2022 – Thank You for the Music
Read works by SWI alumni inspired by music, written during the 2022 Online Writing Marathon.
Last updated 8 September 2026
Throughout history, music has been used to express emotions, beliefs, and identities. It is a powerful communicative tool that allows people from all walks of life to connect beyond borders, and as ABBA so succinctly encapsulated in their lyrics, “Who can live without it [music]… What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we?”. In the 2022 SWI Online Writing Marathon, music was a source of inspiration for our alumni. Using music as a stimulus for writing, our alumni penned their personal responses to their chosen pieces. In sixty minutes, participants delved into their experiences, navigated the memories they triggered and reflected on the impact music has had on their lives. This culminated in the sharing of their creations and a collective feeling of gratefulness for the role music plays in their lives.
Our Writings:
Flutter
By Adeline Lynn Teo
Linked by hearts
Cares depart
Wonderous melodies
Souls a-sparked
Kindred spirits
Beautified
Shared in
fine design
Letter from Joseph
By Lynn Loy
Life is full of colours if we choose to look at it that way
Into a magical world and be far from dismay
The real world may be harsh at times, needless to say
But be comforted and stay enthralled each day
Thank You for the Music
By Emily Wong
Click here to listen to the song, 'My Help' that inspired this piece of writing. (opens in new tab)
Thank You for the Music
The strings that linger
Filling my heart with gratitude
Staying alive, staying alive!
My help cometh from the Lord
Who neither slumbers nor sleeps
The sun shall not smite me by day
Nor the moon by night
I can be the lady in red
Painting the town today
Celebrating the breath of life.
Singing another chorus
And sharing your song!
Thank You, You’re My Music!
To My Beloved Sister-In-Law
By Suhaily Supahan
"Going back to the corner where I first saw you, Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move”
(The Script, 2008, track 4)
4th August 2020. Almost two years since you left.
We first met in Jakarta and were fast friends. You became family and life was whole. Then, it was painfully ripped apart.
Which corner can I possibly go back to, to meet you?
In my memory, I see you at the corner of the sofa, laughing, no, guffawing at something you read on Facebook. I see you remarking in your typical easy-going manner telling everyone 'Seb’, a slang in your language that the family learnt to mean 'Don't worry, I got it'. I see you smiling at me from the doorway where we last said goodbye, not knowing that would be the last time.
Untitled
By Richard Koh
It's been a while since I went to church
I'm not moving
Tell me what's wrong.
A friend rekindled that conversation of spirituality with me when I was serving my stay-home-notice in 2020. She had food delivered to the residence I was staying at and did her best to lift my spirits.
My help cometh from the Lord
The Lord is thy shade
He shall preserve thy soul
It's just you and me.
A more recent event – my mother-in-law's cancer – made me rethink my priorities and question my purpose in life. I took out the bible and placed it beside my bed.
I'm not moving
Tell me what's wrong.
It's where I want to be.