Who: EXDEE
Age: 17
School: Raffles Institution (Junior College)
Performing: Tipping, Falling, an original composition

While many other first-year junior college students are studying or out having fun, the five members of rock band ExDee spend a large part of their Sundays at drummer Daniel Lim's house practising.

Bassist Eugene Gan, guitarists Pua Yi Sin and Lenny Wee, and lead singer Marcus Lee do so for a good cause.
"Most of our public showcases have been for charity," says Yi Sin.

In August this year, they organised a fundraising carnival, Nudge, at the Sentosa Cove arrival plaza for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, where they performed with four other bands. More than $40,000 was raised.
Once again, they will put their talents to good use at ChildAid, performing an original composition, Tipping, Falling by Pua.

"It's one of our favourite pieces and we auditioned for ChildAid with it. We were unsure about our chances, but they called us back eventually," he adds.

The five-year-old band were set up when all the members were schoolmates at Raffles Institution.
The band also performed at this year's Baybeats, Singapore's largest alternative music festival, being one of the auditioning bands which made it through.

"Since we were exposed in secondary school to community work through a service learning elective, it has fuelled our interest to do charity work," says Yi Sin.

"Personally, I like children and working with them best. Maybe it's because I'm a teenager and it's easier to relate to them," he adds.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.