Transcript of interview with Joseph Lim (conducted by Amanda Lee), 20 January 2017, 3 pm, Skype.
Joseph is a 29-year old male Chinese Singaporean who is a piano teacher. Joseph listens to English pop rock music to try to understand its popularity amongst young Singaporeans and his students. He likes this genre of music and finds it extroverted compared to other Asian pop music. Joseph thinks that there is a cultural connection to some extent as Singaporeans generally listen to the more popular English pop artistes from the UK and US and pay less attention to their indie counterparts. Joseph likes Western classical music as it is complex and emotional. He does not think that it is part of Singaporean culture yet as it is not widely consumed and practiced in Singapore. Joseph thinks that Western classical music is the foundation of all music as contemporary pop music uses a lot of its techniques. Joseph likes Chinese, Cantonese and Hokkien pop rock music. He thinks that this music expresses some cultural connection as Singaporeans enjoy Chinese variety shows and enjoy singing the songs. Joseph does not know much about traditional Chinese music other than from his experience of listening to his primary school’s Chinese orchestra. He thinks that these musicians need to find a connection with new audiences by covering English or Chinese pop music. Joseph does not think that traditional Chinese music expresses a cultural connection for Singaporeans as they are less familiar with this music as compared to the mainland Chinese. Joseph found Chinese crossover music interesting and thought it was a good way to introduce different sounds to a wider audience. Joseph did not particularly enjoy experimental Chinese music as he felt they might not have used the right instruments for the piece. He thinks that it would be better if the musicians played well-known Western classical pieces instead. Joseph thinks that it expresses contemporary culture as he thinks that the musicians are trying to get more people interested in Chinese instruments. Joseph thinks that xinyao is a Singaporean musical style as it reflected daily life in Singapore. However, he thinks that xinyao music is a genre that is stuck in the 70s and 80s, and it does not represent modern Singapore. He thinks that Singlish comedy songs can represent Singapore on the global stage as other similar songs like Gangnam Style (2012) have previously achieved worldwide success. Joseph started learning the piano when he was twenty-one years old. He was originally supposed to begin his polytechnic education on information technology but decided not to enroll in the end. Joseph decided to teach the piano after he was asked to teach the piano by his bunk mates during National Service. He realized that he wanted to leave a legacy behind and he wanted to share music with people. Joseph’s approach to teaching focuses on his student’s strengths. If his student is good at playing then he would focus his teaching on to play and improvise, and less on reading notes. Joseph thinks that many people get discouraged or fearful of going to piano lessons that are focused on note-reading. He thinks that one way to increase students’ confidence is by having them play a simple piece. Joseph thinks that more students should learn the piano, and that schools should have compulsory music education until the students reach a certain grade. Joseph thinks that young pianists and teachers like himself should perform more to build up their performing skills as well.
“Whichever [English pop] song they listen, or the popular song I will go to, er, listen, er, and try to understand what is the content about. Ya, and why it’s so popular among the – you know the youngsters, ya. And a lot of my piano student also like to listen to English pop. I – ya, I – this is what I, er, realize lor, ya.”
“I remember last time English pop is like Lady Gaga and – and it’s like ... it’s like not so – not so positive lah, the message. Some of the messages is like not so positive. But nowadays, er, the English pop is like towards more – more positive side. So I quite happy with that.”
“Singapore mainly is listen – listen to the very popular artiste. Few of the quite popular artiste[s]. But in general there is too many in US or UK. So – I mean the Caucasian[s] will like a particular band, but not so – but not so like, er, for the, er, most the – you know – the most popular one. Ya. So I feel there is some connection, but is – but is not all. Not all the connection.”
“Classical music is very complex and they – it is an emotion, you see. So a lot of movies actually put classical music inside. Because, er, if they have a scene, like a very sad scene, they will play some very sad song. After that they got a very exciting scene, they will, er, choose another class – classical song.”
“I think the government, er, should actually ... er, step up to encourage people to learn some instrument. Ya, guitar or classical, er, I mean if you want classical music to be more popular you need to learn an instrument. Classical guitar, or classical piano, or classical flute. Something that is classical then – so people will understand what is classical music. Whether they like it or not is another story.”
“Western classical music is the foundation of all music. Because it evolve from there. Okay. Er, because, er, Western classical music got different keys. Twelve different keys; major keys and minor keys. And if don’t have these kind, er, these foundation of the different keys, that – there will not be chords. So, er, contemporary music – pop music they use a lot of chords.”
“I got this Taiwanese friend. Okay, who migrat[ed] from Taiwan to Singapore to study. Okay, so, er, he introduce us to the Mandarin pop. So I start to listen to all the Mandarin – whenever – since, er, there is no turning back lah, in a sense. I – and my, er, strongest, er, language is my mother tongue. Ya. So I really love Mandarin pop a lot, ya.”
“I love to listen to Cantonese pop music too ... or any another dialect like Hokkien pop music. But there is a disconnection of all these dialect music because, um, because I born in 80s. Okay, back in the 80s, er, the TV program don’t have any dialect – so – and now the government now is, er, not so encourage about speaking in dialect among the young – young – youngsters.”
“If you travel to other country, or you watch their show – their variety show – then you will, er, you will see Malaysia, you will see Singaporean go to – sometimes go to sing the Cantonese song. Although our pronunciation not that accurate, so there is a connection with them. Ya, in terms of mu[sic], er, in terms of musical. Ya, and I think with Taiwan, I think is also – it – it is the same case.”
“My impression of traditional Chinese music is a bit far. It’s only, er, I only listen it when I was in primary school because I – I remember my, er, my primary school they got a Chinese band – okay, doing quite well.”
