Hitting the High Notes

It was stiff competition but their effortspaid off and these youths were rewarded with the coveted championship title of the NYP Jam! singing competition!



NYP Jam! 2014 NYP Champion – Renu Sabrin Masilamany 
Class of 2014, Diploma in Sport & Wellness Management, School of Business Management

Sabrin was an introvert who hid her passion for singing. It was only after joining SoundCard, a CCA for singing enthusiasts in NYP,

that she began emerging from her “shell”. Even then, she had to remove her contact lenses before performing to ease her nerves. Through the CCA, she gained confidence, and slowly, the tummy rumbles vanished.

Even though she didn’t make it to the finals the previous year when she took part as a group, her desire to be a good role model for her juniors renewed her courage to try again as a soloist. “It’s okay if you fail, because all of us will experience rejections in life. But, we do not stop there, we persevere until we achieve something” she explained.

Sabrin confessed to taking a risky step during the competition, changing songs at the last minute as she was greatly affected by her friends’ comment about slow songs put people to sleep and wouldn’t win the hearts of the judges. However, she soldiered on and continued with her usual training. With her positive attitude, Sabrin clinched the top title. “I was beyond words, speechless! My heart was about to jump out of my mouth. I wanted to cry with joy because I achieved what I never expected was possible.” she shared. At that moment, she felt that “even the smallest achievement is the biggest victory!”

“This competition gave me confidence to believe in myself. I want to improve and be better.” Promising that she’ll take up more challenges, she said, “This is my first stepping stone, and there will be many more to come.”

NYP Jam! 2014 Secondary School Champion – Amicables, East Spring Secondary School

While checking out the available courses on Nanyang Polytechnic’s (NYP) website, Izzathy and Nicole chanced upon the web banner for NYP Jam! so they decided to ask Hakim to form a band and signed up for NYP Jam! together. Being good friends who shared the same interest in music, they came up with the band name “Amicables” to symbolise their friendship and friendliness.

Sharing their audition experience, they revealed that they felt nervous and although they received a positive response from the audience and judges, they weren’t really confident.

Making the Finals was totally unexpected for them. While choosing the right song for the Finals wasn’t easy but it was more challenging to find time for practice as they have different schedules and commitments. However, with determination and patience, they pulled through. Speaking of their takeaways from the competition, not only did they enjoy their practice sessions, which Hakim described as “serious but fun”; they also made friends with their “very talented” rivals. Talk about good sportsmanship!

When their win was announced, they were “astounded”, but “it was a pleasant surprise to know that our hard work eventually paid off.” With the title under their belt, the band is looking forward to creating more memories with NYP, expressing their interest in the school’s Mass Media Management course. What would they say to would-be contestants? “Join NYP Jam! as it allows  you to learn and gain experience, while meeting new people who share common interests!”

Inspired by Sabrin and the Amicables? Follow in their footsteps and go on your own music adventure with NYP Jam! Be innovative and enterprising, come choose your own adventure at NYP Open House from 8 to 10 Jan 2015!

Published in the October 2014 Issue of Teenage Magazine. Reproduced with Permission.