Resonnant Inc.: The Official Blog

Ahem!

2011-03-12T18:17:00.000+08:00

I do realise that it's been a while since I last posted anything onto Ressonnant Inc's blog. And we need new webmasters to perpetuate the blog... I'm losing track of R!'s activity since I am now in the UK.

But anyway...

Find us on Facebook!!

Found two vids of Ressonnant 2009, sorry if this came late !

2009-09-17T09:11:00.006+08:00

Here you go. I'm not sure how well they did. And what's more, both vids were taken during the semis. But I congratulate you guys for a wonderful performance !

Protected !

2009-05-02T18:27:00.002+08:00

From now on, let's make it clear about works on this site, and especially those which have their own respective YouTube videos :

There shall be no commercial use of our works.
There shall be no derivative use of our works.
Permission must be acquired from the owner of the blog, who will in turn, ask the trainer before handing the score/allowing you to transcribe it.

Failure to comply with these regulations will result in legal action.

Cela sonne familier ? Familièrement exaspérante !

2009-05-02T18:16:00.003+08:00

Does this ring a bell ?

This is pretty much a rip-off from our previous scores - listen and watch our previous videos, and take a look at this. Firstly, the parts were exactly the same, albeit with some off-key moments. Secondly, this is copyrighted property.

We know the school involved, and where you guys are. Now, we don't know who transcribed our score (particularly when it was the hard work of three people in the choir), and I, having some legal knowledge, will not hesitate to act upon the situation. Our trainer's furious with you guys, and so am I. If you fail to act upon it, mark my words, your school will be called up. And this is not a threat. This is a warning.

P.S. Guys, think we need to license all our works with Creative Commons licences now ?

It has been a while since we last posted...

2009-05-02T18:15:00.003+08:00

We recently had our preliminaries and we're now in second place.
And our next competition is this Thursday.

The girls have been singing a lot, and I mean, from the bottom of their hearts.

They're doing Tanah Pusaka (a bossanova version) plus Man In The Mirror (an exact replica of that of the Idea of North). Please give Ressonnant Inc. your support !

Meanwhile, I have another issue to address, and it's coming up - in the next post. Stay tuned.

Blog currently under construction, do bear with us

2009-02-11T01:48:00.003+08:00

I've decided to take charge of the aesthetic bits and transfer all the previous posts (under my name) while the admin posts her new messages/updates here. This is the least I can do for now. Restyling the blog will take... I don't know, days ? - so please do bear with us.

I guess I'll probably put up another announcement like this once the blog's complete. Meanwhile, we have to encourage more members to write !

Welcome aboard !

2009-02-11T00:38:00.001+08:00

New blog. New platform. All-new customisable HTML.
A new chapter in our story.

The all-new official blog for Ressonnant Inc.
Welcome to it.

Ressonnant Inc. used to be on Windows Live Spaces - but we decided to shift everything here. Firstly, that platform has no customisable CSS - all the content is confined to boxes! - and secondly, people have been spamming our blog and that problem has gone out of hand. And since most of us are using Blogger, it's good to get in touch with everyone. Even the members from the past. Looks like this blog is here to stay for a long, looooooooooooooooooooooong time.

The posts from Windows Live Spaces have been redirected here, along with their respective time and date, so not a single bit of data will be lost (well, except for the comments - but never mind about those; we'll get people over).

Happy reading!

Ressonnant reunion

2008-08-14T21:44:00.002+08:00

It's our chance to meet up with each other !
Ressonnant 2007 and 2008 are going to have a reunion this month.

Ressonnant 2006 members who wish to join us are most welcome to do so.
So here is the lowdown (details from Wing Yie) :

Place : Naili's Place (restaurant), Ampang.
Address : No. 39, Jalan Mamanda 9, Ampang Point, 68000 Ampang.
Nearby landmark : Ampang Putri Hospital (just opposite)
Date : 2008/08/23 (Saturday)
Time : 6 p.m. to 8.p.m. (Unless you wish to petition to stay on, that is. Do so at your own risk !)
Funding : Everyone chips in RM 10 to share in the bill.
What to bring : Yourselves ! And perhaps your phones, cameras, Ressonnant tees and memorabilla, favourite plush toys and whatnot - but at your own risk.
Transport : Hm... We leave it to your discretion - you may either go alone or as a group. Recommended to go in groups. Whatever the means of transport, be sure to make it there.

