Transcript of interview with Candyce (conducted by Amanda Lee), 9 September 2016, 4 pm, 313@Somerset.
Candyce is a 27-year old female Chinese Singaporean who is a student majoring in Psychology at Nanyang Technological University. She does not generally listen to English pop music. However, she does find the music of Adele, ABBA and the Carpenters nice and meaningful. She thinks that there has been a drastic change in English pop music from the 70s or 80s compared to the English pop music of today. Candyce also enjoys Western classical music, specifically pieces like Canon in D (1694), and Air on the G-String (1722). She likes that there is an accompaniment comprising all the different instruments in the orchestra which makes it sound grand. She thinks that classical music can appeal to more people if it is fused with pop music. She enjoys Chinese pop music but does not have any favorite artistes. She likes Chinese pop as she finds the language to be more descriptive than English and more conservative, just like herself as a person. She thinks that Chinese pop expresses a cultural connection of Singaporeans with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China as many singers from the other countries head to Taiwan to advance their career. She does not listen to traditional Chinese music, although she used to listen to Nuzi Shi’er Yuefang (12 Girls Band, a crossover traditional Chinese music ensemble). She also enjoys the score from the Chinese TV series Journey to the West. She also enjoyed the sample of Chinese crossover music extract, saying it was cool, fresh and interesting. However, she thinks that only those who appreciate Chinese culture will enjoy the sample. She did not enjoy the experimental Chinese music extract and thinks that more people will like the crossover sample instead as it contains pop music. She also finds the experimental Chinese extract to be too traditional and old-fashioned. She thinks that the National Day song this year sounded a lot like an English pop song, and thinks that the Singaporean English pop music scene is becoming very Westernized. Of all the different genres, Chinese pop music is the most important to her.
“Like the very like techno. Like all those kind of heavy, kind of like very noisy, loud, that kind. And very – and [English pop music is] not my kind. I prefer more soothing and slow.”
“So I think it’s like being Westernized is like subscribing to the English culture, it’s cool. Whereas like subscribing to the Chinese culture is deemed to be uncool. So like people are trying to shed their – shed their Chinese and local image.”
“I do have certain pieces of classical music which I really like. Like – like [Pachelbel’s] Canon in D (1694), or like [Bach’s] Air on the G String (1722), which are more for classic. You know that kind of thing, I think it’s just certain pieces of music – piece – that – that com[poser] – like the – that I really like, lah.”
“Like I prefer more accompaniment, like the whole orchestra playing. So I think like – pieces – I like the piece – I like the piece like each music piece, I like – I like them individually, but I like them more with a more grand accompaniment.”
“Like Kenny G, right, I think it’s incorporated into a song. Ya, so I think that’s when classical music will have a chance to showcase themselves. But how does it – how can classical music exactly mix with like pop, pop, rock music, I think that will be challenging lah.”
“Hmm, I think because I like listening to Chinese pop music is because – I find Chinese music is more descriptive, lah. I think – I think it’s a ... it’s the power of like the Chinese language. It can be more descriptive at times, ya.”
“No, it’s the band. It’s like made up of 12 girls – 12 Chinese girls, lah. They’re called Nuzi Shi’er Yuefang. I ever listen, lah but I forgot about them already.”
“Like it is after all like ... who am I as a Chinese person. Not really significantly, but ... once upon a time like my ancestors are from there. So I appreciate [traditional Chinese music], lah. Don’t like it, like like it but really appreciate it.”
“I think I really like [the crossover Chinese music extract] because it’s like ... I’ll say it has a traditional feel with a very like – it’s traditional, yet it’s like fresh. You get what I mean? So I think it’s – it’s really interesting and I really like it.”
“I don’t think this [experimental Chinese music], I think I prefer the – the – that one better. Ya, the crossover one better. I feel – find that this one still – I appeal to the younger generation more. This is one is like – I think – I think the problem is the classical thing.”
“I think ... I think as a Chinese today, like a Singaporean who is a mix of the Western culture and the Chinese culture, I think the best one which represents me is the crossover one.”
“The one that is most important me ... I would say it’s still, er, Chinese pop. Because I think like it’s always around, it’s always there. It’s always been here, it’s always been with me, and it will definitely be with me in future, but for any crossover, it’s like ... it takes an extra effort to merge the 2 together.”
“So where is the – the local flavour of the [National Day] song is like – maybe it’s still sung – sung by Singaporeans, that’s all – of different races. That’s what I feel. But the product of the song is very English pop, and very Westernized.”
“You know, their past time is to just come together and play the guitar, and then they just started to write very poetic lyrics and then having a melody to it, and then like it turns out to be a [xinyao] song [Chinese popular music written and performed by Singaporeans in the late 1970s and 80s]. I think it really represents Singapore very, very, very well.”
“I think its Chinese pop is because like ... it’s in Chinese, right? So I think it’s a common language. It’s a common language and it’s – it’s my preference that I prefer the Chinese pop, and I think it’s the most – it’s the most easily available. Ya. Easily accessible.”
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