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Westlake International School Malaysia

Talent

Overview


Weekly Tutti Rehearsal: Wednesday 3.15pm -5.15pm

Sectional practice: Monday/Tuesday/Thursday: 3.15pm-4.15pm

During this period of online learning, WOW will be assigned a song to practise every week. Each member will practise his/her part, & upload the video of their playing in ‘WOW Virtual Stage’ Google Classroom. All videos will be viewed & assessed by the band master. New members will have online class with the band master.

Wind Orchestra Westlake (WOW) began with a dream to provide a platform for students to create music together as a band while fostering a lifelong appreciation for music. It was founded in January 2016 with 24 members and has since increased to 45 members. Although WOW is still a young orchestra, we have organized and experienced various events such as music camps, competition and performances, both in school and in public.

In August 2016, under the invitation of WOW, the Havixbeck Youth Symphonic Band (HYSB) from Germany came to WIS to run a music workshop. It was well attended by various school bands in the Perak vicinity. The participants learned a lot from this well-acclaimed orchestra. In the evening, the HYSB performed at the Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, UTAR to a packed audience from all over the State. The following year, it was WOW’s turn to shine. We were invited to perform at the Lantern Festival Celebration organized by Community 1 Malaysia DUN Keranji in September. Members were thrilled that they got to demonstrate their musical abilities to the public for the first time as well as contribute back to their community.

To date, WOW has organized three music camps at WIS. Our first joint camp was with the Boy’s Brigade 8th PJ Company Wind Orchestra in March 2017. In March 2018 & 2019 we had our 2nd and 3rd joint camp respectively with Shen Jai Wind Band. At these camps, members participated in instrument workshops, sectionals & tutti rehearsals, team building activities, and outdoor sports. These camps culminated with public performances at Grand Kampar Hotel and in WIS respectively. WOW’s most recent achievement was being awarded the Silver Medal at the “National Music Festival Competition 2019”, organized by the Sport, Art & Co-Curricular Division of the Ministry of Education. This was WOW’s first time competing at national level and this success has spurred us on to target higher goals. We have more in store for WOW with various activities and events in the pipeline. Under the helm of band master Mr Foo Cheong Lin, we are confident that WOW will progress to greater heights and achievements.

Highlights of WOW


WOW Annual Concert 2018 – Rewind

On 23 August 2018, in collaboration with the Shen Zai Wind Band, WOW held its annual concert at WIS. Entitled “Rewind”, we entertained the crowd with classic hits from the 80’s, such as Heal the World, You Raise Me Up, Studio Ghibli’s Anime March Medley, and many more. We had the special guess performance by the Banana Brass Quintet. Our band master, Mr Foo, also serenaded the audience with a saxophone solo, playing the timeless song The Way We Were.Truly, it was a succesful and entertaining night.

WOW Club

Carnival Day 2019

The sounds of beating drums, synchronized clapping, and lower brass instruments got the immediate attention of the crowd. WOW’s flash mob totally surprised everyone at WIS Carnival Day on 16 March. Dressed in carnival costumes, the band played and jived to the beat of All About That Bass. Adding music to this fun and exciting event definitely made it more special.

Wow Carnival Day

WOW Music Camp 2019

We were joined by the Shen Jai and Yuk Choy school bands on 29 -31 March for our 3rd WOW Music Camp. We spent three full days together, participating in activities such as tutti and sectional rehearsals, icebreakers, outdoor sports, movie night, and an Amazing Race. On the second day, which was also a WIS Open Day, we performed a surprise flash mob.

The highlight of the camp was a performance and master class conducted by the Banana Brass Quintet, a professional band. As BBQ’s melodious sounds filled the room, we were mesmerized and in awe of their musical talent. Their performance was a great inspiration for us to continue working harder. Despite the short camp duration, we achieved a lot. Not only did we get to learn more about our instruments and rehearsed many songs, we also made new friends. This camp was definitely an unforgettable one.

