Turn Up & Sing - KAU ILHAMKU

About

No auditions. No judgement. No commitment. Just the joy of singing together…

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TURN UP & SING?

The Sound Collective's Turn Up & Sing series provides an interactive & immersive experience where people come together from all walks of life to sing together and experience the celebration of song and the connective power of singing in harmony. Our Turn Up & Sing sessions provide the opportunity to build community, make some new friends, release stress, and have fun as we raise our powerfully diverse voices as one.

It's as simple as that - it's the joy of creating something bigger than ourselves in a room full of beautiful people!

For each session, we pick a single piece of music to rehearse and sing our hearts out to. In our time together, we will:

• Engage in some fun vocal warmups
• Work through the piece in sections
• Explore the lyrics, mood and emotions of the song
• Shape some key musical moments
• Sing sing sing!

Whether you're a superstar, chorister, shower singer or have never sung in a group before, you are welcome here - all experience levels are valued in The Sound Collective.

OUR SONG FOR THE SESSION: "KAU ILHAMKU"

This Meredeka month, we come together to celebrate a song that unites generations. An iconic Malay classic that Malaysians love to sing at gatherings, karaoke sessions, campfires, at the top of our lungs and from our hearts. Originally recorded by Man Bai in the 1990s, Kau Ilhamku quickly became one of Malaysia's most beloved songs.. a timeless classic that has found its way into gatherings, karaoke sessions, school performances, road trips, campfires, weddings and countless moments shared between family and friends... sung at the top of our lungs and from our hearts!

We will be singing at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, the former administrative centre of the British colonial government that later housed several key government ministries following independence. Today, its historic halls have been reimagined as spaces for culture, creativity and community, welcoming art exhibitions, cafés and social gatherings in the very heart of the city. Overlooking Dataran Merdeka, where independence was declared in 1957, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the stories, struggles and triumphs that have shaped us as a nation.

There is something beautifully fitting about singing Kau Ilhamku here. At its heart, the song is about inspiration, and holding someone in your memory in the present moment, and allowing what they meant to you to continue shaping and inspiring your life. In a place like Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, that idea feels especially meaningful. Surrounded by so much history, it becomes a chance to remember the loved ones, families, communities and generations who came before us, and the shared heritage that has carried us to where we are today.

And so, for one afternoon, we gather "di arena ini"... Hundreds of voices coming together in one of Malaysia's most iconic landmarks to sing, remember and celebrate. And of course, to sing that iconic "oh-oh" together!

LEARNING THE MUSIC

Sheet music and audio references will be sent to you via email a week before the event. Our collective goal is to listen to the audio references ahead of time so that we come into the session with some familiarity. This way we can spend our time together really diving into the richness of music making, rather than trying to learn the key melodies from scratch. You don't need to know our parts by heart by any means, but the stronger you are in our parts coming in, the more we'll be able to really dig into the fun stuff! Physical copies of the sheet music will be given out on the day itself.

DRESS CODE

Let's create a sea of BATIK! Batik shirts, batik dresses, batik skirts.. keeping the colourful Malaysian artistic spirit alive!

OUR ETHOS & MISSION 

Music is a universal language. It is the golden thread that binds us together through its powerful means to connect, heal and inspire. At The Sound Collective, we celebrate this power by curating unique moments for us to come together in rhythm and harmony, to create something bigger than ourselves - as we raise our voices and create noises, not for us just to hear; but to feel, share and live. We believe that making music in community & collaboration with other people is a fundamental human need, and our mission is to build a safe space for this in a day and age when this is so often hard to find, yet needed the most.

DISCLAIMER

We would like to emphasise that this event is a celebration of music, creativity, and community, with no religious, spiritual or political affiliations.