Esplanade Foreword February: Crystal Goh

Our voices carry the yearnings of our wild and shy souls. After losing her voice to a rare neurological condition, singer-songwriter Crystal Goh went on a journey to search for her voice and regain her soul. Not knowing where to begin, she turned to other wounded individuals who had also lost parts of themselves—their childhood, freedom, memories, loved ones and mobility—and yet found their souls. As they shared their wild and shy yearnings to heal and be healed, she found traces of her voice in theirs. This performance of songs and stories is a response to her search, as well as a tribute to the voices who continue to yearn.

About Crystal Goh
Crystal Goh is a singer-songwriter and music producer. From 2010 to 2011, she performed live acoustic sets at open stages, wedding gigs and at various World Vision Singapore events, including the organisation's most major campaign, the 30-Hour Famine.

In 2011, Crystal was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia. This caused stress to her vocal chords, and she struggled to sing. During this time, Crystal chose to focus on songwriting and music arranging instead. In 2013, she collaborated with groups of at-risk youth and children of incarcerated parents to write, record and perform four original songs. The project, known as Diamonds on the Street, gave Crystal the opportunity to bring friendship and hope to these communities through music.

Over the years, she has explored how we gain meaning in pain through her various songwriting collaborations with other brave voices. Crystal’s vocals have since improved, and she is currently exploring ways to tap into the "new" voice that had risen from her condition.