Transcript of interview with Daryl Chee (conducted by Amanda Lee), 21 December 2016, 10 am, Skype.
Daryl is a 22-year old male Chinese Singaporean and is a material science and engineering student at Nanyang Technological University. Daryl plays the keyboard and the piano. He enjoys listening to R&B, electronic dance music and rock music. He does not have any favorite English pop rock artiste. He likes English pop rock for the electric guitar solos and the beats on the electronic synthesizer. Daryl likes English pop music for its musical influence and does not think that it defines him as a person. Daryl used to listen to Western classical music but listens to it less frequently now. He likes the works from the Romantic period and the composer Tchaikovsky as the music expresses more emotions. Daryl thinks that this music should be preserved. He thinks that it is the foundation of pop rock music, which he views as a simplified version of classical music. Daryl thinks that Western classical music can be considered global culture as there are more people learning to play it now as compared to before. Daryl does not listen to Chinese or Cantonese pop rock music. He does not think that this music expresses a cultural connection of Chinese Singaporeans with other Chinese societies, as Singaporeans do not behave like the Chinese in those other countries after listening to the music. Daryl does not listen or know much about traditional Chinese music. He thinks that Chinese culture is strict and respect is strongly emphasized. He found the extract of traditional Chinese music to be okay, and thinks it could be the background music for movies. He thinks that this music should be preserved so that people will know where Chinese music originates from. Daryl does not think that traditional Chinese music expresses a cultural connection of Singaporeans with China as not many Singaporeans take part in any Chinese cultural practices after listening to the music. Daryl liked the extract of Chinese crossover music as they used Chinese instruments to play Adele’s songs. As a Chinese person, he feels that he identifies best with this music as he found it relatable. Daryl feels neutral towards experimental Chinese music, and thinks it is something that could have been used in Chinese or Hong Kong movies like Kungfu Hustle (2004). He does not think that this music expresses contemporary culture. Daryl knows a few Singaporean artistes and listens to some of their songs as they are similar to English pop rock music. He does not think that there is a Singaporean musical style. Daryl does not think that Singlish comedy songs can represent Singapore as they have only been played on local media. He thinks that National Day songs can be considered Singaporean music, and that it creates an authentic feeling of group belonging. Daryl thinks that Western classical music best represents young Singaporeans while traditional Chinese music better represents older Singaporeans. Daryl thinks that English pop rock music expresses his identity most authentically, while experimental Chinese music expresses his identity least authentically as he has not heard of it before.
“It’s just, um, because these [English pop rock] songs are written by – written by artistes that have their own perspective. More – I use them more as like to just resonate with the song rather than to actually call it my identity.”
“Mm ... ya, I guess you can say [there’s a connection of Singaporeans with people in UK, US, Australia] – I guess you can say that, lah. Ya. But only like to some of them – ya, because Singapore like – like got English and Chinese so it’s hard – it’s hard – some of them like Chinese more, so – ya.”
“I’m more inclined towards the Romantic period, er, classical pianists like Tchaikovsky, ya. Ya, that’s Tchaikovsky then ... um, skipping the Baroque and Classical – I’m more towards Romantic and the 21st century type of music, ya.”
“The thing about classical is – because classical is very – very structured, very rigid. Full of – full of appegios, and, er, thrills and everything. Romantic period is, er, as the term suggests lah, it’s like more – more fluid. It has more emotions, you can feel – you can feel the music better as compared to classical at times.”
“I mean modern music ya, they do chords, er, for Western pop and everything. But, er, Western – Western classical music, they are the ones that actually offer more ... more complicated, more unique type of chords and everything.”
“Modern music generally they – is – they’re just writing patches and, er, and, um, instruments build on top of the, er, piano and everything. And then chords, theories – everything, they are more of a simplified version of – as compared to classical music.”
“Maybe last time it wouldn’t be, but now because like everywhere there are people who are playing like [Western] classical music all the time. So I – it’s – as in there will definitely be like good com – composers, um, and players as well, so ya – that’s why I say it’s global, lah.”
“The reason why I don’t listen to Chinese music is because my Chinese is very bad. Ya, so I – I don’t really – I don’t really understand. So – even to search the music on YouTube, I don’t know how to type the Chinese characters so – ya.”
“[Chinese pop rock music] connects emotionally but I don’t think it culturally connects, er, with Taiwanese and Singaporeans – I don’t think Singaporeans are going to like – like have – I don’t think they are going to behave like or display like Taiwanese behaviour or practices after listening to their music.”
“I can’t really appreciate the notes that, er, Chinese instruments make as compared to the more contemporary classical notes like do, re, mi, all that. Ya, but – but for the Chinese instruments I don’t really make like music out of it, so I’m not really – I’m not really comfortable when I hear them playing.”
“Er, I really have no – no associations to [traditional Chinese music]. Ya, I try – as in, I – I don’t really listen to it so I tend to really – I tend to avoid it lah, ya.”
“I don’t really dislike it but it’s like I – not really like – I’m just okay with [traditional Chinese music] lah, ya. Sounds like a background music for movies lah, ya.”
“Traditional [Chinese] music and cultural connection with mainland China. Er, um, [be]cause I – I don’t think people are – people are really going to practice and like – like cultural practice after listening to traditional Chinese music from mainland China. Ya. That’s – that’s why, lah.”
“What do I really like about [Chinese crossover music], ah? It’s just – I mean it’s just pretty cool that they actually use – use, er, Chinese instruments to actually play, um, some of, er, Adele’s songs lah. So – ya. I kind of – I like Adele also, so it’s nice to hear.”
“As in – more like – more like the cross[over] because like it’s more relatable so I can build on it better.”
“[Experimental Chinese music] feels like those like Chinese movies. Those kind of back – background music lah, ya. That’s – that’s – that’s my main thought of it lah, ya. Just Chinese – Chinese movies slash Hong Kong movies background music. The ones that I see in Kungfu Hustle (2004), those kind.”
“Com – composers, ah? Um, um, does Sam Willow count? Ya Sam – Sam – Sam Willows. Er, Gen – Gentle Bones. Um, Disco Hue. Ya.”
“Um, pop rock, ah. Um, okay I generally appreciate electric guitar – electric guitar solos. Um, that’s – that’s inclined more to the rock side. For pop-wise, pop-wise generally is the – the beats and – the – the electrical synthesizers that I appreciate. Ya. Ya, that’s most of it, lah.”
“I don’t think this kind of [Singlish comedy songs] will actually extend – extend out globally. Ya. Like the Phua Chu Kang right, I don’t think – like Phua Chu Kang music only extend to like – like local – like Singaporeans only. Like they only broadcast it like – like over Mediacorp, like they didn’t really extend it out to anywhere else like MTV or whatsoever. Ya.”
“Maybe like – like our – our parents that time, maybe Chinese is more [representative of their Singapore]. But I think our generation more towards Western [classical]. Yup. So it really depends on the – the, um, the demographics lah, ya.”
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