You Play A What?
"What are your plans after graduation?" "What kind of work can you apply for with a Music Degree?" "You Play a What?" These might be some infuriating and intimidating questions for any aspiring musician. If you are looking for some relief, join Vincent every Wednesday, as he finds out from his guest their inspiring stories, grit, graft and all that it takes for them to succeed in the music industry.
YPAW 63: Christoven Tan - Being Perfect vs Being Yourself, Relating to New Music, Practicing other Art Forms, Approach to Curation
This week I am joined by the enigmatic Christoven Tan. Christoven is a champion of new music for viola and in recent years, he has been pushing the possibilities and boundaries of viola playing. Apart from music, he is a practitioner of multiple art forms and doing remarkable work that is that is true to himself. I am really glad to have the opportunity to speak to him.
In this episode, we spoke about:
1. His upcoming show Apollo which is happening on Saturday, 09/10, where he performs alongside percussionist Derek Koh the music of Emily Koh and Be...
YPAW 62: Mervin Beng - Objectivity vs Subjectivity in Music Review, Origin of Resound Collective, Breaking Grounds in Concert Presentation with Technology and The Idea behind Music Patronage
This week I am joined by Mervin Beng, Chairman of Resound Collective, an arts charity organization that promotes chamber music in all its glory. Mervin wears many hats, apart from his role with Resound Collective, he is a music reviewer with The Straits Times, involved previously with music organizations driven by educating young aspiring musicians such as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
With his professional expertise in technology coupled with his deep passion for music, saw the creation of 2 ground breaking projects entitled re:Sound is Live and Concordia...
YPAW 61: Kevin Loh - "There is more to life than music", The Importance of Family Support, Performing in a Refugee Camp, Fortunate to have music as a career, Identifying one's motivation
I am back after a 3-week hiatus with superstar guitarist, Kevin Loh. Kevin was spotted at the age of 12 by the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK through his YouTube channel which he still keeps up to date till this day with over 300 videos and over 4 million views! He has since went on to win competitions, premiered concertos and has garnered international repute within guitar scene. Kevin is currently a student at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading young guitarist in the international guitar scene. He was generous enough to take time out to speak with...
YPAW 60: Jonathan Shin - People-Centric Approach to Music and Life, Piano and The Cane, Tips on Improvisation, 200 Years of Singapore History in The 1819 Suite, Approach to Mentorship
This week I am joined by Jonathan Shin, pianist, composer, hardcore bookworm and a fantastic guest!
In this episode, Jonathan and I spoke about:
1. Pursuing his doctoral studies remotely
2. Developing his people-centric approach to music and life in general
3. His relationship with practice, piano and the cane
4. His tip for getting into improvisation
5. His creative process behind The 1819 Suite commissioned by Resound Collective
6. Composing fast music vs slow music
7. Who are the Lorong Boys and what do they do?
8. Creating m...
YPAW 59: My Motivation Struggles - Lack of Motivation, Detaching my views from my Identity, Defining my personal values, Rethinking how to live a value driven life
This episode is a riff on the ups and downs that I have felt in the last few months.
About six months ago, my motivation was at an all time low. Practice has become labourious and requires large amount of effort. But it was rather helpful to have some space to think about what my life and work would look like if everything was based on my value rather than my belief and views. I am interested to hear what all of you have to say about this episode!
The Knowledge Project Podcast:
Website
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YPAW 58: Lau Wen Rong - Love for Trumpet, Hating Classical Music, Impact of being in a Youth Orchestra, Coping with Self-Imposed Pressure, Perfection VS Excellence, Staying in the Present
This week I am joined by Lau Wen Rong, Wen Rong is a prize winner in multiple competitions and is currently part of the trumpet section in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Apart from his busy performance schedule and his ability to rise up against any high pressure situation, Wen Rong is an active teacher and have been inspiring students of various age group.
1. Our Chung Cheng stories
2. Why he was a vegetarian for such a long time
3. His musical and career developments
4. The impact of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO...
YPAW 57: Benjamin Yeo (Part 2) - Development of Intangible Qualities from Music, The Importance of Youth Development Programmes, Finding his Artistic Identity and Creative Process, Passion for Teaching
This week we pick up from where we left off from my conversation with Benjamin Yeo. Benji is an avid contributor to multiple facets of the local music and band scene taking on roles as an educator, composer, conductor.
In this second part of a 2 part episode, we spoke about:
1. The impact music and arts practice and the development of intangible qualities in a young person.
2. What is the former Music Talent Development Centre (MTDC) and the importance of programmes designed to develop the youths.
3. The importance of composing music that is true to...
YPAW 56: Benjamin Yeo - Learning about Thai Culture & Language, Challenges Faced in Music Education and Performance Arts, Finding His Tribe, Inspiration from Mineral Water
This week I am joined by perhaps the most prolific contributor to the Singapore Wind Band Repertory, Benjamin Yeo. Benji is an avid contributor to multiple facets of the local music and band scene taking on roles as an educator, composer, conductor.
In this first part of a 2 part episode, we spoke about:
How it is perfectly ok to call him Benji instead of BenjaminHis obsession with the Thai cultureChallenges he faced over the last one year being a Music Teacher and the Dean of the Aesthetic DepartmentThe Music Elective Programme vs the IB music syllabusHow...YPAW 55: Andy Sim (Part 2) - Building resilience, The Heart and Brain relationship, Deep-Light-Paced Breathing, Fight and Flight
Welcome back to this part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Andy Sim we spoke about:
A quote that has significant meaning to him
Building resilience
Addressing the fear of failure
The Heart and Brain relationship
ANTS vs APES
Fight and Flight response
The power of Deep, Light and Paced Breathing
The importance of staying in the present
To find out more about Andy and his work you can visit the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/Embodied-InPsych-2112377532140176/
https...
YPAW 54: Andy Sim - Music to Psychology, Navigating Stress, Contributors to Burnout, Why we fall out of love with what we love in the process of pursuing it
This week, I sat down and spoke to conductor turned psychologist, Dr. Andy Sim. A practitioner of the HeartMath System.
We talked about his career in music and how it eventually transformed into psychology.
Navigating stress
How did stress come about if we are pursuing something we love
The 3 main contributors to burnout
This was a highly informative session that I really enjoyed! Tune in to find out more!
To find out more about Andy and his work you can visit the links below:
https://www.f...
