Transcript of interview with Edward (conducted by Amanda Lee), 23 January 2017, 9 pm, Skype.
Edward is a 15-year old male Chinese Singaporean who is a student from Dunearn Secondary School. Edward likes English pop music by bands and artistes like Switchfoot, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran. He thinks that English pop music is relevant to him as pop music helps him whenever he feels down and rock music gives him a lot of energy. Edward thinks that English pop rock music expresses a musical connection and it brings everyone together. Edward listens to Western classical music when he studies as it helps him to concentrate. He likes the way the music flows and finds it calming. Edward thinks that Beethoven is still relevant to him as Beethoven’s story is inspiring and gives Edward the motivation to be a musician one day. Edward is not sure if Western classical music is part of Singaporean culture as the people around him listen mainly to pop music. Edward listens to Chinese pop rock artistes like Jay Chou and JJ Lin, but does not listen much to the musical genre in general. He thinks that this music could express him if he were able to understand and be able to relate to the songs. However, he does not think that it expresses him much at the moment as he mainly listens to English pop music. Edward thinks that Chinese pop rock expresses a cultural connection as everyone listens to and likes the same Chinese pop rock artistes. Edward does not listen to traditional Chinese music but liked the extract. He thought that it was interesting as it helped him to paint a picture of a yellow sky. Edward is not sure if traditional Chinese music helps him to connect with his other Chinese friends. He thinks that it should be preserved as it is the origin of Chinese culture and a tradition. Edward thinks that traditional Chinese music expresses a cultural connection because the music brings the Chinese people back to their origin and heritage. Edward thought that Chinese crossover music was really cool and creative. He thought that it was a mix of both Chinese and Western influences. Edward thought that experimental Chinese music was a great experience as it made him feel calm and think of the countryside. Edward knows a few Singaporean artistes like Shigga Shay and Nathan Hartono. He thinks that the Singaporean musical style has an international sound as some Singaporean music sounds like it could have been created in America. Edward thinks that Singlish comedy songs can represent Singapore on the global stage as it will be a good form of exposure. However, he is not sure if foreigners will be able to understand the local jokes referenced in the songs. Edward thinks that National Day songs are patriotic and they remind him of how far Singapore has come. Edward thinks that since Singapore is a mix of different cultures, Kpop would best represent Singapore for his female friends while R&B would best represent Singapore for his male friends. Edward has learned to play the recorder, violin, tuba, guitar, piano, and drums. He is currently taking classical guitar and vocal lessons. He enjoys his guitar lessons as they are fun since he can learn new songs and techniques. One memorable lesson was when Edward had to collaborate and play music together with other students who played the violin and the piano. Edward decided to take up vocal lessons as he wanted to learn how to use his voice. He hopes these lessons will help him find the courage to perform as he wants to be a singer-songwriter in the future. Edward thought that his secondary school music lessons were very simple as they learned to play simple chords and the lesson progressed slowly. He would have preferred if the lessons could expand on his knowledge of music, as well as be able to play different instruments and collaborate with his classmates. Edward thinks that music lessons are necessary for all Singaporean students as music is an outlet of expression. He thinks that playing instruments can help one express or think creatively, and is a skill that one might use in the future.
“I think it’ll be Ed Sheeran. Ya, because he – I mean, I love his recent song, er, Castle on the Hill (2017). Which like – I feel like there’s a very Kings of Leon feel. You know with the – the electric guitar. Um, ya, I also like his lyrics, they are very meaningful and very soulful also. And I like the way he, er, add in hip hop with guitar together.”
“There’s really different types of pop. And they’re very, um, they are relevant to me because there are some songs that – you know – help me go through in – in – in life, er, whenever I’m feeling down. So – ya, it – it – it does help me. Er, as for rock – as for rock music, it helps me, er, it just gives me a lot of energy lah, you know.”
“Because our [English pop] music really, um, brings us all together, you know. No matter what race or religion we are. And a lot of my friends also like pop rock. Some of the English also – I mean like it just brings us all together lah, you know.”
“I don’t really listen to – to [Western classical music] that much. But I do like listen a few times, like I – if I cannot concentrate in my studies and I cannot listen to very upbeat kind of music.”
“The way [Western classical] music flows – the – the tunes and how it builds up then it sinks down, you know. Like, um, so it just helps me, and it’s very calming I guess. It’s not much, er, very, er, upbeat, very, um, fast, and not much words inside it. So it won’t like make me like dance out of nowhere, so it’s very focused, lah.”
