From March to July 2019, with support from Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, the Esplanade is bringing angklung lessons to four nursing home and Senior Activity Centres across the island.
Originating from Indonesia, the angklung is a traditional instrument made of varying number of bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. Taught by lively instructors from Sri Warisan, the seniors tried their hand at learning and playing familiar tunes such as “Que Sera Sera”, “Rasa Sayang” and “月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)”. For the fourth and final session, ensembles of seniors from Care Corner Senior Activity Centre (WL569A) and Lions Befrienders (Tampines) Senior Activity Centre proudly staged a performance of at least 2-3 songs for friends and family members.
Playing musical instruments have been found to improve the cognitive ability for seniors as well as physical and emotional wellbeing by encouraging coordinated movement and connecting with fellow players. Many seniors who participated echoed sentiments that learning to play the angklung is a fun and easy process, and would definitely want to participate again in the future.
Read More“I don’t think it is difficult to learn the angklung at all! It is a simple instrument – we just need to shake our angklung at the right time.” – A senior from Care Corner Senior Activity Centre (WL569A).
“I think this workshop is very meaningful as it teaches us about teamwork. It is only when everyone works together, then we can play good music.” – A senior from Lions Befrienders (Tampines) Senior Activity Centre.
This April, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) brought its orchestra from concert halls to six hospitals and nursing homes across the island through the SCO Caring Series sponsored by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation. In its 13th edition this year, the series is committed to bringing Chinese orchestral music directly to patients in hospitals and elderly residents living in nursing homes to promote their mental-wellbeing and gain greater exposure on the arts.
Patients, elderly residents, caregivers and healthcare staff from United Medicare (Queensway), Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Assisi Hospice, United Medicare (Toa Payoh), United Medicare (Elizabeth) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital had the opportunity to enjoy captivating renditions of familiar tunes such as Lenggang Kangkung, Rasa Sayang and Top of the World. The series of hour-long performances lightened staff and beneficiaries’ spirits as they sang and clapped along enthusiastically during the performances. Assistant Conductor Moses Gay also spontaneously encouraged the beneficiaries to sing-along and led the ensemble to play slower to cater to the pace of the elderly’s singing. It was heartening to see the beneficiaries thoroughly enjoy themselves.
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This April, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) performed melodious Chinese orchestral music to patients, caregivers and healthcare staff across five hospitals and hospices. These included Tan Tock Seng Hospital, St. John’s Home for Elderly Persons, Assisi Hospice, Changi General Hospital and Singapore General Hospital. This is part of the SCO Caring Series 2018 organised with support from the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation.
The series of hour-long performances lightened staff and beneficiaries’ spirits as they sang along to familiar tunes such as Good Morning Teacher, Di Tanjong Katong and What a Wonderful World. This was also an opportunity to bring Chinese orchestral music directly to patients in hospitals and elderly residents living in nursing homes some of whom as long-term residents, may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience live orchestral performances.
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More than 90,000 elderly are unable to attend the nation’s annual National Day Parades, or be at home with their families, during this festive period. TCTF supported local social enterprise and interest group, ACE Seniors in bringing this year’s National Day celebrations to residents staying in Bethany Methodist Nursing Home, Bright Vision Hospital, Ren Ci Hospital, St Andrew Nursing Home and Singapore Christian Home.
More photos can be viewed at ACE Seniors’ Facebook page.
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The foundation’s collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) kicked off on 12 April 2016 with the first Caring Series concert taking place in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. A crowd of hospital staff, patients and caregivers gathered in the atrium to enjoy a medley of familiar tunes in English, Malay and Mandarin. The atrium was filled with warmth and joy throughout the hour-long concert as the audience sang and clapped along enthusiastically to popular songs. The series of one-hour performances continued at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the National University Heart Centre, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution, SPD and Kwong Wai Shiu Community Hospital over the course of the year.
“When we are ill and feeling down, music can uplift our spirits. Few of us are able to attend an orchestral performance when we are recuperating. But now, through this Caring Series brought to you by SCO and the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, musicians will perform at hospitals. Ours is a message of hope and compassion for patients and their families. Through music, we express our appreciation for the hospital staff, who toil to bring comfort to so many people,” said TCTF CEO Ms Yap Su-Yin.
View more photos here.
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Launched in 2012, Brahm Centre is dedicated to promoting happy and healthy living through holistic education. The foundation supports Brahm Centre in their “Enhancement of Virtual Hospital Befriender” and “Mental Health Programme: Happier Singapore” programmes in the effort to continue channeling our giving towards social services with funding gaps. With such support, the centre is able to provide better preventive programmes that alleviate negative emotions and circumstances. This will hopefully result in individuals who will stay mentally and physically healthy, becoming more effective in what they do and be a positive influence to others.
In October 2013, the foundation, together with our partner, Encore! The European Season in Singapore, organised a guided tour of the Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb exhibition @ArtScience Museum for Brahm Centre’s volunteers and the Tecity colleagues. Besides having a platform to directly interface with the foundation’s staff, this opportunity also serves to support Brahm Centre in acknowledging the contributions of its volunteers as well as knowing more about the philanthropic commitments of the foundation.
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Improving the lives of family members and caregivers of persons with mental illness through education, outreach, support, referral and advocacy has been the aim of Caregivers Alliance Limited (CAL). Its objectives are aligned to the foundation’s in supporting caregivers and mental health causes as to date, these areas of need lack funding support.
In 2013, TCTF disbursed a seed grant to CAL for the setup of a Caregiver-to-Caregiver (C2C) Support Centre at the Institute of Mental Health Headquarters.
CAL’s “Caregivers-to-Caregivers (C2C) Educational programmes” and “Caregiver Leaders’ Training” supported by TCTF provides information, support and the necessary skills and knowledge to better take care of their loved ones and themselves as well as empowering caregivers to provide support to other caregivers through classroom training and on-the-job training.
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