Singing for his supper
Jarrell Ng, 18, used to be a typical teenager singing along to the radio in his parents’ car until SPOP Sing!, a national competition, propelled him to fame. Now, he is in the serious business of crooning to throngs of screaming fans and has set his sights on the greater China market.
In a nutshell: “To be honest, I’d not really planned to be in this line until the opportunity knocked on my door. I always loved to sing, so my parents, who were very supportive, would take me to singing competitions. I used to be chubby and not confident of [my voice], so [their support] helped a lot. When I got the chance to participate in the SPOP Sing! competition, I willed myself to overcome the obstacles and put in hours of hard work to practise and push on.”
High-note advice: “You can never stop learning. In my case, in order to succeed, having just a good voice is not enough. One needs to be an all-rounder and this can only be done through constant upskilling – for example, I’m learning how to dance and present myself better in front of my audience now – and keeping an open mind to try different things. The competition was only the start of a long journey. I’ve learnt that nothing comes easy, but if you work hard at what you believe in and follow your heart, you can achieve your goals.”
Championing changes in society
You may have heard of “Superhero Me”, a grounds-up inclusive arts movement that empowers children through the arts. Jean Loo was the driving force behind this, her passion project. A Singapore Youth Awards recipient last year, Jean Loo, 35, currently works at Lien Foundation as a Co-Lead for Early Childhood Development
The ex-photojournalist is passionate about her mission to nurture a caring society. She uses her artistic eye and, with the experience of partners, reaches out to children from all walks of life, especially those with special needs via larger-than-life art sessions.
In a nutshell: “It is not true, as they say, that if you find a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. On the contrary, if you find or do something you love, you have to work very hard for it; and if you find a job that you love, you have to work even harder and give it the best shot,” elaborates Jean.
Best-picture advice: “The PSLE is just one step in this long flight of steps called life. You are more than your scores. It is also important to stay hungry – for adventure and failure. When you fall, try again, try differently and try harder! Courage is a practice we build over time. Finally, your journey is the destination. Chin up with a big smile and plant your feet on the ground.”
Making cartoons live
Can you animate Optimus Prime or Bumblebee well? Peter Tan, 40, lead animator with Industrial Light & Magic Singapore, gets paid for this. He is part of the team that brings to life beloved characters, such as Bumblebee and Prime, as well as Iron Man, Hulk and many more in international movies including various Transformers, The Avengers, Pacific Rim, Aquaman. He’s truly living many kids’ dreams…
In a nutshell: “I was drawn to video games, cartoons and movies like Jurassic Park and Toy Story since young. When I discovered that Nanyang Polytechnic actually offers a course in animation, that was when I realised that this was something I could actually learn – and do for a living!
Well-drawn advice: “If you want to produce something cool, which looks good, you have to have commitment – there can be no compromise. To complete a project, I have [had] to stay past midnight and work over weekends. It is hard work. But because it is something I enjoy, I just want to persevere. When you are passionate about your job, you won’t mind the inconveniences and efforts. And when things get tough, you will just push on and keep trying. My parents have been very supportive of whatever I set out to do. That really helped, too.”
