through attending this concert, the JO students were excited about orchestral music as they were engaged in broadening their musical learning experiences as well as empowered to become more self-directed orchestra players!