Who Am I?

Dear Readers,

Welcome to The Straight Times' 41st Issue!!!!

First, two pieces of good news:

1) End-of-years' Exams are over! The winter storm of the last issue has ended and theokwek is finally a free man. He will, of course, continue his blissful sojourn in a musical dreamland

2) theokwek has passed his violin diploma! though, of course, he will not reveal his exact score (p.s. you can come and ask me if you like - i've forgotten it), he sends his sincere thanks and appreciation to all who comforted him in that time of need - the crisis on the night of the exams. (refer to that issue of the Straight Times)

An old saying goes - LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY. As The Straight Times enters its forty-first edition, theokwek and I, your faithful Straight Times Editor, have sat back and taken a breath, at the same time reconsidering theokwek's identity. In the following essay, theokwek speaks of his perspective of life.

Signing off,

The Straight Times Editor

Who AM I? (remember that Jackie Chan movie? note of interest - Jackie Chan received a lifetime acheivement award from the Tisch Institute yesterday)

I consider myself a musician, a writer, and most importantly, a student.

A musician, because music is my life. Music is not just about practice, or about performance, not about tears, or about joys, not about tantrums, or about congratulations, not tunes, nor rhythms. Music is abstract, music is alive, music is animated, music is a companion, music is a voice, music is musical.

Music is a friend in need - it is a friend indeed.

I am sure many of my musician friends would agree wholeheartedly with this - that the spirit of music resides in us all, waiting to be released by inspiration, skill and magic. Music is never static, it is always flowing, for us to interpret, digest and improvise. Music abounds around us - it is up to us to capture it.

As a writer, one of my favourite pasttimes is to capture the soul of this music in my writing. It is with the hope that my writing will bring music across for what it is - be it a pure, loving, caressing touch, or a dignified, solemn march. My writing embodifies my love of music, it enbalmes the toils of practice, it encapsulates the joys of success.

Lastly as a student, I realize that the crux of my musical journey is learning. In whatever I do, all the experiences that i face, there is always something to learn, something to gain. And it is with this spirit of musical exploration that I face each passing day.