From the outset, the World Happiness Report 2021 stated that potential mental health effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic resulted by the various physical distancing, social restrictions, and stay-at-home
related policies, would be one of the most important challenges of the pandemic. From the report, the
pandemic’s toll on negative emotions is clear, 42 countries demonstrating significantly higher frequency of
negative emotions, showing a remarkable upwards trend compared to the Happiness Report of 2019. Among
all the negative effects, worry and sadness have both shown notable increment statistically. (Helliwell et al.,
2021). Besides, a research on United States college students’ mental health problem during COVID-19
pandemic also concluded that 71% of the college students in the US agreed that their stress and anxiety
had increased significantly due to COVID-19 Pandemic lifestyle (Son et al., 2020). The results were similar
to some others research were done in another country that also picked up stress and anxiety as a notable
mental health issue that is currently faced by the societies (Levkovich & Shinan-Altman, 2020; Salari et al.,
2020).

In Malaysia, the first spike of the pandemic occurred following a tabligh event at the Sri Petaling
Mosque between 27 Feb and 1 March 2020. Since then, the Malaysian government announced the first
Movement Control Order (MCO 1.0) that began on 18 March 2020, followed with a long series of movement
control orders after that. By the end of June 2020, there were 121 death-reports due to COVID-19, followed
with 113,010 cases by 31 Dec 2020; On 18 Feb this year, the death toll breached the 1,000 marks. On May
3rd, Malaysia already had 417,512 cases and 1,551 deaths and the number of cases still increasing the day
after.

While the Malaysians are still battling with the virus, a sense or a feeling of tiredness might also
have sneaked into the people’s mind. There are constant reports of signs a lower compliance to follow SOPs,
demotivated to follow protective measurements and affected by a number of negative emotions. These are
marked as pandemic fatigue, where the Malaysian Director General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham
Abdullah once commented that pandemic fatigue is around us. He further explained that the recent spike in
Covid-19 cases is caused by pandemic fatigue, where pandemic fatigue causes people to "become
complacent" in adhering to public health safety-measures. Pandemic fatigue can cause people to let down
their guard, also becoming demotivated when they see no end to the pandemic.

Obviously, pandemic fatigue is one of the significant issues that is faced by the Malaysian, also the
people from all over the world today. World Health Organization (WHO) came out with a clear description
on what pandemic fatigue is and provided a guideline on some possible ways to alleviate the fatigue. An
Australian-based psychology portal (https://www.psychology.org.au/) described pandemic fatigue symptoms

as frustration, irritability, depression, anxiety, physical exhaustion, difficulty in focusing, difficult to problem-
solving and making decisions, and a diminishing interest in activities one previously enjoyed.

Music is a natural gift for human. Music can be used for various purposes that include relaxation,
or even as medicine to treat some illnesses. Scientific studies in recent years contributed to the discovery
on the potential effects of music on health issues, or to be used as a tool for maintaining a good health
(Chanda & Levitin, 2013; Trappe & Voit, 2016). Music can be used for disabled and distressed children,
music also can be used for the adults and the elderly when treating neurological problems in these cohorts,
music is also often used to improve one’s quality of life. In the hospitals in the US, music is used to reduce
stress and anxiety before a surgical treatment, as well as pain management.

Music can improve mental health, boost self-esteem and confidence, it can also used to help people
to relax and to uplift their mood and mind. Most importantly, music gathers people, it can also create a loving
and supportive environment for one to be remember that the pandemic is not over and all shall stand united
to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vision:
• To instill happiness in the public through singing.
• To reduce the negative emotion / mental health issues caused by the pandemic.
• To send loves to people through singing.
• To unite people through singing.
• To raise awareness of epidemic prevention.
• To improve people’s commitment for adhering to the SOP.
• To alleviate pandemic fatigue.

Mission:
• To reduce stress and pandemic fatigue, instill hope, build happiness and unite people through
music.

a. Virtual Choir Rehearsal Sessions
Four groups of choirs will be involved in this project, this includes the choirs for the people with
special needs, this will include the choir for Parkinson’s patients (Parkinson's Songbirds), Blind
people (Joyful Choir for the Blind) and a choir for cancer’s patients (Pink Melody); a young adults’
choir comprises of university and college students; a young children’s choir; and a general choir in
which the participants are recruited through a mass online recruitment.
Each choir will be given 4 virtual choir rehearsals where the virtual choir rehearsals will be
conducted 2-hours weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. The participants will be learning the song
entitled “Come Together” which was composed last year. Two choir directors from our project
committee will lead the four choirs in their respective rehearsals.

b. Video and Audio Recording Session
After the 4 choir rehearsals, we will proceed to video and audio recording session. Our recording
team will record participants’ videos and audios virtually. The video and audio will be recorded
through the Zoom virtual platform. This video and audio recording session will last for 2-3 weeks
until all video-recordings were done.

c. Professional Video and Audio Editing Session
After the video and audio recording session, we will proceed to the professional video and audio
editing session. In this session, sound engineer will be recruited to edit and master the audio files;
and the similar process will be taken by the video editor. This editing session will take around 2-3
weeks before a final product is finally out. The final product (a Music Video) will be uploaded to the
social media.

This program will help to alleviate the pandemic fatigue by releasing stress and anxiety through
singing. One music video will be produced as a final product from this project. The music video shall be
shared through social media where hope and happiness will be shared along.

We hope to disseminate a positive message to the societies that “Our battle has not ended yet, we
still need to be united in order to win the pandemic battle.”