This week, we met up with Alan C. (’26), a strong athlete and musician who found an interest in creating videos. Originally from China, Alan moved to Malaysia when he was six years old and joined ISKL in Grade 2. Using his talent for playing the clarinet and his love for Japanese anime, Alan started a Youtube channel during the pandemic to share his interest and passion with the wider public.
Here is his story.
First impressions of Malaysia
“The first time I arrived in Malaysia, I liked how this country had diverse cultures and languages. Then when I joined ISKL, it was completely different from Chinese public schools. The classes are shorter in ISKL, and my teachers and friends are from different parts of the world. There is also more variety in the classes here. For instance, Physical Education in China was just about running, but here we get to play different games and sports.”
Starting his Youtube channel
“I started playing the clarinet in Grade 2. My family was trying to find an instrument for me to learn because I had problems focusing while doing work. We eventually picked the clarinet because it was easy to carry and because I found it fascinating.
‘I started my Youtube channel ‘Dream Adventure‘ because I liked the Japanese anime ‘Attack on Titan (AoT)’ when I started watching the anime series in 2017. My sister, who would upload Youtube videos of her drawing the characters, also inspired me. It got me thinking, ‘How can I share the love I have for this anime?’. I searched online for the songs used in the show and came across a piano version of the soundtrack. Since I play the clarinet, I thought I would play the clarinet version and ultimately decided that this would be my main content for the channel.”
‘In the beginning, my classmates and friends did not know of my channel. It was mainly the viewers on Youtube who would leave comments asking me when my next video would be up. That made me happy because I know that they purely watch and enjoy my content. After all, they found it interesting and not because they know me or are friends with me.”
‘I want to improve my video animation skills because my first few videos only had a static picture with my clarinet playing in the background. It’s been over a year now, and my video editing skills have improved. Now there are background animations to match the songs and I want to try playing more complex pieces of music in the future.
‘I try to make a video every single week and only create videos upon request when I am busy. These days, people ask when the next upload will be and this motivates me to be consistent!
Challenges of making videos
“A challenge I faced while making videos was how I could constantly improve myself – from performing the song and improving my skills with the clarinet to video-editing. The initial challenge was making and uploading videos, so it was tough in the beginning because I had no clue what to do. Thankfully, most challenges now center around attempting to play more complex songs with more difficult notes, to which I would have to ask my teachers for assistance or get some help online to play the best that I can!
‘And it’s all down to keeping this habit. Many people want to start a Youtube channel, but they don’t necessarily want to maintain it. Another piece of advice would be to find a topic or activity you are interested in and which you can do daily to keep you in the habit of posting. Lastly, you need dedication. You want to make videos for fun instead of to gain subscribers, so you should remember to do the best you can for yourself.”
Other hobbies and interests
“I’m a person who loves sports. I swim, play badminton, volleyball, and more. I’m part of a Malaysian swim club called the D Swim Academy (DSA) and, previously, the Ikan Bilis Swimming Club (IBSC).
I never got to swim until I came to Malaysia. My mother saw that I enjoyed being in the water and encouraged me to sign up for swimming lessons.
‘For badminton, I’m part of the Sunlight Team. This team would usually send players to compete for the state, and I was fortunate to have been selected in 2019 to represent the Selangor state team. The competitions were difficult initially, but my coach gave me recommendations and advice on how to win. I listened to his advice, and my performance turned out well. When I was on the State team, I joined State tryouts, other club meets, and Nationals that year. On the State team, I managed to win a silver medal in the Singles match. I still train with the Sunlight Team because it encourages me to be competitive.”
Personal Inspiration
“Someone who inspires me is a Chinese table tennis player, Ma Long. He is an inspiration because he’s probably one of the most famous players in the world, and secondly, it is because he did not start with a great career. He lost most of his matches for the first ten years of his career, but he continued with the sport. The dedication he put in eventually helped him win a gold medal. From when he started at the age of 20 to winning the Olympic Gold medal in his 30s, he proved that you don’t have to be young to win an Olympic Gold medal. If you still have the love and dedication for one subject, you can be the best.”
Most memorable moments at ISKL
“My most memorable moment at ISKL was when I played on the volleyball A-team (the highest division) in Grade 6.
I didn’t have much experience in volleyball, but after joining the volleyball club and taking a few lessons, I got the hang of it.
Then, just before one of the major volleyball competitions, our coach put me on the A-team as the only Grade 6 student on the team. He said “I want you to be the next leader for
the 2020 volleyball team. If it were swimming or badminton, I would have expected to be on the team. However, volleyball was a complete surprise – much less winning a silver medal! I really want to thank Coach Leo for the opportunity.”
What does Be All You Are” mean to you?
“It is to express and show everything you got to the school. It is to do what you can and not blindly follow what other people are doing. Everyone has something they are unique for, and combining everybody’s uniqueness forms a community. By doing that, you take care of yourself, which leads you to take care of others, and eventually the school.”
Do you know a student, faculty, staff, or alumni with a story to tell? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.
To find out more inspiring stories of our community, read about The Sun Bear Patrol or ISKL parent and Board Chair Toshi Saito!
