Transcript of interview with Cindy Choa (conducted by Amanda Lee), 8 February 2017, 1.30 pm, Toa Payoh Library.
Cindy is a female Chinese Singaporean in her 40s who is a piano teacher. Cindy likes English pop rock music by Michael Learns to Rock. She thinks that there is a cultural connection as Singaporeans try to be Westernized and pick things up from English pop music. Cindy likes classical music by Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. She thinks that Western classical music is global culture and part of the culture of the country where the music originated from. Cindy does not think that it is a large part of Singaporean culture. Cindy does not listen to Chinese pop rock songs. She likes a few songs but generally finds that she appreciates the melodies and tunes from English pop rock more than Chinese pop rock. Cindy thinks that there is a language connection, and that universal themes like love are relatable globally. Cindy rarely listens to traditional Chinese music but likes the sound of the guzheng. She thinks that it should be preserved as it has a historic background. Cindy thinks that the music expresses a cultural connection as the Chinese instruments originated from China. Cindy thinks that the it is mainly the older generation of Singaporeans that listen to traditional Chinese music. Cindy found Chinese crossover music pleasant but thinks that the musicians are trying to be Westernized. Cindy does not like experimental Chinese music as she could not hear a distinct melody line. She does not think that it is bad music, and would classify it as different to what she is used to listening to. Cindy thinks that it could express contemporary culture as Chinese culture is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. Cindy knows of Singaporean musicians like Dick Lee, Tanya Chua, and the Sam Willows. She does not listen to their music regularly and is not a big fan of it. Cindy does not think that there is a Singaporean musical style in their music, but sees it in Dick Lee’s musical works when he highlights something about the Singaporean way of life. Cindy does not think that Singlish comedy songs can represent Singapore on the global stage as most people would not understand Singlish, and because it is broken English. She does not think that there is a genre of music that can represent Singapore authentically as it is a hodgepodge of races, cultures, and nationalities. Cindy started learning the piano when she was four. Her love for music was highly influenced by her father as he played music whenever he was at home. Cindy enjoyed learning the piano and began lessons in a group setting. However, she got frustrated as she had to learn at her classmates’ pace. Cindy later took private piano lessons. Cindy majored in piano and minored in voice in college. She decided to do piano teaching as she had aspired to be a teacher from a young age and was interested in the piano. Cindy’s approach to teaching is to make sure that her students – regardless of their age, background, race, and ability – have a good foundation in reading music. She wants her students to enjoy learning music and be able to appreciate music. Cindy has taught music in North America and in Singapore. She has noticed that the students overseas seem to be more focused, dedicated, and pursue piano playing because they want to, while Singaporean students are not as focused, or they are too busy or lazy to put in effort to learn. Cindy thinks that if given the opportunity, more students should learn the piano if they wish to.
“I don’t have like one particular favorite. Ya. Er, I prefer like, um, pop rock – let me see. Er, Michael Learns to Rock? Yeah, you know, along those lines. Ya.”
“I like maybe half or two-thirds of what I normally hear, but not all of it. Sometimes I don’t like the lyrics. Ya, not so much the melody or the harmony, sometimes it’s the lyrics that kind of puts me off. And even if it’s an instrumental version – but because I know the lyrics, ya.”
“Through the lyrics, you know, what is sung about, the content – ya. Because, um, I find that a lot of Singaporeans they try to be – they try to be Westernized and so they pick up stuff from the – the music.”
“I like Beethoven. I like some Mozart. Um, I like Cho[pin] – Chopin, Dvorak. So I like ... you know, but I can’t say that I like all [their works]. Yes. Or most.”
“[Classical music is] considered as global culture. Because the composers – they’re not Singaporean. Part of our culture? Like to listen to it? Mm ... not in a large way. Ya. Yes, ya.”
“Why don’t [Singaporeans listen to classical music?] I don’t know. Some have this pre-con – pre-conceived idea that it’s not cool. That it’s – you know – something ancient and – and, um, like old, fogey.”