And all these are post-meeting details. RSVP to Wing Yie by meeting her in school or e-mailing her. Or, you can straightaway e-mail us. So, see you there !

P.S. I'll be missing the reunion because mom is in hospital and I must be with her. Perhaps if there is another reunion, I'll be there.

Recordings from 2008

2008-07-04T23:11:00.001+08:00

There are only low quality recordings ; but as you watch these videos, I want you to listen CAREFULLY to the harmony. Oh, and do note the funny things we did in the National Finals. :-) Enjoy !

The first vid was taken during our school's Awards Day (with the theme "Reaching for the Stars" - a fitting theme for 2008 !) and the second vid is the one at the National Finals in Ipoh.

For those of you who have not logged on to Ressonnant Inc. for quite a while already, check out the outfit revamp. We used to have assymmetrical blouses and long purple skirts, but this time we did away with these, and we got into pants and vests.

Ah, 'twas a performance which not only blew the judges' minds away, but the minds of many viewers too. Come and share in our glorious moment, it's time to celebrate !!

The moment of truth

2008-06-28T22:18:00.003+08:00

2003-2005
The girls were unknown, and their purple outfits made them infamous. They were sniggered at by people, laughed at by the reigning teams, and kept on flunking at the preliminary round.

2006
Dressed as KLCC toilet cleaners, they made their debut in the semifinals and for the first time in eight years, advanced to the finals. Securing first place in the KL Finals, they brought the reigning teams to shame. They went on to the National Finals in Negri Sembilan but only got sixth place.

2007
With a new Sister Act act in place, the same choirgirls went to the Malaysian Tourism Centre Hall and became champions in the state - again. They became the in-group replacing the cheerleading teams (way overrated !) and lauched several projects - Bukit Idol, the Grease musical and the breathtaking Jalur Gemilang in the Independence Day Congress. It was then that they named the team Ressonnant, a corruption of the French word "résonnant" meaning "resonating". They went on to the National Finals in Terengganu but only got fifth place, thus being denied of a prize.

2008
Early semis, early finals and early Nationals describe 2008. With a new line-up of choirgirls, we geared up for the National Finals in Ipoh on the 26th of June. And now, readers and Ressonnant fans, take delight in this message, as we say it loud and clear :

Presenting Ressonnant, now the #1 choir in Malaysia !

We are overjoyed ! After practising, taking a tour around Lumut, entering the competition and winning it, we are returning to Kuala Lumpur ! And I hope the KL Tower is decked in purple again (just as it was last year).

Special thanks to our teacher advisors for being with us, to Ms Joaan for believing in us since 2004, to Rebecca Ong for her playing, to Celyn Ng for getting the students in perfect pitch and timing, and for arranging the scores (oh, and that breathtaking Jalur Gemilang !), to all Ressonnant members for the training, the sacrifice and the sweat ; to our alumni for being there with us in spirit and prayer, to our parents for giving us the drive to carry on, and to all students and teachers of Convent Bukit Nanas for supporting us right to the end.

Our 2008 sucess story may seem like a Cinderella story. But well, we made it because we believed, because we worked hard... and because YOU believed.

The finals draw near

2008-06-24T20:46:00.000+08:00

Our girls have left for Ipoh this morning.
Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the National Finals. With the new batch of choirgirls and a whole new face, this year's Finals are going to be a blast ! Ms Joaan and the rest of the alumni will be there with Ressonnant spiritually - join us in your support for the defending champions. We trained hard, we caused shockwaves in school, around Kuala Lumpur and now, in the National Finals for three years running - now that is an achievement !

Oh, and please do not forget to ask Rebecca, Celyn, Ku Aliah, Saidatul, Lishia, Nadhirah, Farah Hanna and the gang to bring back some labu sayung or some Tambun biscuits or pomelos when they come back from Ipoh. *smiles*

Ressonnant Inc. widget ?

2008-06-15T00:15:00.003+08:00

Dang, we just can't get enough of HTML.

First, it's the blog layout, now it's online presence ! What will we come up with next, ay ?

I've developed a Ressonnant Inc. widget available for use on blogs and such (and it can even be placed on the desktop, if you wish !). The widget uses the RSS feed of this blog and thus, you will be easily updated on our news, photos, video links and such... Double-clicking the widget will redirect you back to this blog.

