Do It Scared: What Singing Taught Me This Year
Looking back at the past year, I don't think I expected choir to teach me quite so much outside of music.
There was joining the VOS Youth Choir, a new choir where I barely knew anyone, competing at the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod, and taking part in a masterclass with Dr. Jeffery Redding at the VOS Festival. Three very different experiences, but all of them changed the way I think about singing with other people.
Emma and friends at a recital in VOS Capitol Studios.
The terrifying bit about starting over
One of the biggest changes for me this year was joining the VOS Youth Choir (VYC).
Walking into a new choir where I barely knew anyone was honestly quite terrifying, especially as one of the youngest members. There was a different level of musical rigour to adjust to and I wasn't always sure I could keep up.
Slowly, I learnt that I didn't have to figure everything out alone.
Asking for help was difficult at first, but everyone was more than willing to help. The people I was nervous to approach became people I could learn from, and things that felt intimidating started to feel normal.
It was different from what I was used to, but it was a good difference. I needed that experience of being the new person again because it reminded me that it's okay not to know everything and that I can always ask for help.
I really don't regret joining VYC, even though I was pretty nervous about it at first. In the end, I'm glad I chose to do it anyway.
Emma and friends at the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.
Two days that felt like a lifetime
Not long after came the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE), which somehow felt like it lasted much longer than two days.
Dr. Darius told us we were competing in categories with a lot of contenders. We were definitely nervous, but he simply told us to do our best… So we did.
We were shaky at first, but eventually the chords started clicking into place. That feeling when everyone is listening to each other and the sound comes together is one of my favourite things about singing.
We walked out of the hall feeling relieved, knowing we had done our best and that was enough.
Finding out that we had won was obviously amazing, but what I remember most are the little things. Holding hands before we performed, taking a moment to breathe together before going on stage, and celebrating with each other afterwards.
VOS Youth Choir is the first Singaporean choir to win a Grand Prix on the Asia Choral Grand Prix Circuit.
When muscle memory isn't enough
The MCE experience made me reflect on what happens when you trust the people around you, but the VOS Festival masterclass with Dr. Jeffery Redding made me look into how I approach the music itself.
I've sung pieces enough times that the notes, breathing and gestures can start to feel automatic. You know what comes next and eventually you can almost do it without thinking.
Dr. Redding challenged all of that.
He picked up on small things I had stopped noticing and kept asking us to think about why we were singing something a certain way. A phrase needed more meaning, a gesture needed to change and suddenly something familiar felt new again.
But what stayed with me most wasn't the musical side. Dr. Redding shared parts of his own life and experiences with us, which changed the atmosphere in the room. We started seeing each other less as sections and voice parts and more as people.
At one point, he asked us to hold hands while we sang. It felt a little strange at first, but once we did, I became much more aware of everyone around me. I stopped worrying so much about getting everything right and found myself actually responding to the lyrics.
It wasn't perfect, but it was one of the most emotive experiences I've had singing in a choir.
Dr. Jeffery Redding was one of the international clinicians at VOS Festival 2026, leading masterclasses and workshops while conducting the Youth Festival Chorus.
So… What Did I Learn?
These experiences reminded me that choir isn't always about getting everything right.
Sometimes it's about letting yourself experience the music, trusting the people beside you and walking into a room where you don't know anyone yet still deciding to stay.
At the end of the day, that's what keeps me coming back to choir. There’s always another song to learn, another person to meet and another moment where you surprise yourself.
If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to sing with a new group, maybe it’s worth taking the leap. Even if you have to do it scared.
