Singapore Youth Festival

Have attended the SYF Opening Ceremony last evening and watched a gala of vibrant colours and music. SYF does showcase the best of Dances and the vitality and energy found in our youths. Looking at the performances, much work must have gone into the planning, the rehearsing so as to make the whole ceremony a smooth and successful one.

Sometimes, I wonder. Given so many talents in Dances, Choir, Musical Instruments Ensemble, Bands and Orchestras, why do we still lack people in the arts? Is the SYF Central Judging in Primary and Secondary Schools just a fleeting glimpse of what our youths can achieve, and then they fade away into normal Singaporeans? Being a realistic nation of efficient citizens, most Singaporeans feel more secure getting a proper education and paper qualifications. Seldom do you see anyone "straying" off to develop their artistic talents. Sigh.

I must admit that much energy and time is devoted to every single preparation for SYF. Sometimes, we are torn between letting students spend more time to rehearse and spending more time to just study for their 'O' Levels. For some students, it maybe the one and only chance for them to be ever on stage to perform at their very best. I feel that students should really make the best of their one chance to show themselves that they can achieve greater heights. Sadly, not everyone thinks this way.

With more schools putting emphasis on performing arts, we see more resourcs channelled towards the performing arts CCAs. Hence, a silver or gold award these days are much harder to obtain than say 5-10 years ago. While I wish we can maintain our standard, it's hard not to follow the flow. Only by cultivating the students' interest in the CCA can we hope to motivate them to strive for higher standards while maintaining a strong love for the CCA. Not an easy feat to accomplish.

I feel I am getting old just trying to make everything work. An infusion of new blood would be most timely now...