Transcript of interview with Peggy Yee (conducted by Amanda Lee), 10 August 2016, 4 pm, City Square Mall.
Peggy is a 60-year old female Chinese Singaporean retiree. She enjoys both Chinese and English oldies from the 60s to early 90s. Her favorite English pop music artists are the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra as she finds the lyrics easy to understand and meaningful. While she does not listen to Western classical music, she finds the sample played to be nice and soothing. She thinks that it is important that this genre is promoted as it is the foundation of all music. Peggy prefers Chinese music over English music, and thinks that today’s Chinese pop music caters mainly to young people. She feels that the music today lacks substance and is less meaningful. Peggy says that she used to listen to traditional Chinese music as her family played it when she was younger. However, she does not listen to it now as it is not convenient to do so. Similarly, she does not attend getai performances [outdoor performances of pop songs in Mandarin and Chinese dialects during the Hungry Ghost Festival, on makeshift stages], but still keeps tabs on the performance venues. She believes traditional Chinese music should be preserved as it is part of Chinese roots and history. Peggy feels that the contemporary intercultural experimental Chinese music sample played is a reflection of modernization, and arises out of a need to appeal to younger Chinese people by infusing Western elements into it. Peggy is supportive of local Singaporean artists and composers like Dick Lee as she finds that the lyrics of his songs represents her as a Singaporean.
“I think – very easy, er, to understand. Lyrics – and then very meaningful also. And some of the [English pop music] are very romantic ones, like those Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams.”
“I think the [Western classical] music [Beethoven’s Moonlight (1801) piano sonata, first movement], the piece are very nice, very well, er, managed. Easy – I mean you won’t dislike it, you feel very at ease after listening. It soothe down your, you know, sometimes when you’re not feeling happy, you can make yourself very calm.”
“What we listen now, we should also know what is the past, so then you will actually go forward. If you only know what is now – the very funky music, sometimes, ah – then you don’t know the basic [of Western classical music], I think that’s not right – so we should keep this and continue.”
“I think [Chinese pop music] really cater for those young ones. Young ones maybe like those 20s and so, not so much to our liking. We find that those older songs – our time, more sentimental, easy to understand, more meaningful. Nowadays one, not so much – not so much of substance, I feel.”
“Previously we – our family we have [traditional Chinese music] records, we have cassettes, so we will listen. Because my mother also like – my, er, eldest brother also – he’s [Chinese-educated] so he also listen, then I just listen. They play, I listen.”
“I think gradually it will be like that, because people are getting younger, so no more those – my time maybe, that one like you say, now 60, 70 [years old], they may not be playing [traditional Chinese music] already. So I think gradually, it will be changed to this kind [of contemporary intercultural experimental music], a mixture of maybe some Western taste, or ideas.”
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