Finding My Rhythm: Lessons from the Sec 1 Assembly Beatboxing Session

Written by: Tan Sze Kai (1A3, 2026)

Whenever I finish my homework or find myself with some free time on a quiet afternoon, a familiar habit naturally takes over. I start making random drumming noises and simple beats with my mouth. I am certainly no expert—my beatboxing skills are quite basic, made up of simple rhythm patterns that I practise just to entertain myself. For me, beatboxing was never something I took too seriously. It was simply a fun hobby to pass the time whenever I was bored.

That changed when our school announced a special assembly featuring Singaporean beatboxer Mr Charles Stitch Wong. He was coming to Hwa Chong to share his passion for beatboxing with us. I was immediately excited and looked forward to the assembly.

Mr Charles Stitch Wong is known for his energetic performances and impressive ability to create music using only his voice and a microphone. By combining drum beats, bass sounds and other sound effects, he can produce rhythms that sound like an entire set of instruments. Having an artist of his experience visit our school was a rare opportunity, and I was eager to see what I could learn from him.

On the day of the event, the auditorium was filled with excitement as hundreds of students gathered. The moment Mr Charles stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere came alive. He opened with an impressive live performance that left everyone in awe. It was hard to believe that the different sounds coming through the speakers were all produced using his voice and breath control.

After the performance, Mr Charles moved on to the workshop. What made his teaching so engaging was his funny, clear and friendly style. Instead of using complicated musical terms, he broke beatboxing down into simple building blocks. He taught us how to combine three basic sounds—the kick drum, hi-hat and snare—into recognisable rhythms through fun vocal exercises. Within minutes, the entire hall was practising together, filling the space with a loud, rhythmic beat and plenty of laughter.

The most exciting part of the event came during the interactive activity. To my surprise, Mr Charles looked across the audience and invited a few students onto the stage. I was one of them.

As I walked down the aisle, my heart began beating faster and my hands became cold and sweaty. Standing under the bright stage lights and facing hundreds of my schoolmates and teachers was intimidating.

Once I was on stage, Mr Charles handed me the microphone and asked me to perform a solo beatbox routine. Suddenly, my stage fright took over. My mind went blank, and I fumbled my performance right at the start. My beats came out unevenly, and for a moment, I felt embarrassed standing alone in the spotlight.

Sensing my nervousness, Mr Charles responded with patience and encouragement. Instead of allowing me to panic, he started a steady beat with his own voice and invited me to join him. With his support and rhythm guiding me, I gradually regained my composure, caught the beat and completed the performance with him. When we finished, the hall erupted into cheers and applause from my friends and teachers.

Looking back, the experience was meaningful to me for several reasons. First, I was impressed by how Mr Charles could make a complex skill feel accessible to beginners. Beatboxing had always seemed difficult to me, but he broke it down into simple steps that gave everyone the confidence to try.

More importantly, stepping onto the stage and making a mistake pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had always been nervous about performing in front of a large audience, but the experience taught me that making mistakes is simply part of learning. With encouragement from Mr Charles and the audience, I was able to recover and finish the performance. That gave me greater confidence in my ability to handle unexpected situations.

As a Secondary One student, much of my daily life revolves around lessons, homework and preparing for tests. While academic learning is important, this workshop reminded me that learning does not only happen in the classroom. We can also learn through trying new things, discovering our interests and challenging ourselves in unfamiliar situations.

Seeing Mr Charles's passion for beatboxing also made me realise how something that begins as a simple hobby can grow into a meaningful craft. His enthusiasm showed me that when we are genuinely passionate about something, we are more willing to practise, improve and keep going even when it is difficult.

Mr Charles Stitch Wong's visit to Hwa Chong was therefore much more than a fun assembly. It changed the way I see beatboxing—from a simple habit I used to fill my free time into an art form that I now want to explore more seriously. More importantly, the experience of stepping onto the stage, stumbling under pressure and finding my rhythm again taught me to be more willing to take risks and learn from my mistakes.

I am grateful for this experience because it reminded me that some of the most meaningful lessons can happen beyond the classroom. Textbooks may teach us what we need to know, but experiences like this teach us how to step onto the stage of life, find our confidence and discover our own rhythm.