Why I Love My Music - An Autobiography of sorts

Dear Readers

The Straight Times turns 70! (in terms of posts, of course!) theokwek has decided to mark this occasion - which coincides with the second day of the Lunar New Year - by publishing a short (okay, maybe not so short) autobiography of the first fourteen years of his life in relation to his relationship with music. In this essay, he examines the factors that contributed to his love of music over the years, and puts forth his views about the importance of technical training versus musical enjoyment when a musician is in his learning phase. Also a note of thanks to all his benefactors.

Wishing you a year of music!
The Straight Times Editor

Over the past Chinese New Year Holidays, I’ve met many relatives, friends and acquaintances in the various houses that the winds of traditional visitation blow us to. We chit-chat, wrap around and unconsciously, the conversation moves towards music. One observation that I’ve seen, in all these exchanges, is that many parents tend to think that the enjoyment of music for a youngster is more important that grounding him in the skill required to play an instrument. I beg to differ.

Personally, I think the love of music is, for many of us, an acquired taste. Unless the child is a prodigy – what an overused term nowadays! – the natural curiosity and inventiveness of every child will blow him from the weather-beaten route of daily practice. Come on, let’s face the facts. No child likes practice, and this dislike spills over into a distaste for classical music.

When I was little, I distinctly remember that I didn’t just dislike music – I positively hated it. Beginning on the violin was an easy matter – at that time, I wasn’t yet mature enough to evaluate the time and practice involved, and when the Mom asked me, aged four, about a notice pasted on the glass front of the Yamaha branch at Tampines Mall, I agreed with a carefree nod. However, the toils of a musician’s life soon set in, and every single weekday, Mom would sit close by while I practiced, enduring the brutal two hours of horrible sound and pointing out the mistakes wherever she, not being able to read notes, could tell that this wasn’t how a violin should sound.

An anecdote from my childhood flashes down the corridors of time to me today. On the day of my sixth birthday, Mom asked me what my three wishes for the day were, and I promptly replied: “A birthday party, no work, and no violin practice!” What a demanding worker I was, even at that tender age!

Why, then, if things were so bleak, did I pursue music till this day?

Personal motivation was definitely out of the question, at least, until last year, when I, under the influence of my musical friends in school and in the orchestra, began to allow the music to really move me. I would put a large percentage of the drive behind my music as ‘Parental Motivation’, from dear Mom, who’s always been disciplined to a fault, and kept me this way. However, as with every innocuous child, environment played a big part in keeping a level of interest in music in me.

When I was little, I joined the ‘Young Talents’ class in NAFA, and had the privilege to work with great friends such as Gabriel Ng, Lee Ryce and others, who are now tremendously active in the music circles around me. In fact, some other violinists – Benjamin Lee and others – whom I know now joined the same class at NAFA after I left, and so we are, in a way, classmates!

Friends were a great help, but teachers are an ever greater motivation. Mdm Zhang Ying has been teaching me since I was four, and knows me better than I know myself. Though she has always focused mainly on technical teaching, subtle pointers at developing a more emotional relationship with the music were dropped along the ten years. Another teacher, with whom I studied during the nine months in U.K., was dear old Sarah (she hated ‘Mrs. Sarah Crouch’), a delightful granny who gave me a tour in the livelier side of music which had been her friend all her life. Till this day, I believe Sarah’s wonderful guidance was the first step to my love of music for what it is.

More recently, I joined the Singapore Youth Orchestra, where I, though a humble back-desk first-violinist, have met many wonderful, almost telepathic friends with whom I can share musical thoughts. However, even before this, I believe my time in the Training Orchestra (now the Sinfonia) contributed to my interest in music for some time too. I remember the first piece I played with the Training Orchestra was ‘A little Night-music’. Though ridiculously easy in retrospect, it was one of my favourite pieces at that time. At one rehearsal, I committed the capital offence of keeping my eyes closed while playing in the group, and left the conductor and the rest of the ensemble flabbergasted as I ended my playing a full eight bars after everyone else!

All these little reasons have contributed much to my love of music, and have slowly shaped my life into one that can, today, finally appreciate music for the melodies and harmonies that compose its every phrase, the emotions that are revealed in its interpretation and performance, and the beauty of its creation. There are few and far between who love playing music by nature, these have grown to be the greats like Yo-yo Ma and Jascha Heifetz in whose shadow we walk our separate paths today. However, it is thanks to devoted parents, caring friends and experienced teachers that we are able to play, enjoy and create music. And to them we will be in eternal debt.