“I’m not really in my own band. It’s actually an Interest Group called Jammerz Arena that I’ve been a part of since my first year at Republic Polytechnic. We don’t have fixed band members; it’s more of a platform that lets us play and learn music with different people.

We were given some time to prepare for big school events organised by The Republic Cultural Centre like Jam and Hop, which is part of the freshman orientation programme. The most intense one for me was the IGNITE! Music Festival. Getting on stage was nerve-wrecking, but I managed to pull through. 

Performing on stage makes me feel honest, and it’s easy to express myself there. It has helped me in building my self-confidence and killing off the anxiety of meeting new people. I still tend to be nervous and socially awkward when I talk to people, but I’m practising to be better.

I also make my own music. It’s easier to let people know how I feel about anything through my music. It’s like my best friend who I can talk about anything to and it understands” – Naufal, 25