Making Music with Our Bodies: My Five-Day Body Percussion Sabbatical

At Hwa Chong, Sabbatical Week gives students the chance to explore learning beyond the usual classroom setting, often in unexpected and memorable ways. Through hands-on programmes across diverse areas, students discover new interests, develop confidence, and sometimes even reconnect with talents they had set aside.

In this reflection, Tyler shares how the Body Percussion Sabbatical turned from an uncertain start into an unforgettable experience of rhythm, friendship, and rediscovering his love for drumming.

Written by: Tyler Oeij Zheng Wei (1i1, 2026)

On 26 May 2026, my body percussion sabbatical began. Having missed the school bidding deadline, I was automatically assigned to it, and I had been dreading it for weeks. At first, I was unsure what to expect. The introductory session felt unfamiliar, and I was not convinced that striking our own bodies could create anything like an “orchestra”. I was also surprised to discover that our instructors were from our school band. By the end of the first day, I was still doubtful, and my most memorable achievement seemed to be a pair of red, throbbing palms. 

The following day brought a little colour: I made two new friends. This completely shifted my mood, and I found myself paying closer attention to the lesson. We expanded our rhythms to include thighs, chests, and finger snaps. When the instructor used jam blocks to create fast-changing beats, I decided to “lock in”. Because I had played the drums in primary school, I found the coordination easier to pick up. I kept up comfortably and even helped my friends who were struggling. Slowly, our collective sounds became more harmonised. 

By the third day, I walked into the band room filled with excitement. Events took an unexpected turn when the instructor let us try actual band instruments. I immediately headed for the drum set. The basic rhythms I had learnt before came back to me quickly, catching the attention of the band chairman, a Secondary 4 student. He offered me an incredible opportunity: to be the main drummer for our final performance of “A Whole New World”. Later, we used pails, shakers, and tambourines for a game of “hit and repeat”, where he created a beat and we had to play it back with whatever we had. I went home filled with anticipation for the next day. 

The next morning, I received the music score from the chairman. After a quick refresher on how to read the notes, the real practice began. Initially, I made mistakes and fell off the beat, especially during the rapid hand movements from the toms to the crash cymbal. I told myself to “lock in” again, and eventually perfected the transitions.

The final day passed in the blink of an eye. We practised smoothly before our final performance and took a group photo. What began as a dreaded consequence of a missed deadline turned out to be a blessing in disguise, transforming into an unforgettable five days. I bonded with friends, made new ones, and reconnected with a long-lost passion for drumming. I highly recommend this sabbatical to anyone. Next year, I hope to sign up again, this time on purpose.