WOW Music Camp 1
WOW Music Camp 2

Silver Award In The National Schools Music Festival Competition, Penang

It was the afternoon of 23 June. Nervousness hung in the air as we waited at the entrance door to the stage of a large auditorium. This was the first ever competition for WOW, so none of us really knew what to expect. When it was finally our turn, we walked in with hearts beating fast. Slightly startled by the thundering applause, we tried to remain calm by remembering our band master’s words of advice. We played two repertoires: Treasure and Future of Tomorrow, conducted by our student conductor, Gen Yokoyama. After the competition, we relaxed at a shopping mall in Penang, before heading back to Kampar. En route home, we received news from the organizers that we had won the Silver Award! We were all dumbfounded by the amazing news. The atmosphere in the bus changed to a celebratory one, with cheers and hurrahs! All the hours of practice had finally paid off.

WOW Annual Concert 2019- Potpourri

Wind Orchestra Westlake (WOW) put up a one of a kind Christmas concert at WIS! WOW performed some classics such as Future of Tomorrow, The British Are Coming, to recent groove such as Despacito. De Fusion Bond amazed everyone with their guest performance by performing some evergreen songs. The concert culmimated with a medley of Christmas “Pop” Sing-a-long. Everyone was thrilled and entertained to witness such a show.



WOW Adventure Camp 2020

WOW organized an adventure camp for its members on 14- 15 February 2020 at Ulu Village Resort, Kg Jahang, Gopeng. The aim of the camp was to develop responsibility, mental discipline, self- esteem and teamwork. This camp was also a good opportunity to foster friendships and unity among the members. The camp was organized by ‘Outdoor Geeks’, a reputable company that runs outdoor and adventure based programmes. The activities for the camp included jungle trekking, Adventure Caving at Gua Tempurong and team building games.

WOW Committee


President : Wong Pui Xun

Vice President: Oh Zhi Lin

Secretary: Alicia Tan En Qi

Treasurer : Caleb Hew Kai Han

Explore further

Boarding

Education

Sports

Talent

Cho Jeong

A Mother of Lee Junwoo

 

When our family came to Malaysia, our initial plan was to travel the country and visit many international schools before making a decision. Westlake International School was the first school our family visited. And it also ended up being the last. The clean and relaxing environment, simple lifestyle, and the happy, bright smiles of the students captivated us. For some reason we knew that this is the one. And looking back after three and a half years, entrusting both of my children in this school was an absolute fortune. A blessing, perhaps.

Both my children took full advantage of the classes, extracurricular activities and sports provided by the school. And without any help from outside the school, I was able to see massive growth in both of them. Unlike my first son, the younger son couldn’t say a word in English. But after witnessing not just his linguistic abilities, but his studies improving over time, I could tell that the school is definitely doing something right. The school offered many different programmed and competitions when the time was right, and my children took the opportunity. I believe that any student, if he is eager to achieve, the school can provide the stimulus and support they require.

I was astonished by the skill and efforts of the teachers, after my first son finished his IGCSE and A levels without private tuition. I would like to say thank you to the school, for having such great teachers available for the students. For the longest time, my son has been pursuing his dreams in the field of medicine. And thanks to the support from the school, he was able to receive offers from medical schools in England. The fact that his achievement was possible without any external guidance shows that Westlake’s career support is something else.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, I was forced to return to South Korea with my younger child, entrusting my first son in the A level Boarding House. However, I was not nervous or worried in any way, for he was in good hands of the boarding house parent. He was able to take a further leap into becoming an adult, by maturing and growing in a mini society called the boarding house. He experienced friendship, bond between students and teachers and living in a community. These will all be great assets to him as he becomes an independent member of society.

If you are still wondering if this will be the right choice, I say this with confidence. If you have the will to grow and achieve, you will be able to make the most out of what this school provides. Westlake International School is the definition of ‘minimum cost, maximum output’.

David Lho Jinwoong

Lim You Kyoung

 

How are you? Hello, I am David Lho Jinwoong’s mother.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for providing a place where I can express how I feel about sending David to study in Westlake International School. While David was attending elementary school in Korea, his father's assignment abroad led him to attend an American-style international school in Guangdong, China. I thought a lot about David's school selection. We considered several things in selecting a school; we put safety first, and would choose a school that has a bespoke education system that must be done at that age rather than just studying a standardized curriculum. For example, a school that has an active musical instrument orchestra or athletic team. At that time, David was young, so it seems that he made a choice based on experience.

