S2E40: Sing Song Social Club founder Aarika Lee on the magic of community

S2E40: Sing Song Social Club founder Aarika Lee on the magic of community

From The Straits Times Podcasts by The Straits Times

April 19, 2026 · 38 min · Season 2 · Episode 40

About this episode

Aarika Lee discusses the impact of the Sing Song Social Club and the importance of community.

Get a peek into the workings of the viral community choir and unpack the importance of finding your tribe. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times. In this episode, Singaporean musician Aarika Lee tells host See Kai Wen her inspiration and journey in starting the viral community choir Sing Song Social Club. Through the choir’s inclusivity, people from all walks of life and ages - ranging from four to 90 years of age - come to sing together. No auditions are needed to join the sessions, which have grown from 30 to 400 participants in less than two years.  Aarika also talks about why having a community is so important and discusses parallels between the science of trees and the psychological need of humans to feel a sense of belonging. Highlights (click/tap above): 0:00 What is the Sing Song Social Club (SSSC)? 5:30 Role of communities and how Aarika keeps SSSC safe 8:40 How the science of trees explains our need for community 15:40 Independence vs interdependence 20:50 Disagreements in SSSC? 23:50 How Aarika started SSSC, and the roles of the other founding members 29:50…

People in this episode

Host: See Kai Wen

Guest: Aarika Lee

Topics covered

  • community
  • choir
  • inclusivity
  • belonging
  • personal growth
  • music

Keywords

  • community choir
  • Aarika Lee
  • Sing Song Social Club
  • inclusivity
  • sense of belonging
  • personal finance
  • music

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sing Song Social Club, The Straits Times

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