SingTheatre participant Orlane Foucault shares how music can be powerful, uplifting and meaningful.
Orlane Foucault was 5 years old when she moved to Singapore. Since young, she found her passion for singing and soon discovered her joy for theatre and being up on stage. Through a friend, she found out about Singtheatre five years ago and has since been an active artist with Singtheatre. We chat with 17-year-old Orlane.
Why do you like singing, dancing and acting?
I’ve always liked singing and when I took a musical theatre trial lesson at SingTheatre, I realised how much I enjoyed combining singing, dancing and acting. I am grateful to have found a place where I have been able to train hard in a very conducive atmosphere and ultimately develop my artistic skills. I can connect deeply with myself and share my feelings with others . This relaxes me a lot. Studying in Singapore can be tough. It’s rather stressful, but when I’m singing, the stress goes away.
Do you feel that music and the Arts are important in society?
I feel like music and the Arts in general can be seen as secondary by some people, because it isn’t as tangible. However, I do believe that the Arts are invaluable and incredibly useful because it gives both the public and the artist the possibility to escape from their own life. For instance, during a musical theatre performance, you are enchanted by a story that may resonate in your own life.
What’s a song that means a lot to you?
At the moment, I really like the song “She Used To Be Mine” from Waitress the Musical. The song is about a woman who unexpectedly becomes pregnant with her abusive husband’s child. Its universal message on the importance of remaining yourself resonates a lot with me. I believe that the ability to take the intended meaning of a song out of context and find a way for it to empower and be meaningful to everyone is the magical power of music.
Through SingTheatre, did you have a chance to make an impact through singing?
Actually, yes. I got the chance to sing in hospitals. It was a great experience for me to share my passion with patients as I want to study medicine after my French Baccalaureate. I realised that bringing music to patients gave them moments of joy despite their medical condition. When I sing, I can feel that their spirits are lifted and their day seems to be less dull.
If there was one thing you can tell others about Singtheatre, what would it be?
Singtheatre is a unique place because it has created a diverse community of students from local and international schools. This is very representative of the Singaporean society, which is great. We all appreciate each other for our uniqueness and the diversity we bring to the group which is a great source of artistic wealth – and it’s a hallmark of my Singapore experience.