“So like even though you’re deaf or blind [like Beethoven], you can still play music or perform as well as anybody, you know. So like ... ya, it just gives us the motiv[ation] – gives me the motivation to like, um, to – to – to like – to wanting to, er, be a musician one day.”
“Because the people around me, er, not many listen to classical music, you know. They listen to like Chinese pop or – or Malay pop, or Indian pop. And I very hardly hear – I mean I do have some friends who have, er, some – some experience, er, some liking in classical music, you know. Maybe there are some Singaporean locals who like classical music but I don’t know many, lah.”
“Jay Chou – I like his voice. Er, JJ Lin also I like his voice a lot. And, um, back in the old days, er, JJ Lin – I was – I mean I was a big fan of JJ Lin because he like – was like a singer – first Singaporean who made it big – I think – in my knowledge lah. Ya, when I was young he was the first Singaporean to made it to the top, so I think that was really cool.”
“If I understand what the [Chinese pop] song is saying. You know and if it really gets me lah, in my – it really gets me and really relates to me, I guess it – it – it does. Ya, but right now ... not really much because I only listen to English music.”
“You know, they all like the same [Chinese pop] artiste the same music. So like they – it really connects with them because like you just walk around the street and you can be like, “Hey you know this – you know this, er, for example JJ Lin?” Then you’ll be like, “Oh ya I do. I do know him.” You know. And they will like talk about it, you know.”
“I do like [traditional Chinese music]. You know [be]cause when I first listened to the music it helps me paint a picture. You know, like a very yellow sky or something like that. It helps me paint a picture. But it’s also very interesting, lah. I like – I mean when I look up close to those instruments, they do not look so like easy to play. You know.”
“I think it’s good to preserve [traditional Chinese music] lah. And try to, um, expose to people more about this, um, Chinese trad[ition] – culture because you know it’s – it’s like based – based on where you come from, you know. And you cannot forget about that, lah.”
“I don’t know if [traditional Chinese music] helps to connect [with my other Chinese friends] but I – I – I think it does. Because it brings us to our – you know – main mother tongue, our – our origin, our tradition as Chinese, I guess. I – I don’t know. Ya.”
“I felt that [Chinese crossover music] was very good. You know, how creative they can – you know – crossover Chinese instruments with, um, English music together, you know. And the way they use the Chinese instruments really builds up the feel of the song. Ya. Then like the original – so like I just think it’s really cool and very good.”
“I feel like [Chinese crossover music is] a bit of mix ... together. There – there is no like – I mean like, I won’t say it’s a bit more Chinese, but because they used the Western melody and Western music with Chinese instrument, so I will think like they will be balanced.”
“Because like I’m not really used to this kind of [experimental Chinese] music. But it was a really great experience, er, er, because like, er, like it’s – it’s really good, lah. You know, um, it just gives me those very calm feel – feel like you are in a – like in a very calm environment. Where it’s not in a city but in the countryside, you know. You just like relax over there and – and just daydream or just look at the river flow.”
“I will consider [experimental Chinese music] to be good music because – you know – it’s – it’s just very calm for me, you know. So I – I think this song like whenever you’re feeling like – very stressed, like this music can help me – calm me down, lah. Ya.”
“When they make this music it’s like there’s this, um, although we’re Singaporeans, it gives like a very, er, reminds me – in my opinion, gives me like a very American feel I guess. Which is also really cool, because like – you know – we are all Singaporeans and then they can make this very cool musical feel.”
“I kind of like it you know. It – it’s like very interesting lah, you know. And – ya, you can identify it as a very Singaporean song – you know – because it’s like very funny and there’s a lot of Singaporean Singlish in it, you know.”
“I wouldn’t say they will all get – get the – the [Singlish comedy] song jokes, lah. You know. Unless they really like – like you know – unless they like look at Singaporean vlogs, or like they already been to Singapore and live there for like a year. Ya. But ... I think it’s a good exposure lah, ya.”
“We sing [National Day songs] every day. And then it’s just to remind us about the moral values, you know. Like the pledge also – you know – reminds us of the moral values. Ya, and how – how far has Singapore come – you know – in the long run. So – ya.”
“Singapore is just like a lot of mix cultures, I wouldn’t say ... I – I not really sure. But for my friends – female friends – you know they – most of them all like Kpop, so I guess Kpop genre. Er, for guys ... I don’t know. Anything that is R – R&B or anything that’s pop I guess. But there is no specific genre, I – I – I guess, ya.”
