SCHians’ got Talent!

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Our SCH family spirit extends beyond work and into play.

When the SCH Dinner & Dance Committee called for talents to come forward, colleagues from different domains assembled, and these Crazy Rich SCH Idols took to the stage on the evening of 17 November 2023 at Marina Bay Sands Ballroom, to unleash their inner diva.

Despite coming from different departments, they managed to work around each other's hectic work schedules to put on the performance of a lifetime! We asked a few of them what was their formula to success. 


CrazyBeats Asian Band
When Mohammad Faisal Bin Shaharudin, OCH Staff Nurse, and Dizon Angela Hermano, OCH Staff Nurse, first heard about the call for the talent show performance, it immediately sparked their interest. They gathered fellow colleagues Rayner Chia, OCH Physiotherapist and Lucille Basilio Satorre, OCH Senior Physiotherapist to form the Crazybeats Asian Band.

As they all had different schedules, it was hard to find common timeslots for rehearsals. However, they were determined and arranged to rehearse and practice weekly without fail. This was made possible as everyone had two things in common – their passion for playing music and their collaborative spirit. Through the rehearsals, the team's friendship grew deeper as they enjoyed exploring new jamming studios together and they would often tease each other about purchasing new instruments.

"Everyone in the band has been mature and wonderful to work with. We are respectful and supportive of each other as we know that through this creative process of making a song, it is a learning journey for everyone. I am proud to say that I want to be part of this band even after the Dinner & Dance!" said Faisal.


N'Syncope
It was over a random conversation over lunch when Dr Low Jia Hua, Associate Consultant from SKCH-Post-Acute & Continuing Care and his bandmates discovered their shared passion for music. The team nostalgically recalled the many fond memories spent jamming with friends and family during their childhood, which eventually led to subsequent jamming sessions together.

When they heard about the call for D&D performers, the team immediately jumped at the opportunity to not only showcase their talents, but to also take the chance to bond with colleagues outside of work. When asked about some memorable moments during the preparation phase, the team shared that they enjoyed brainstorming and engaging in spontaneous songwriting sessions, as well as the glowstick dances (which got resounding applause from the crowd!).

Despite their busy schedules, Dr Apurva Thanju, Senior Staff Registrar from SKCH-Post-Acute & Continuing Care, shared that their motivation to prepare for this item stems from the close bond amongst the members. It creates a sense of togetherness, which brings them closer to one another like family.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained! The show is over, but happy memories remain!" said Dr Apurva.


SCHanghai TANG
The team came up with their creative name, SCHanghai Tang, from the Chinese drama series – Shanghai Bund. The idea of acting out a skit came to mind when the BVCH leads from different departments discovered over lunch that they had a shared interest and passion in all things SCHanghainese. And from then on, it was all systems go!  

Dr Yee Wenjun Gabriel Gerard, Consultant from OCH-Post-Acute & Continuing Care, and Adam Tang, Executive for the Office of Patient Experience at OCH, shared that some of them did speech and drama in their younger days but even for those without acting background, they helped with brainstorming ideas, planning the script, preparing props and costumes, designing backdrops, and compiling the soundtrack and lyrics!

One unique challenge the team faced was also having to ensure that they did not end up laughing uncontrollably on stage just by seeing each other's faces or forgetting their cues. Most importantly, everyone contributed significantly without any disagreements.

"I know it sounds cliched, but truly, we demonstrated that Together We Care. This talent show is simply an extension of what we overcame as BVCH and One SCH Family during the pandemic. The teamwork is evident for all!" said Dr Gabriel.