Transcript of interview with Sandra Law (conducted by Amanda Lee), 18 August 2016, 3 pm, Sandra’s residence.
Sandra is a 57-year old female Chinese Singaporean who is a stay-at-home mother. She enjoys listening to English pop music on the radio. She tunes into 90.5FM daily in the morning. She enjoys some pop songs by Madonna as she finds them catchy. She does not know precisely what it is about the songs that she enjoys – they simply appeal to her. Sandra does not listen to Western classical music now but she used to when she was pregnant. Sandra has seen musicals like Mamma Mia (2008), Fat Pig (2014), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2014), West Side Story (1961) and Fried Rice Paradise (2010). She has enjoyed all of them, and found The Rise and Fall of Little Voice good for a local production. Sandra does not listen to Chinese pop music. However, she has heard some Chinese and Cantonese pop music in school when she was younger. As she speaks Cantonese, she understands the lyrics of the songs and finds some of them to be funny. Sandra enjoys listening to English pop music over Chinese pop music. Sandra does not listen to traditional Chinese music but knows a few pieces such as Yellow River (1969) [piano concerto]. She used to watch Cantonese opera with her mother when she was younger as her mother enjoyed opera. Sandra can still remember the tunes from the opera and which show they were featured in. Sandra does not think traditional Chinese music expresses her identity as a Chinese person as she does not feel an attachment to it, nor does she think that she needs music to identify herself with. Sandra feels neutral about the experimental Chinese music extract and commented that it will put her to sleep. She also thinks that the piece sounded like many things being put together but not really gelling well together. Sandra knows of Singaporean composers like Dick Lee and Iskandar Ismail, and singers like Stefanie Sun but does not listen to much of their music. Sandra does not really have an opinion on Singaporean music as she does not listen to it much. However, she thinks that the music is average, and can sometimes be immature and amateurish. Sandra thinks that one song that could maybe represent Singapore is the song Home (1998) by Kit Chan. Sandra has also heard of xinyao but does not understand what it is about.
“Mm ... in general ... I would say just pop music. Not the noisy ones though. Um, I like jazz too. Yup. Some of the oldies stuff that my parents use to listen so it’s kind of being influenced by them? Ya.”
“Oh, I ... [English pop music is] catchy and, er, it just appeals to me. I can’t actually pinpoint what ... I just listen and certain numbers appeal to me and I just – you know, get it from iTunes and all that.”
“No. Sorry. The only time that I listen to was when I was expecting the kids. We would play [Western classical music] – not by the original artist, I think. They are some compilation, ya. So that’s – that’s the only time.”
“The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2014)? Er, it was kind of hilarious. Certain scenes, ya. The songs is okay, lah. Not too ... it doesn’t stay with me like – if you ask me which track do you remember, I can’t remember any one.”
“Um, more like, um, instrumental by ... instruments – Chinese instruments. Ya. Things like one or two pieces like the Yellow River (1969)? Ya, that – that one I can remember roughly.”
“Canto [pop], I remember during school days. I do listen – I did listen to some. Which was kind of catchy. But I don’t remember the group, or the title – because basically I do speak Cantonese with my mum, so I can understand the lyrics, and all that. So some of them are pretty funny actually, ya.”
“Oh, it’s alright. I could remember the [Cantonese opera] tunes, you know. Surprisingly. If I hear it, I do – I can associate this number to which story they’re talking about, ya. But that’s about all. I don’t really search out. Because lately I know there was one or two performances at the Kreta Ayer, I think? Mm, but, er, I didn’t really go watch it.”
“No. If you want me to lie, I would say yes. If you want the truth, then I say no, I don’t see anything distinct, er, or rather, I don’t hear any distinct identity to [experimental Chinese music]. It’s like trying to put things together but not, er, really happening? Yup.”
“By our local composers? To me ... they’re on average, just average, ya. I don’t think very much because, um, I don’t really attend or listen or even watch their performances.”
“But I think Singaporean music needs more time to mature. It’s ... sounds, um, if you ask me like our National Day songs – things like that – to me, it doesn’t sound – it’s not mature; the content. The melody, yeah. It sounds kind of an amateur kind of thing, ya.”
“No. Ya. Er, no, no, not for me. [Be]cause I’m not really that deep into music, as in – you know. For me, it’s just on a surface level. Ya.”
Click on the link below for the full transcript