“When I was primary one I remember I played the recorder. I’m not really good at it, I kind of forgotten everything. Er, around primary two or primary three, I learned to play the violin, I guess. Er, it was very interesting – but I don’t know, I think I just got bored of it or ... because we keep playing the same song. Then I learn the tuba. Which in a short while I also quit because I very short patience.”
“Then after PSLE, I learned how to have patience and then ... I, um, I starting to listen to a lot of music. And then I feel like, er, I want to like – I listen to a lot of, er, YouTuber music like Tyler Ward. You know, then like I feel like, “Man, I want to play one of those instruments, I want to be like – be able to play music or make music.”
“What interest me the most is guitar. Because like I – I like to listen to those very old rock like, er, the Beatles or like, um, the Rolling Stones. You know. Then, um, I learned guitar for I think two years or three – around there. Then I – I feel like, um, then I, um, begin to grow my passion for music. Then I expanded to learning other instruments that I feel very interesting to me.”
“I self-learn piano – a little bit. Like – just like a few chords only. And, er, I learn how to play the drums. By watching, er, my friend being – my friend playing the drums, ya. Er, because my, er, sec two student he – he teach us to play drum on the iPad. And then I went to REACH [Youth] because this – they have this free to use drum set. So I went to the studio and I went to, er, the music room in REACH, and I use the drum set.”
“[Be]cause, er, my goal right now in my life other than N Levels is to like – I think through this music ... like producer, like, er, Kurt Hugo. Ya. Er, try to like – play as much music as I can, try to write music, produce music. Or produce covers from other people singing it, and then – ya, then just post it on YouTube or something. So – ya, to like expand lah, my instrument range and my music theory range as – as far as I can.”
“Basically we’re just like having fun, you know. Um, just like hanging out, playing music, learning how to play these songs. And learn some, er, cool new riffs or cool new techniques that we – we never learn before. It’s quite fun lah. Most of my guitar lessons is like hanging out but also learning how to play the – play guitar and music, ya. And, er, in – in REACH Youth they also expand our music knowledge too – so, ya.”
“[One lesson] really stuck out to me because we have a collaboration, er, with – not just guitar. I mean, at first we have classical guitar, so we practice with each other. Then we have collaborations with violins, um, pianos, and – ya. So we just collaborate all together. Like we – some of us play the melody, some of us strum the chords. And the piano plays the melody with the chords and build up the feel.”
“I thought that if I go to a vocal lesson, it’ll really help me know how to use my voice to sing, you know, instead of just screaming out the song. So I went to vocal lessons, and I was hoping they can like help me find my voice and like give me courage to perform or like write songs and perform it. Like a singer-songwriter kind of thing. But that’s my dream, lah.”
“But – ya, [my secondary school music teacher] – he just teach us like very simple stuff and he never ask us to perform like, “Wah, like very, er, good.” Er, he just ask us to – at least we know a few chords in the guitar, then that will be fine, like that’s all. For me, I want to like expand more on that.”
“But I think it’ll be cool if – you know – they – they – they allow us to play different types of instruments [in school] instead of like everybody play the same one instrument but different types of instruments. And then we all collaborate together. And maybe that will help us expand our music passion I guess, ya.”
“In secondary two, [my music teacher] – he did cover like – okay, he did cover one pop song. I think it’s from One Direction. Ya. So – I mean, that was – that was kind of, er, good, ya. That one pop song. So like – ya, I mean, I think that was cool because none of my recent history [of] music teachers in school ever done that before. So ... I think it was really good, lah.”
“So we learn this [pop] music [in class] and then we play – we can impress some people, lah. Which also interest us because we like the melody, we like the song, we know the artistes. We can relate to it. So if they cover more of these [pop] songs, I think we will all be very interested, lah.”
“I think give [Singaporean students] a chance to play different types of instruments. And not just like teach them a few chords or a few things, then – “Okay, fine. You’re done. You – you – you learn something. Alright, that’s it for the lesson.” I mean like really teach them like – okay lah, maybe just like a few chords but maybe make them like really, er, [lasting] kind of memory. You know they can remember it for life or something like that, I don’t know.”
“I think [music lessons are necessary]. Because like music is our expression of art, you know. I’m not really good in drawing, but sometimes I can’t express myself. So I think music is the one that’s really connected with me. And I think is – everybody thinks so too. So I think that playing music instruments like – can really help you express or like keep your creativity running.”
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