After 4 years, we finished the work in China and had to go back to Korea. Still, we wanted David to continue to study at an international school under the global educational system because we want him to grow into a person who can freely experience the world and see the world broader than being confined by the Korean entrance exam-oriented education. So we started to search for a country and a school where he can stay and study by himself.

I looked for international schools around the world. I had in mind to look for a school that has a boarding house and where children can study safely and have fun on their own, a school that provides education that maximisers the strengths of children, as well as equips them with skills and passion for college admissions.

There were many colleagues who were dispatched as expatriates to each country around me, so I was able to get information about the leading schools in each country through them.

At that time, my  nephew was attending Westlake International School in Kampar, Malaysia. My sister was very happy with Westlake and excitedly introduced me to it. I came to Malaysia from China to visit Westlake for 3 days and 2 nights. My first impressions of Westlake were friendly and warm.  I think that the education policy set by this school is well managed. I also think that there has been a very high level of educational support as well as the teachers' passion and love for their students. We chose WIS right away without considering any other school, and I was sure that it was the best choice.

I confess that it was God's amazing grace that I chose Westlake. Throughout my trip in Westlake, I was moved and grateful. David had a safe and enjoyable life in the boarding house and appreciated the skills and trust he has developed throughout the A-Level program. He liked all his teachers and enjoyed being with his friendly and warm friends. They were like brothers and sisters.  When I heard about how excited he was when telling me about his school life from time to time, I could not help but feel grateful and shed tears of joy.  In particular, under the Movement Control Order (MCO) situation due to COVID-19, I was so worried about his safety but I was so glad that the school staff has worked to their best to keep the oversea students like David safe
while being away from their parents. I really want to thank Ms. Sandrie, for playing her role as a mother in the boarding house. Thank you, Ms. Anushia who put all her energy in supporting him to move closer to his vision. Thank you, Ms. Ellen, Mr. Chien, Mr. Zunren. And Mr. Hew, the chairman of Westlake International School. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. And above all, I would like to  thank my sister who introduced this school to me and took care of him from the beginning to the end. To my friends,  I often said , “there is a good school called Westlake International School. Our children can dream happily and pursue their dreams there.  If someone is looking for a really good school, I will really introduce Westlake International School without any hesitation.

Mr Lean

Father of Lean Yi Fan

 

9A*’s in IGCSE 2020, DofE Bronze recipient, currently studying A Level at WIS. Westlake curriculum consists of both indoor and outdoor learning. Over the years, my daughter took part in several outdoor camps. She also had the opportunity to join the Wind Orchestra Westlake, where she played the trumpet. They took part in performances in Ipoh and Pulau Pinang.
As my daughter is now part of the A Level programme, I have come to realize how much assistance the school provides for their students. If a student is willing to work hard, Westlake provides an excellent package to help students achieve more.

Mr Lean

Father of Lean Yi Fan

 

9A*’s in IGCSE 2020, DofE Bronze recipient, currently studying A Level at WIS. Westlake curriculum consists of both indoor and outdoor learning. Over the years, my daughter took part in several outdoor camps. She also had the opportunity to join the Wind Orchestra Westlake, where she played the trumpet. They took part in performances in Ipoh and Pulau Pinang. As my daughter is now part of the A Level programmed, I have come to realize how much assistance the school provides for their students. If a student is willing to work hard,

Mr Lean

Father of Lean Yi Fan

 

9A*’s in IGCSE 2020, DofE Bronze recipient, currently studying A Level at WIS. Westlake curriculum consists of both indoor and outdoor learning. Over the years, my daughter took part in several outdoor camps. She also had the opportunity to join the Wind Orchestra Westlake, where she played the trumpet. They took part in performances in Ipoh and Pulau Pinang. As my daughter is now part of the A Level programmed, I have come to realize how much assistance the school provides for their students. If a student is willing to work hard,

Mr Lean

Father of Lean Yi Fan

 

9A*’s in IGCSE 2020, DofE Bronze recipient, currently studying A Level at WIS. Westlake curriculum consists of both indoor and outdoor learning. Over the years, my daughter took part in several outdoor camps. She also had the opportunity to join the Wind Orchestra Westlake, where she played the trumpet. They took part in performances in Ipoh and Pulau Pinang. As my daughter is now part of the A Level programmed, I have come to realize how much assistance the school provides for their students. If a student is willing to work hard,