Vocaloid CLub
Vocaloid Club
With the rapid spread of Japanese culture around the world, topics such as anime and food have been brought into the spotlight. Explore one of the musical facets of Japan’s diverse culture - vocaloid.
In this CCA, students will learn how to use modern vocal synthesizers to create their own music, expressing their emotions and thoughts in a brand-new medium. Members will also listen to songs by renowned creators, such as DECO*27 and n-buna, appreciating their meaning and the process of song-making.
CAS Strand: Creativity and Service
Students are encouraged to listen, appreciate and remake pieces and songs according to their own style and preferences, as well as composing their own music from the ground-up. Their ability to quickly learn and master new technologies will be tested as they are exposed to a brand new form of rather unconventional music-making, using digital methods rather than acoustic information. This conforms to both individual creativity and community-based creativity. Students can freely express themselves through touching melodies and impactful lyrics, while simultaneously requiring the cooperation of many students to succeed in their final goals.
Both tutor and tutee gain benefits from this activity, in the form of school-based advocacy. Participants are able to convey their beliefs and what they stand up for in the form of music, spreading their endorsement of positive values through the medium of music. Tutors gain experience guiding younger students through unfamiliar technology, while tutees gain both technological knowledge and general experience being exposed to newer forms of media.
Lasallian Principles: Inclusive Community, Quality Education, Respect for All Persons, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice and Faith in the Presence of God.
Inclusive Community: Increases awareness of foreign cultures, allowing individuals with common interests to come together whilst encouraging and welcoming people who are new to the experience to participate. Students are able to bond and understand why people enjoy vocaloid music, forming new friendships.
Quality Education: Participants are able to learn in a way they never have before, utilising specialised software dedicated to vocaloid music production rather than a general-use application like GarageBand. This allows them to train their adaptation skills to face the new challenge, a skill that can be applied for many, more significant situations further on in their lives.
Respect for All Persons: The community is able to interact with each other and discuss their own background with vocaloid music, as well as why they enjoy certain creators or particular songs. Students gain respect for other people as they are introduced to an alternate thought process, enabling them to sympathise and connect with other people’s experiences, developing respect for everyone within the community.
Concern for the Poor and Social Justice: The concern for both social inequalities and economic inequality are already present in existing vocaloid music, of which students can listen to and interpret the meanings of. They can then choose to base their music on this topic, spreading awareness and gaining knowledge of these situations around the world.
Faith in the Presence of God: Songs celebrating the existence of deities and acknowledging their gifts to us (such as 神のまにまに, meaning “At God’s Mercy”) can be enjoyed by participants. However, since catholicism is not prominent in Japanese culture, it is very rare for songs to mention a western God. Songs still encourage good faith and values of deities, which we believe conforms with celebrating faith in the presence of God.