After being deprived of live performances for two long years, Monash Got Talent (MGT) 2022 was exactly the excitement we needed to cope with Week 6 stress. Held in auditorium 4108 on 2nd September from 7:00 p.m. till 10:30 p.m, MGT did not disappoint with their wide range of performances. 

Registration was quick and simple, with small snacks provided to all the attendees to munch on while watching the show. The hosts also invited a panel of credible judges to assess our talented participants. The first judge was singer-songwriter Victor Chua, a former member of Royal Selangor Philharmonic Choir, who had performed across the UK and Malaysia. Next was independent performer, SHN, whose famous songs include so cool and apocalypse. Lastly, we have Monash’s very own former music club president, Zhao Xuan!

To start off the event, RESORT (a local indie-pop band) blessed our ears with their hit singles Fix Everything and Terrible Conversations, as well as teasing the crowd with an unreleased song. 

After that, talented Monashians dazzled the crowd with a total of 15 acts, each just as captivating as the next. Half of the total performances featured brilliant vocalists, some singing familiar English songs that the crowd enthusiastically sang along to, others rapping original pieces, and even an emotional Mandarin song to end the night with. The other memorable performances included beatboxing, dancing, drawing (in under 6 minutes!), and an entertaining range of instruments such as the cello, guitar, and harmonica. 

Needless to say, the crowd was mesmerised with every performance, clapping their hands to the beat, turning on their flashlights, and singing along. One wholesome example is the crowd humming along to Doraemon’s theme song while the participant played the harmonica on stage. At the end of every performance, the judges also provided words of encouragement and constructive feedback which the contestants humbly accepted.

Although there were some technical difficulties, the two MC’s handled it well, cracking jokes and effortlessly engaging with the crowd to keep them entertained throughout the duration of the event. This resulted in some pick-up lines being said into the microphone, and even a brief controversial debate about ‘pineapples on pizza’ and ‘milk before cereal’. Contestants also handled the slight delay gracefully, not letting it deter their performance at all.

A lucky draw was held near the end of the event while waiting for the judges to tally up the scores. And a total of 20 lucky students who registered for the event got to walk away with Grab vouchers. After a suspenseful wait, the results were in and the top 5 winners were announced.

At fifth place, we have Uma Lemkage with her powerful performance of ‘Rolling in the Deep’, channelling her inner Adele and leaving quite an impression on the judges. She easily owned the stage with her confidence and effortless stage presence. At 4th place is Chia Ye Xiang who gave the audience an electrifying performance with his electric guitar. Despite covering a complicated song like She’s a Genius by Jet, he managed to pull it off skillfully. 

The second runner-up is the one and only Jensen Chuah who performed his own original song Mine (Mind) which is inspired by his perception of relationships and how it requires compromise from both parties to make it work. In case you missed it, you can check it out across all streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and even social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

The first runner-up is Lew Xin Yun with her harmonica. Who knew such a small instrument could move such a large crowd. Her Doreamon piece definitely pulled some heartstring and evoked a sense of nostalgia as the crowd reminisced about their beloved childhood show (ah the good ol’ days *sobs in assignments*). She easily captured the crowd’s attention with her sassy personality and comedic one-liners, even prompting one of the judges to suggest that she could qualify as a stand-up comedian. 

And lastly, the winner of Monash Got Talent 2022 is…none other than Joseph Sim Yong Siang! He absolutely blew the judges away with his legendary beatboxing skills. His victory was very much well-deserved after blessing the audiences with such an unforgettable performance, starting from the second he confidently stepped on stage, the playful interactions with the judges and his buzzing energy. Despite his obvious talents, he remained humble by saying that “the crowd made the performance”, in reference to the loud cheers from the audience. 

All in all, Monash Got Talent was a truly enjoyable event. Definitely looking forward to what the talented Monashians have in store for us again next year!

Article by Natasha Maya

Photos by Irdina and Tsheten Yang