Get a look at it here before downloading or using the HTML code.

widget courtesy of http://springwidgets.com/

And now, the new videos......

2008-05-24T13:45:00.000+08:00

Friends, this is Jalur Gemilang.

And this is Stand By Me.

These are the two songs which propelled our dear choir to top spot for the third time running. Great job, girls - and salutes to you, teachers.

Even these vids are up on YouTube too...

2008-05-24T12:38:00.002+08:00

The support from our members and schoolmates was so overwhelming, that we finally have our 2007 Finals vids up on YouTube ! And they'll be on this site for as long as we can remember.

This is our version of Putra Putri (and the song at the intro was our rendition of Jalur Gemilang). I did Putra Putri in the beginning of the year, and I haphazardly wrote Jalur Gemilang for our Kongres Kemerdekaan (Independence Day Congress) towards mid-August. Jalur Gemilang was edited by Celyn Ng and carried forward to 2008 - and I guess it'll be part of our winning repertoire.

And this is I Will Follow You (remixed with another song, Can't Take My Eyes Off You). Critics did say that this was either DiGi-ish or Sister Act-ish. I Will Follow You gained widespread acclaim when it was used as the theme song in all DiGi advertisements. And now we're singing it. Either way, it did make a statement among the choirboys and choirgirls who were present in the hall. Still more updates to come, people......

The end of the first half of 2008

2008-05-14T22:30:00.000+08:00

Taken from Ms Joaan's blog, demented specimen:

le ressonnant: together in harmony

Choir has always been a part of my life. It's part of my passion, which is singing and music.

"My first experience training le ressonnant was an unforgettable nightmare. I thank God I don't remember how they used to sound like anymore. They sounded so bad when I heard them for the first time, that one word came to my mind: HOPELESS.

Since I was still a trainee teacher still doing my practicum, I felt obligated to train them since my lecturer was the one who recommended me to them. Fine, so the journey began... I cringed everytime I heard them sing. My oh my. It was so sad that when they stepped on stage, other schools seemed to recognise their outfits and start sniggering and giggling, like as if they would know what came next.

In 2004 and 2005, I would say that all I was able to do was to help them not embarrass themselves in the preliminary round. They weren't good enough to qualify for the finals but at least they didn't sound horrible enough to wake the dead. I couldn't do much as the teacher only called me to train them two weeks before the preliminaries! It was impossible!

2006 was a breakthrough. I was again called to train the choir, only this time it was a few months before the competition. Vocal training was intense and the choirgirls went through torturous drills. Haha. I'm evil, I know. But I was determined to transform this choir into a winning team. Enough of being the laughing stock among other choirs. I couldn't bear to see them like that. They had lots of potential, great voices but lacked experience and training. After months of sweat and muscle pulls, they competed in the preliminary round and for the first time in EIGHT YEARS, they qualified for the finals! Such overwhelming joy!"

Ressonnant wins again!

That's a third maiden win! And now we are off to Ipoh!
Thank you, Ms Joaan. We all love you. Even those who have left since 2006 - we're now thinking of you, wherever you are.

Some more videos from 2007

2008-01-31T10:56:00.002+08:00

It's now back to school and back to rigours... and for the seniors who have left, back to sweet memories. Ms Joaan recorded videos of us - our performances and training from last year - and they're now on YouTube: yay!

This was our performance during the KL semifinals.

Here we have our soloists, Farah Hanna and Naili, undergoing their first training.
This is how they first sounded. Sounds like potential! :-)

And this too! - our performance during Awards Day 2007.

Thanks a bunch, Ms Joaan, for uploading the vids. The ratings say it all: we all love those vids.

Our article in the Marguerite is out!

2008-01-05T12:38:00.002+08:00

The 2007 report to Marguerite was written by Lim Ka Yong of 5B and Nur Fazrina Fozi of the former 5N. And it goes like this:

What makes one a champion? Is it diligence, aptitude, charisma? Or maybe is it just a question of being lucky? Obviously, being intelligent, gifted or lucky can't hurt but what really makes you a winner is the degree to which you are able to maximise your abilities and potential when you are under pressure. Also, there are certain individuals who do not come in first at anything, but they never quit trying either. Those people are winners too.

Our definition of a winner? Chœur Résonnant.