“There are very few Chinese pop rock songs where I actually, um, can appreciate and like the melody lines. Ya. I – I mean with whatever genre of music, I generally – I like more melodies – you know – pretty, pretty melodies and – ya. So some Chinese songs, I find that – you know the – the tunes, the melodies are kind of ... I don’t know, they’re not really going anywhere.”
“In Mandarin songs, Chinese songs in general, I don’t understand half of it. So, um, for the English pop rock – you know – I understand English obviously. But, um, I find that the – the tunes, the melodies, um, I can comprehend – you know – the musical outline better and appreciate it better than the Mandarin stuff.”
“Cultural ... Most – the most – most [Chinese pop] songs are moping about love anyway, so love – you know – is international, I don’t know that it’s cultural. Ya.”
“[Traditional Chinese music is] like classical Chinese, um, ya. I mean when I’ve heard the guzheng – for example, being played, I like it. But I don’t often, um, listen to any guzheng music. Ya. But it’s about the only Chinese instrument that I – I kind of [like] – ya. Some of the other stuff kind of gets to me.”
“I think rightfully so, [Traditional Chinese music] should be preserved. I mean all genres of music – you know – should be preserved, ya. And especially if it’s some – not like recent or modern – anything that is – ya, older or has any historic background. Ya.”
“Er, those [Chinese] instruments. Er, if I’m not mistaken they all – if not all – you know, most of those originated in China. So the – you know – that to me is the main connection.”
“As in anybody born before the 60s ... anybody born before the 60s or before 1965 would, um, ya. Would be more, um, er, how shall I say – they would be the ones who would listen to [Traditional Chinese music] more. Ya. I mean very few – very few young adults listen to it and – and very few children actually conscientiously select that music to listen to.”
“[Chinese crossover music] was quite pleasant to listen to. But, er, it’s like ... Chinese trying to be Westernized. I’m not being racist here but – you know like they say, it’s crossover, so – ya. So they’re trying to merge the two into one.”
“I don’t like [experimental Chinese music]. Why not? Because I can’t grasp for a distinct, mm, melody line in it. Ya. I mean, parts of it, um ... I don’t know. It’s more like new age-y background music. Ya.”
“Expresses contemporary culture? Contemporary means modern, er, I suppose – ya. I don’t know much about experimental music. As in I’ve not researched into it so I don’t know how global it is. Ya. Um, but I think in general, um, er, not just music but I think the Chinese culture in Western society, Western countries, is becoming quite popular.”
“Singaporean composers like Dick Lee? Composers. Singers, bands – ya. Um, what is that group? Um, okay, singers like – like Tanya Chua? Ya, Stefanie Sun, Sam Willows. Ya.”
“And no, I’m not a big fan [of Singaporean music]. I don’t ... I don’t like hate them or dislike them but, um, I think some of their stuff is nice, is quite pleasant. Some of it may be catchy – you know – but again, none of the ... composers, um, are my all-time favorites. Ya.”
“I think [Singaporean musicians] compose some melodious – you know – easy to – to catch, um, catch up – pick up on, those melodies. Um, but I don’t really see any – any trait that is like distinctly the same with all of these singers or bands, ya. I mean, if it’s a – a work by Dick Lee, normally it’s always – in the lyrics, he’s highlighting something about Singapore or our way of life or something.”
“I don’t really think so because some – some countries, you know some nationalities, they wouldn’t understand ... ya. Especially if there’s any Singlish or – you know – Malay or – or Chinese terms used. Ya. And even sometimes, um, because Singlish is – is not just Singaporean English, it’s – a lot of it is just broken English, you know. Um, not just Malay and English but it’s just not good English.”
“Just turned four years old. And, um, the very first tune I played on my own – on a little keyboard which just had buttons not – not proper keys, um, ya. The first song I played was Majulah Singapura (1958).”
“I started to play on the little keyboard at the age of three. So when I turned four – because I stayed opposite, um, this Yamaha school at Clementi – so my mom and dad didn’t know where else to send me, so they just conveniently sent me across the road. Ya. So I had group lessons there for two years.”
“By the age of, um, fifteen I was in Canada. You know, I moved to Canada when I was about fourteen or fifteen. But from the age of four to fifteen, I had seven different piano teachers. Ya. Er, then I finished my schooling in Canada and I, um, went on to music school and I had, um, got a diploma.”
