Transcript of interview with Ivan Ong (conducted by Amanda Lee), 3 January 2017, 5 pm, Skype.
Ivan is a 24-year old male Chinese Singaporean who is a student at Nanyang Technological University. Ivan likes English bands like Fall Out Boy and Simple Plan as he listened to them when he was younger. He is especially drawn to the guitar riffs and strong vocals in the music. He does not think this music expresses his identity in a defining way. Ivan thinks that music is a way to connect with foreigners who listen to the same music. Ivan used to listen to Western classical music a lot more when he was in secondary school as he was in a concert band. He likes certain pieces like the 1812 Overture (1812) and the Algona Overture (2004). He thinks that specific communities like the band community in Singapore would be the most likely to see Western classical music as part of Singaporean culture over the general public. Ivan did not use to listen to Chinese pop rock music but is starting to do so now as he wants to develop as a singer. He likes music by Fahrenheit and some Cantonese pop songs. He does not know if Chinese or Cantonese pop rock music expresses a cultural connection as he does not know much about Chinese music. Ivan does not like traditional Chinese music as he thinks the suona sounds annoying. He thinks it should be preserved for posterity and because it is an art form as well. Ivan thinks that there is a cultural connection only for those who can appreciate and understand the music or know how to play an instrument. Ivan thinks that Chinese crossover music is a good way to make Chinese instruments seem more approachable for the common man. However, he thinks that it is a stretch to coin a new genre for these attempts. Ivan likes experimental Chinese music as he can appreciate and hear what the composer is trying to express. He thinks that this music expresses contemporary culture as it is a by-product of globalization. Ivan thinks that the Singapore music industry is still very young and not yet developed. He does not think that there is a Singaporean musical style since catering to local tastes might mean that it would be harder for Singaporean artistes to break into bigger markets. Ivan thinks that National Day songs create a sense of belonging as he used to sing it in school with his friends, and he can still remember all the words. Ivan thinks that xinyao did not become popular internationally because international audiences could not connect with the kampong ideals in the music. Ivan used to play the euphonium in his secondary school band. He is now the vocalist of an English pop rock band with his fellow residential hall mates from NTU. While they enjoy playing music together, they have no intention of doing it professionally. The band does cover music as they want their audience to connect with them and sing along with them – which audiences cannot do so with an original song. Ivan thinks that Singaporeans are not willing to pay for the effort that bands put in before they perform a show.
“Er, really – my music taste are really influenced by – I think my childhood. When I was really into like heavy guitar riffs and like, er, very angsty strong, harsh vocals. And these [English pop rock] bands really do have these elements, lah.”
“And – and I guess similarly if we use like English pop rock music, then if I went overseas to whatsoever country – I mean, minimally I’ll have music that connects me with the people there, ya.”
“1812 Overture, er, Tchaikovsky’s not bad. Er, let me see, Algona [Overture] (2004) – I only know my favorite song names. I don’t really know the – I don’t know the composers, I’m sorry I’m not very big on composers.”
“Because I was a brass player, anything with very big brass parts – I felt really good playing. So I would naturally enjoy them more.”
“So like in the band – like in the band community in Singapore, er, when you’re in a band and you’re playing [Western classical music], they’re most probably from West – the Western world. So I would say that they’re integral to the Singaporean music culture, lah.”
“When I went to watch Les Mis[érables] – like I was like, “Okay, I know what your plot is, I’m just sitting here waiting for your musical numbers, and seeing whether or not the people you’ve chosen to – to play these parts can follow through, lah.””
“For Chinese [pop rock music], is it? Er, I mean I really like Fahrenheit. Ya. And ... I guess – my friends are trying to convince me of Jay Chou. Right now, I’m still trying to get it ... but – I mean, eventually.”
“I guess so. I mean, I’ve had friends who go to Taiwan and then just start hunting down singers if they can, so I guess, it’s a possibility? I’m – I’m not very big on this, I’m sorry. Because I’m not very big – into Chinese music.”
“Basically my hatred for Chinese orchestra music stems from my hatred of the suona, which is this trumpet-like instrument. And it has this really annoying tone ... which I really hate.”
“So as an art form I think [traditional Chinese music] should definitely be preserved. For the sake of – if anything ... just letting our future generations appreciate it, lah.”
“I would say that only people who are within that circle would be better [able] to appreciate [traditional Chinese music]. Either you yourself play that instrument before, like a Chinese orchestral instrument, so you’re able to appreciate it. Or – I don’t know, you somehow cultivated this interest in those – in that music yourself.”
“The fact that they can produce this kind of sounds maybe makes [Chinese crossover music] more approachable to the common man. But I think that it’s really a stretch and they’re trying too hard if they really have to coin a whole genre of music for these type of attempts.”
“I mean, er, I mean you can hear what the composer’s going for [in experimental Chinese music], lah. I mean each – each instrument is trying to go for a different insect feel, and I kind of can get it.”
“I think that our music industry is like still very local, still very within our own boundaries, not yet developed on a more global scale.”
“If we – if we try to preserve a local style of music right, we – we – we – we risk not being able to break into bigger markets I would say.”
“[Unbelievable, a comedic song from the Singaporean TV series Spouse for House 2 (2015)] is viral because it’s a really stupid song. And, um, I guess ... it represents Singapore as in, “Hey, look this is something we’ve done.” But whether, “Hey, look this is something we’re proud we’ve done,” ah, that’s a totally different thing for me.”
“I’ve not been in like a school which do all these songs. I can still remember all the words, and I’m pretty sure all my fellow friends can as well. We all can do – we all can sing Home (1998) off the back of our head, I guess. Like – just like that. So I – I guess it does create a sense of belonging.”
“Like xinyao was all about – you know – that kampong [Malay word for “village”] life, that life in Singapore lah, so to speak. And people can’t connect with that. I would say people can’t connect with that overseas.”
“You know how when you listen to good music, you get that goose bumps on your hands? That – that feeling is magnified a lot more when you’re actually playing it. Like when – when you’re seated there and you’re playing it, that feeling is amazing.”
“And so last year when we performed for FUSE, we all agreed that that was the highlight of the year. That feeling on stage was just amazing. And so right now we’re just in pursuit of that feeling again.”
“I don’t think we have the intention of like going legitimate. Like full-on professional band that you can hire. Because really we are chasing the – we – we’re just doing it for the – for our own enjoyment. We’re not looking to get paid. If we get paid that’s a bonus.”
“I want the audience to connect with my performance. So when – when I do a song, like there’s no better feeling than if I can stop singing and the audience just takes over, it’s really the best feeling. So when you do a cover – when you do an original, you lose that. Because it’s an original, no one knows the song.”
“Okay, the problem right now is that a lot of times when like events want bands, they don’t pay. Or if they pay, it’s a really bad pay. Like it’s not worth the amount of effort that the band is going to put in to perform.”
“I mean a lot of times people have this misconception that if I’m going to hire a band, they’re just going to turn up on the day itself and perform. No, there are like weeks of practice and refinement that goes into a performance. And – and people are not – are not able to see that.”
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