Summer/Fall 2025

COHESION Volunteer Assistant Facilitator

Do you have a passion for choral singing and or community engagement? Join the Centre for Music and Health’s new research project COHESION to be a volunteer assistant facilitator for a 12-week singing programme in collaboration with Esther and Lions Befrienders’ Active Ageing Centres (AACs), and Voices of Singapore (VOS)! COHESION study is a collaborative community initiative aiming to promote health and well-being for older adults through singing and social connection. It includes ten weekly 1-hour singing sessions followed by a community performance by the older adults on the 11th/12th week (TBD). 

What to expect?

You will be assisting the main facilitator with activities such as vocal warm-ups, group singing, and community-building activities.

Expected timeline & commitment

  • Receive choir facilitation training (up to 14 hours) from VOS before the start of the choir

  • Assist in the 10-week singing sessions and final performance (on the 11th or 12th week, TBD) at designated AACs in Queenstown, from August to October 2025

  • Participate in an optional art workshop and optional interview after the programme. If you complete the interview, you will receive a $10 cash reimbursement upon completion

Who we are looking for:

  • For NUS students, aged 18-50; For non-NUS participants, aged 21-50 

  • Able to provide informed consent 

  • In good physical health to participate in group singing 

  • Fluent in English and/or Chinese

  • Able to attend all weekly singing sessions and support older adult participants (when necessary) throughout the program 

  • Choral/music training or experience is a plus!

  • Passionate about community well-being, arts and health!

Volunteers will receive free choral facilitating training from VOS. 

Upon the study’s completion, all volunteers will receive a certificate of acknowledgement for their participation.

If you are interested: 

Drop an email to the Centre for Music and Health: cmh@nus.edu.sg

2024 / 2025

Participate in Movin’ and Groovin’ for Wellness

(More dates to be announced)

Back by popular demand! Our sessions last term were ‘sold out’ with a waiting list!

The Centre for Music and Health is offering FREE 2 hour 45 minutes group drumming and dancing sessions called Movin’ & Groovin’ for Wellness, facilitated by a professional musician and dancer. Everyone in the group will be introduced to hand-held percussion instruments and movement activities by a professional musician and dance instructor.The sessions are part of a research study to examine the effectiveness of music and dance activities to support health and well-being. You are invited to participate in this free program.

Here are the available dates (please sign up for one session only):

- 29th August 2024

- 9th September 2024

- 11th October 2024

- 18th November 2024

- 22nd Jan 2025

Here’s what to expect if you participate: The session will last 2 hours 45 minutes , and will be held at the YST Conservatory of Music (at NUS) from 6:30 pm to 9:15 pm in the evening. Everyone in the group will be introduced to hand-held percussion instruments and movement activities by a professional musician and dance instructor. During the session, you should wear comfortable clothing, as you will be engaging in light to moderate physical activity (drumming and dancing). Participants will complete surveys before and after the session (approx. 15-20 minutes each), with questions covering demographic information, mental health, social connection, and creativity on the Movin’ & Groovin’ for Wellness session. More detailed information will be provided when you email to state your interest in participating.

For more information and to sign up for the study, please email the Research Coordinator for the Centre for Music and Health, Yifan Chen, at: cmh@nus.edu.sg or register at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/MovinandGroovinreglink 

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for participation you must:

- Be currently enrolled in NUS

- Be between the ages of 18-40 years old

- Be fluent (speak and write) in English

- Have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing and vision

- Have not participated in the Movin & Groovin 10-week programme

Those who have been diagnosed with a neurological or hearing/physical impairment that would prevent moving/dancing, or who are taking medicine to treat their mental health, are unfortunately not eligible to participate in this study. Further, please note that during the session, the programme team will be doing some video and audio recording of the sessions for internal record-keeping and programme evaluation (these will never be shared publicly).

By participating in the program, you would need to consent to having photos/videos taken during the session for these internal purposes.

NUS-IRB Reference Code: NUS-IRB-2023-3.