“In the group setting, even though I was only age four and five, for those two years I was very frustrated. Um, I could only go as fast as the fastest kid in class, and as slow as the slowest kid, you know. Um, and the teachers – I noticed they were very, um, limited by the syllabus that the school expected them to present and teach. And if you wanted to learn anything outside of the Yamaha syllabus, you couldn’t either. So that’s what made it frustrating.”
“I had a very keen ear for music, and – ya, I’d say by the age of three ... um, they could tell – you know – three and then definitely by four, I could play by ear. Ya. So I would hear songs on the TV for example Majulah Singapura, and just pick it up on my own.”
“Yes. Ya. I was definitely highly influenced by my dad. I will say a lot of his musical collection, a lot of it was classical. Not all, but a lot of it. Ya.”
“I would always, um, play with my dolls, line them all up. And I had this blackboard and a whiteboard at home, and I’d pretend I’ll be a classroom teacher. So I suppose from a young age, I aspired to be a teacher. But as I grew older – because of my love for music and piano-playing specifically – as I grew older, then I veered more towards – you know – venturing into teaching music.”
“Because some of my students are only in Singapore for two to ten years, so sometimes after they move away they still keep in contact with me. And they update me on how well they’ve progressed – you know, after leaving Singapore. And – and, um, they’re grateful for their time here and their time with me.”
“So I’ve taught a lot of twins and triplets you know, so never a dull lesson. But I noticed trait in twins and triplets – there’s always one that’s more bossy than the other, and more nosy. So sometimes lessons tend to be interrupted, ya. And they – they want to do things together. But – you know, it doesn’t really work out unless they’re doing duets. Ya. Then I get them to play together and learn together.”
“My main thing for teaching anybody regardless of their age, and their race, and their background, and their ability, is to make sure that they have a good foundation. Er, foundation in reading music and to help them develop – you know, a ear, um, like ear-training.”
“My philosophy is to make sure that they enjoy it, is fulfilling. Um, and music learning is not just a one-off thing in your childhood or for a few years, you know. It’s, um, and not necessarily just playing an instrument or singing, it’s like a lifelong journey. It’s music appreciation. Yup.”
“I encourage [my students] to ... find out what stuff they like ... you know. And to listen, um, um, listen to all kinds of music. And – and or listen to the stuff that they really like.”
“Cultural differences? Somehow in Canada and the US, um, the students seem to be more focused and more dedicated to their craft. Ya. Um, here I find that a lot of students – they are not so focused or they are either too busy or too lazy, you know ... to really give a hundred percent.”
“I mean given the opportunity – as in, if there is a keyboard or a piano in the house, and if they can afford it – in terms – not just in money, er, in terms of time, then I don’t see why not. But I don’t believe that everybody must or should learn piano. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just, um, to each his own, you know. But I don’t – I – I don’t agree with kids especially being forced to learning piano.”
“I tried to find out verbally, um, by asking [students] – trying to get – in a way to the root of it, but not pressing them too hard. But, um, just find out whether the – the lack of interest is because they’re being pushed by their parents – you know, forced to do it, or they, um, they don’t know what they like, or don’t want to find time to practice.”
“Piano playing, um, is very versatile. You can actually make, um, the notes – you know – by the way you’re playing it. You can make piano playing sound like drums, you can make piano playing sound like animal sounds. You can – you can make, um, you can actually express some strong emotions like anger also through your piano playing. Not just all the pretty, melodious, um, tunes. Ya.”
“Because I’ve worked with both local and, um, expatriate children, especially in the last, um, fifteen years. I see how most expatriate children, they only learn and stick with piano because of their own interests. Whereas a lot of local Singaporean children, they learn because their parents expect them to, or push them to, or force them to learn. And very few of them actually learn because they themselves want to learn and want to continue, ya. So I think it’s sad.”
“I’m a mother myself – you know – I’m looking at my son. He’s a toddler right now, but I’m thinking, you know, I definitely do not want to push him to learn, er, or force him to learn just because we conveniently have a piano and we have a piano teacher under our roof.”
Click on the link below for the full transcript