In touch with fierce side: Temasek Polytechnic’s Salvo Drums hits the spot for strength, commitment

In between powerful percussive strokes and synchronised movements, 13 drummers jump onto 75cm-tall barrel-shaped shigu (lion drum in Mandarin) in unison.

This is a typical practice session of Temasek Polytechnic’s Salvo Drums co-curricular activity (CCA), where learning to jump on the 24 Seasons Drums is essential.

The 24 Seasons Drums – also known as the 24 Festive Drums – is a Chinese performance art. It involves drummers on 24 drums representing the cycle of 24 seasons in the Chinese lunar calendar.

During a typical performance, which is two to six minutes long, the drummers incorporate vocalisation with body movement and different formations.

The physical demands of the drumming style are among the motivating factors behind the members’ continued involvement, remarked its outgoing president Vanessa Lee Si Hui, 20.

The Salvo Drums was founded in 2005 by a group of male students and over time, female students started joining as well. Around 2017, the gender ratio was nearly equal. This was helped by the higher proportion of females that remained with the CCA compared with their male counterparts.

In fact, 11 of the 13 members now are female. “It is not a CCA that only males will excel in, but rather one that everyone can join to be in touch with their stronger and fiercer side,” Ms Lee said.

Her interest in Salvo Drums was piqued when she watched a “heart-pulsating” performance by the group during her polytechnic orientation. As the CCA was open to anyone, with or without prior music experience, she said it was a “good start” to fulfilling her dream of learning a musical instrument.

She faced challenges initially when it came to jumping on and off the drums due to her fear of heights. She recalled feeling “unable to step onto the drum without having the fear of failing or falling off constantly at the back of my mind”.  

Seeing her peers learn the skill within a day drove her to overcome her fear. She also encountered other frustrations as she struggled to master specific choreography.

Members with no music background, like herself, often struggled to maintain the rhythm, she recalled. To tackle this, different drummers were designated to conduct training sessions based on their individual strengths. Furthermore, they sought guidance from their alumnus mentor to refine their drumming technique and form.

Thanks to her friends who continued to cheer her on, she overcame her fears. She felt her anxieties fade away when onstage, reassured by the presence of a supportive group beside her.

Mr Haziq Azhari, 23, is an alumnus who drummed in the CCA from 2020 to 2022. He returned to coach from April 2022 until March 2025. He felt compelled to mentor in order to ensure that the culture and traditions of the CCA would be preserved for future members.

Though not as physically taxing as sports CCAs, Salvo Drums has its fair share of intensity – there is heavy emphasis on arm and body movements, which must stay sharp for the duration of a four-minute performance.

The CCA’s incoming president Zoie Teo Yan Ting, 19, said that physical training – running, push-ups, squats and crunches – is occasionally included to build stamina and muscle. 

The CCA is recognised for its high levels of commitment, with freshmen participating in two training sessions per week, while seniors engage in three, including Saturdays for rehearsals. Weekday sessions are three hours long, while Saturdays sessions are eight.

Ms Lee said that the sounds of applause at the conclusion of each performance wash away all her worries and validate their hard work. “It makes the blood, sweat and tears we have shed for the preparation of the performance all very worthwhile,” she said.

“What made me stay at the end of the day were the people around me, and also the desire to perform on stage.”