CCAs of NTU 25’: NTU CAC Harmonix
Written by: Parvathi Prajeesh (Vice-Chairperson) & Floretta Setia Pradana (Treasurer)
There are many ways to pose for a picture. Some like to pose with a simple smile while others use hearts, peace-signs or a thumbs up. But have you ever heard of posing like a whale?
This is a unique photo tradition that exists in Harmonix. Until today, its origin remains a mystery to us all, but it has been passed down generations of Harmonix members and is one of the many quirks that make us who we are.
Our Purpose:
Harmonix is NTU’s official contemporary A cappella club. It was created in 2015 by a group of like-minded individuals with a passion for A cappella music, to bring this unique artform to NTU. Through ‘A cappella’, we showcase music without the use of instrumental accompaniment, using only our voices. In the past 10 years, we have come a long way with many memories and achievements to our name.
From left: 1. 1st and 2nd Place at The A Cappella Championships 2023 2. 1st Place at The A Cappella Championships 2024
Our club is for anyone who is interested in A cappella and wishes to explore the intricacies of this artform through singing and vocal percussion. Within NTU, we wish to contribute a platform for A cappella performers in the wider student body as well as to develop and hone their skills through various performance opportunities (ranging from club productions to external gigs, competitions and music festivals). We also aim to create a community, where members are able to grow as performers and bond over our love for A cappella. Overall, our club strives to showcase a coherent and sophisticated sound through colourful vocals and harmonies.
What We Do: Practice, Perform, and Have Fun!
Harmonix has two main semester-end club productions throughout the academic year: Internal Showcase (Semester 1) and Annual Concert (Semester 2, during summer break). For each of these events, you will be allocated to a group consisting of 5 or more vocal parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass and Vocal Percussionist), with whom you will perform together.
Our regular sessions include training with our vocal coach, Ms. Cherie Chai, our music director and performance director on various aspects of A cappella, voice culture and stage performance. In addition, there will also be preparation for our semester-end productions which include consultations, quality checks, full runs and rehearsals.
The expected commitment would be two days a week: 1) Regular training sessions on Wednesdays and 2) Group practice (based on your group’s availability).
Outside of regular sessions, our club participates in many internal and external gigs, competitions such as The A Cappella Championships, and music festivals such as Voices: a Festival of Song. In January 2025, we were also invited to take part in the Hong Kong International A Cappella Contest, to represent Singapore.
From left: 1. Voices: A Festival of Song 2024 at Esplanade 2. Hong Kong International A Cappella Contest 2025
Our Community: A Welcoming and Wholesome Group
Whether you are a beginner, or an experienced singer, our club will welcome you with open arms! We have a supportive community of seniors and alumni who are more than willing to help you grow in this club.
Additionally, we enjoy recreational activities with our members through bonding events such as Orientation, Harmonix Camp and occasional ‘playtimes’ within our regular sessions!
Harmonix Camp, Jan 2025
Harmonix Orientation, August 2024
In essence, our club is quite chill and fun (with occasional quirks in between)! :D In a more serious tone, we try our best to maintain a balance between bonding as a family, and growing as performers by developing our musical competencies and performing experience.
Come and Join Us!
To join our club, do look out for our auditions in Weeks 1-2 of Semester 1. Stay tuned for more details and the link to signups will be shared at our Welcome Week booth and via our IG page!
In our auditions, we look out for musical abilities (such as pitch, rhythm, intervals and solo singing) as well as soft skills (such as willingness to learn and openness to constructive feedback). Having prior experience in music and singing is definitely a bonus, but it is not mandatory!
Conclusion
At its core, Harmonix is more than just a group of people singing together. It is about the laughs in between practice runs during our sessions, the shared memories throughout the whole journey, and of course, our shared appreciation for the A cappella artform.
We can’t wait to meet our next batch of singers and vocal percussionists! If you are interested in joining, do drop by our booth during Welcome Week for more information and to meet our members!
We will also be performing on 11th August at 12:45pm at AIA Canopy during Welcome Week, so keep a lookout!
See you there!
Other Information:
For enquiries, contact: Tiffany Lee, Chairperson | CAC-Harmonix@e.ntu.edu.sg (Email)
Training sessions:
Wednesdays (7.30pm - 10.30pm), Hive TRs (TBC)
One more day of practice to be decided within your group (for a duration of around 3 hours)
Do follow us on our socials!
Instagram: @ntuharmonix
Tiktok: @ntuharmonix
YouTube: @ntucacharmonix9165
