By Yasmeen Banu
Jeremy Teng knew he had strong competitors at Nodojiman The World- a Japanese singing contest featuring international non-Japanese contestants to sing Japanese songs, so it was natural for him to be taken aback when he got the highest score in the first round of the competition.
ここにしか咲かない花 テン・ブン・ソン・ジェレミー by nodojiman
He was amongst the 20 international contestants handpicked by Nodojiman The World, and the 20 year-old returned home with a trophy in his hand. He won the competition, and outshone his competitors from Cuba, Philippines, USA, Canada, Turkey, Argentina, and Poland.
“…right at the moment when my win was announced, I started to think of how much I’d doubted myself and my capability in the past, and how this winning moment was a milestone in my life and a sign that I should start believing in myself more than I did ever before. I thought if this could be the start of something big, and I was, obviously, really happy,” Teng said.
He briefly undertook training during Campus Superstar 2009, for which the top 12 contestants were given sponsored training at Mr. Peter Tan’s Music Clinic, and another in 2010 when Teng attended a course, “Artiste Development Course” at Hark Music, through which he took lessons for voice and performing.
Although Teng has competed in ten local competitions, out of which he was the champion of two, Teng is no stranger to stage frights. He forgets his lyrics easily under pressure and sometimes gets too overwhelmed by mild stage frights.
Teng said,
What I’d usually do before singing when I get nervous is to try to relax, calm down, do some breathing exercises, and think of myself as not competing, but singing at karaoke and telling a story or something.
But it is also because of this that he “gets too ‘into’ the song and would overlook dynamics, stage presence, or showmanship.”
The Ngee Ann Polytechnic mass communications student blew the judges away with his rendition of Ayaka’s Mikazuki and Nakashima Mika’s Yuki No Hana.
Teng also got the highest score from the judges for his performances of Koko Ni Shika Sakanai Hana by Kobukuro and Ayaka’s Mikazuki.
Since winning Nodojiman The World, Teng has become more confident of his skills. But as more and more comments stream in from social media, winning didn’t change Teng from finding himself still as mindful of the negative comments about him as he was before.
Still, knowing that the majority of comments are encouraging and supportive helps me get over it quickly. I guess I’m still growing in terms of accepting the fact that I can’t please everyone, and that I need to surround myself with only positive energy in order to succeed.
Teng will be competing again, but this time for Taiwan’s well-known reality TV talent show “Super Idol”, towards the end of May.
Don’t forget to subscribe to his Youtube page!
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In light of Teng’s trip to Taiwan, he is appealing for kind help from people who are willing to chip in for some of his expenses. You can find more details here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/teng-boon-song-jeremy/thank-you/10151981519216218