“[Traditional Chinese] music is actually – nowadays it’s, er, they heavily need to do, er, some Mandarin pop covers or English pop covers to actually get the attention of the public to listen to their instruments. Okay. And I also notice that classical, er, musicians also do the same thing. You know, to find a connection with the audience.”
“Like example a lot of Chinese pop like the Jay Chou – got the, er, got the Zhongguo feng [Chinese style]. I mean to preserve is for the next generation of musician to actually take some of the little things inside and put in the modern pop song. Because – think about it, er, it is not as popular as classical music – the traditional Chinese song.”
“You know, er, Chinese instrument music, I will only listen to how nice is the music about. But I don’t know the title. But maybe the mainland China people they know because there is still quite tradition[al]. So I don’t think there’s a connection, the only connection well be is – all this is Chinese music. That’s the only connection – this is what I think, ya.”
“[Chinese crossover music is] like to accept the instrument, you know. Like different instrument got different sound, you know. As a musician, I think, er, it’s the sound lah, it’s the sound. They want to make the – this, er, this song more interesting for the audience to, er, listen.”
“I think this kind of crossover music is a good head start, you know. Like that the audience can actually go to learn, they maybe interested or inspired to learn, then after that they will know – from there they learn, they sure they will learn some pop music and traditional music. Then we got another generation of – you know – musician to actually be, er, inspire more people in the future.”
“Maybe it’s the arrangement [of experimental Chinese music], I don’t think it really suit the – you know – this piece. Perhaps they should try some more famous classical music like Für Elise (1810). And ... but I – I really don’t think it is a suitable from what I listen this song for one to two minutes, this is my thought. But it’s a good try.”
“[Experimental Chinese music] use flute to solo, and only one flute. And the flute sound is not so huge, you know. Sometimes, sometimes, it’s just missing – very hollow. So ... so I don’t think its suitable lah, in a sense lah. That is my thought lah when I listen to about two minutes. Maybe they got some other crossover which is better, ya.”
“Perhaps, er, they actually want to, er, because you are saying its experiment[al Chinese music]. Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s good to try at – at – at least. So ... er, perhaps they want to make the audience – you know, er, more interested in the traditional instruments in a sense, you know.”
“I think it reflects some our culture like the – I think it’s a – got one song is called Kopi O (1985) right, so in a sense, ya, some xinyao song. I think it reflect our day – our daily life, ya. Ya. To an extent it’s, er, it’s different from – you know – from the Mandarin pop. It’s our own genre of, er, music at that era.”
“The Gangnam Style (2012) – now is the new trend. If you want to make people to listen to you, you must be funny in the sense. And ... and slowly from there you can introduce some more songs to the world, you know, not so funny songs, more – more serious songs. Then people will understand, “Wah Singapore do have some serious composer here.””
“I think xinyao is – is a genre that is – is stuck in 70s and 80s and now if you want to call a Singaporean composer to compose some Singaporean song, I don’t think should called xinyao – should – because it’s a global world already. Doesn’t mean that it represent, er, this artiste. Doesn’t represent this is call xinyao. Xinyao is back in days, back in 70s or 80s already. Not now, ya.”
“I think that grade is not important. In the sense that it’s not important at all whether you want to take Grade Six to Grade Eight. Doesn’t important – doesn’t determine that how well you can play, or you as a musician. It’s because we need paper to actually prove to the company that we are capable of teaching – you know – the, er, their customer, okay.”
“I teach [NS bunk mates] by notes by notes. Monkey see, monkey do, then they can play. Everybody can play. Then I see them play exactly like – like me. So I want to leave a legacy behind. Then I think that, “Eh, if I think that playing music is good, I like to share. I like to share good things with, er, people. That’s why I want to become a piano teacher for my life.””
“I will see where is [the student’s] strong part. If their strong part is at playing, I don’t really force them to read so much. I will actually concentrate in their playing skill, their improvising skill. Like that – you know, er, ultimately, the audience doesn’t care you are read or what. They – they – what they care – how well you play, and how well you interpret.”
“And every lesson is just reading, reading, reading. That make people fear about going for a piano lesson – it’s all reading music and make them feel so, er, dis – discouraged, lah. Because – you know – their ability is, er, you know, is, er, is being shortened by sight-reading, you know. If they can just play a simple piece then they will feel so encouraged, you know.”
“If I tell [my students] to play this song that they like, and I tell them “You must finish at least half of it.” Maybe – not even half then they give up, they want to change another song. They feel that, “Oh, this song – I can’t play. I can’t play, it’s too difficult.” Then I tell them, “You can’t give up so easily.” This is their common – common ground in a sense.”
“I think a keyboard will be good. Keyboard is not so expensive. And also it can, er, it can start with CCA first, then see how the response [goes]. Then after that, er, implement that, is one of the subject inside. Everybody can just learn some music until a certain grade, maybe until Grade Two, Grade Three. Then have a foundation.”
“I see how the Singapore government is doing now, I very lucky I born in this era and in the right time. Because I see so many, er, young pianist come out to play on the street piano even though they don’t have busking license which is important. Because if you actually learn the piano, you need to come out to perform to build up your performing skills.”
“Will make the world to, er, let them see that Singapore, er, other than – you know – the [infrastructure], got the arts, you know. So they will more interested to come to Singapore, you know, as a tourist. Then they will think, “Oh, Singapore is very interesting. You know, got a lot of buskers, got a lot of street piano, it’s very colorful. Very happy kind of place. So wonderful.””
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