14th June 2007
The state level preliminary round was held at SMK Cheras. We were able to wow the judges and audience alike with our unique rendition of "Putra Putri" and the "I Will Follow You/Can't Take My Eyes Off You" medley. There was a wide array of songs performed on that day, ranging from show tunes of Disney songs and current airwave hits. However, it was our delightful musical concoction of jazzy rhythms, melodious harmonies, groovy moves and skilled piano-playing that ultimately won us the show. We qualified for the finals but the elation of our success was short-lived. With mounting expectations, pressure and insufficient practice sessions, it was a week of all work and no play for us.

21st June 2007
We were up against the top four teams in KL; SMK Kepong Baru, SMK Victoria, SMK Wangsa Melawati, and SMK Sri Sentosa. Every team gave it their all, and many would agree that all of us had significantly improved compared to our previous performance. Rushes of adrenaline in the bloodstream and increased heartbeats were apparent when it was time for the announcement of the results. We crossed our fingers and silently prayed... It was down to the wire, SMK Kepong Baru and CBN were the two potential champions.

"The runners-up are... SMK Kepong Baru."

That was all it took for us to leap from our seats and take our places as Wilayah's best choir team. Hugs were exchanged and tears of joy were shed. Amidst all the excitement, one member of our choir (Farah Hanna) literally fainted as we were declared the winners. However, no harm was done; she owed herself a well-needed rest. For the rest of us, all the toil and sweat paid off. We were off to Terengganu!!!!

5th September 2007
The eight-hour journey to Kuala Terengganu left us restless and tired. Despite the tight schedule, we managed to fit in several practice sessions in between meals and rehearsals. We added two songs ("Jalur Gemilang" and "Ku Juga Mencintai Dirimu") as the entrée and dessert of the main performance; we fought all the way to the finish line. We were ranked 5th out of the 15 states that competed.

Even though we did not prevail in the nationals, it was undeniably a valuable learning experience as individuals and as a team. We had the opportunity to visit some of the state's finest sights as well as experience the local culture, cuisine and hospitality. None of this would have been possible without our dedicated teachers and trainers. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to them: Ms Joaan, for being the best trainer we could ever have; Ms Michele of Rock City School, for polishing and fine-tuning our voices; Pn See Tho, for her unwavering dedication and support; Cik Faridah Bee, for understanding our "teenage tantrums"; Pn Chee Poh Kiem and Cik Siti Nor, for accompanying us on the eight-hour journey. Also, to our friends and family who have provided morale boost in times of need, we thank you. May Chœur Résonnant always be together in harmony, singing those fine melodies that resonate in hearts.

Thanks a bunch to the writers of the report : we cannot help but shed a few tears thinking about those memorable evenings and practice sessions.

Now, on to a new start : school has begun and we have naught but to take in new members to replace the ones who have left. Yes, we are just like "Morning Musume". And hopefully, with a new lineup and new songs, we will be able to fight our way to the top once more... and God willing, take our rightful place as.....

...you know what, it's best not to mention it to the whole world right now. Train first !

Happy holidays !

2007-11-30T16:11:00.002+08:00

School has been long out and SPM is pretty much over... so to all Ressonnant members, happy holidays ! This is the time to take your breath of fresh holiday air, relax, rejoice....... =)

All the seniors will be out except probably Lyana, Sabrina and I (the three of us have contemplated training the choir next year). Even so, hope to see all of you soon.

One thing I do promise you : the score for next year is on me. It's semi-complete, and I'm relying on Ms Joaan and Celyn to fill in the blanks for me - and perhaps add in some grooves.

Enjoy your holidays - and greetings of the season to everyone !

Pn See Tho's retiring?

2007-09-20T23:30:00.001+08:00

Yes, and it's official - at the end of the year, Pn See Tho, one of our teacher-advisors, will be ending her term as secondary school teacher. She'll be retiring.

Which means Ressonnant is bound to lose another dedicated teacher.

As Ms Michele once quoted, "caring like only a mother would", Pn See Tho has been looking out for Ressonnant ever since she took charge. And ever since 2006 (the year she took charge), we became a formidable force amongst secondary school choirs. Despite not being with us for Nationals 2007, she was with us in spirit.

Many thanks to you, Pn See Tho, for all that you've given unto us and all that you've done. We're gonna miss you lots.