Transcript of interview with Lee (conducted by Amanda Lee), 20 June 2016, 9.30 pm, Skype.
Lee is a 26–year old male Chinese Singaporean and is a part-time research assistant at Nanyang Technological University. He enjoys different kinds of music, depending on his mood. Most of the time, he uses Spotify and plays English pop music. He usually chooses the playlist filled with 80s hits. He also used to listen to Western classical music a few years ago, but does not listen to it much now. He does not have an opinion on whether Western classical music is important as he does not know how to appreciate it. He also visits the Esplanade roughly twice a year and sometimes catches free performances. While he knows some Chinese pop singers, he does not listen to Chinese pop music. He says that he is generally not interested, and he attributes it to him not being fluent in the language. He finds it hard to appreciate the songs as he does not understand what is being sung. He does not listen to any traditional Chinese music and thinks that the sample played sounds like Chinese New Year music and music played in Chinese period drama TV series. However, he did find it pleasing and exciting. He also thinks that it expresses his Chinese identity as he remembers hearing it when he was younger. However, he thinks that it creates a sense of group belonging only for those who are older and not among younger Chinese people. He does not think that the sample of contemporary intercultural experimental Chinese music sounds different from the sample of traditional Chinese music. He also thinks that it does not sound as “Chinese” as the traditional Chinese music sample. He does not really listen to Singaporean music because of the lack of availability. But he does believe that Singaporean artistes and their music represent a Singaporean identity.
“Because it’s hard to appreciate [Mandarin] songs when you don’t understand what they are singing about.”
“But more often than not right, I – I, I listen to, er, older music, so, um, Spotify lets me choose which decade of music that I want to listen from, and usually I listen – the one that I – I enjoy the most is from – is the 80s music.”
“The feeling in me, [when I listen to contemporary intercultural Chinese music] it just, it just ... it’s not – I’m not – I don’t feel as Chinese as when I hear the traditional Chinese one, ya.”
“[If] you ask anyone on the streets like, “Hey, do you recognize any traditional Chinese music?” and like no one will – I think – no one will be able to tell you anything [but] if you ask them, do you recognize any, classical Western artist, people will be able to say Mozart or Beethoven.”
“Even for me, [I am] not against Singaporean music, it just feels like it’s so hard to access their music.”
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