ACE Constellations 2021 – Building Bridges with Music

Article written by Lee Shi Pian

Constellations is a mentoring programme that brings CAPTains and disadvantaged youth together through a common passion in music. In this iteration, a team of 12 CAPTains gave guitar lessons to the youth at Singapore Boys’ Hostel (SBHL), and in return received a peek into their lives as exciting stories and varied experiences were shared. The journey ended after ten sessions, with a final performance as testament to the boys’ growth.

Reflections from Project Director, Lee Shi Pian

In Constellations, I was blessed with the opportunity to helm such an interesting and fruitful project, with such a sincere group of CAPTains and loveliest group of boys. It was also such a joy using my passion for music to engage a community! Stepping into the role of Project Director was daunting no doubt, but the excitement and growth I experienced made it all worth it.

The biggest challenge I faced was actually my own initial fears. At first, I felt underqualified and daunted by the responsibility of leading a committee filled with seniors, especially after 12 years of functioning within the seniority structure in school. Additionally, I was worried about interacting with the boys at SBHL as an older female—I wondered if they would like me, someone who hardly knew what teenage boys liked to talk about. However, I soon found out that I had little to fear—the seniors respected and encouraged me with kind advice, listening ears, and friendship. As soon as we started guitar lessons, the boys also gave me wide-eyed attention and excitedly shared about themselves! Every Tuesday night, I looked forward to having light-hearted conversations with my members on the way to sessions, and discussing favourite songs and artistes with the boys. The first step to leading a community engagement made me feel like a fish out of water, but if I didn’t try, I would never have known how many people I would have connected with! This was something the boys also showed me in their music journey, as they diligently held every string and strummed every chord.

Consequently, I had a bigger takeaway than I had expected: a full heart and fond memories. I recount engagement sessions, volunteer meetings, and even EXCO meetings with a smile, because I am grateful for the opportunity to have heard many stories and perspectives from others, be it CAPTains, community partner, or community itself. It was not just because I was serving, but also because I was learning from and with others—my CE (community engagement) journey has been strongly defined by the idea of sharing and partnership. At the end, I think this refined my idea of CE. It’s not about providing a service, but about humbly and compassionately understanding a community. It’s also about partnership, where you recognise a community’s strengths and assets, while making use of your own to create meaningful memories!