Epoch Times
NEWS & PERSPECTIVES
August 22 – September 4, 2014
5
Music brings colours and life to our world and reminds us to cherish and appreciate the beauty of the present. Loh Jun Hong
movement towards a vibrant arts scene. Is cultivating an appreciation for classical music important? In your opinion, how could we cultivate an appreciation for classical music among Singaporeans? I think that classical music best allows one to experience the sound world. After understanding classical music, one will hear more nuances and colours within all the different types of music; most of pop still follows the rules of classical tonal harmony. As mentioned before, being able to hear the nuances in classical music will be akin to adding colour into the sound world. What this means is that there are people who do not know what they are missing out on! My goal will be to allow audiences to hear what musicians hear. The way to do it, I believe, is to change the presentation of classical music. Imagine an art work at a gallery without a short synopsis. Only the artists himself will understand the work! Without context or a story, I realised that there is no way through the door for audiences not exposed to classical music. To that extent, I started More than Music. Why did you form More than Music? As a performer, I’ve always been immersed in my little world of music. I would travel to the performance venues, show up and perform on stage. There is a certain mindset that all musicians have; we believe that if the quality of music and level of playing is high enough, our audience will understand what we have to say and appreciate our art. However, I began to realise that there is more to music than the music-making aspect. Shaping the concert experience by changing the way classical music is presented, by interacting,
sharing and speaking with the audience, made a tremendous difference. For me, connecting with my audience is of utmost importance. We feel that the reason that classical music only reaches out to a mere 4% of the population is not because of the difficulty in understanding the music, but in the manner of its presentation. Hence, I wanted to concentrate on audience development by making concerts more engaging and intimate, allowing the public to associate memorable evenings with the concert-going experience. The concept of the “More than Music” series is to combine the top talents in music in an engaging setting which focuses on the entire audience experience. Aside from uncompromising quality, we want our audiences to come to concerts to enjoy the experience: socialising amongst friends, listening to great music, and hearing the world as musicians hear it. Each one of our concerts will see each of our artists speaking and interacting with the audience, be it in the concert itself via introductions of the pieces and what it means to the artists, or at the post-concert parties where audiences get to mingle with our artists in a warmer and friendly environment. Our audiences get to enjoy drinks and desserts and simply have a good time with friends and also meet new people! How is working with pianist Abigail Sin like? I’ve known Abigail for nine years ever since we were featured in a charity concert called ChildAid which raised funds for underprivileged children. It is wonderful working with her as we have the same focus on audience development as well as uncompromising quality of playing. At the same time, our personalities are completely different and that makes it so interesting to work with her as a
fellow musician and partner for More than Music. Every talented violinist needs a worthy instrument. Can you tell us about your violin and what it means to you? I play on a 1780 Mantegazza on generous loan from the Rin Collection here in Singapore. My violin is like my voice, expressing all of my music for me. I love its sweet pure tone and really cherish its projection as well. What advice would you give to young violinists and young musicians about pursuing a career in music? Love the music, and love your art. In such an unforgiving scene, sincerity and passion will always pull through. Audiences and promoters alike will see and appreciate your passion and enjoy your performance all the more for it. Other than violin, do you have other hobbies? My other hobbies include jamming some pop songs with my friends where I’ll sing instead of playing a violin! Sometimes we would play a bit of basketball as well. What is your typical day like? Ever since I started delving into the organisational part of music, I have my share of emails to reply every day! If I’m not performing, I usually have a good practice session in the afternoon, as well as regular meetings with my partners to rehearse and to practise public speaking. I also meet up with various corporations to discuss collaborations and performance platforms. What is your motto in life, and what do you want to achieve most from your music? Be true to yourself; don’t regret; look to the future.
What I want to achieve most from music is to be able to share magical moments with my audiences. To give them memorable evenings. Tell us about your future projects or plans in your music career. In August, I’ll be doing a masterclass and recital in Indonesia. Next year, I’ll be doing a solo with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in April. For More than Music, we have two more concerts scheduled this year, in September and in December, which should both be very exciting! For my long-term plans, I really want to be part of the change in Singapore’s cultural scene. For now, it’ll be organising intimate performances of the highest
level. But I’m looking forward to organising festivals and helping more in the education scene as well. Performance-wise, I’m always looking for partnerships and platforms where I can bring my way of presenting music to other countries as well. More Than Music is staging its third concert PLAY! at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Share and connect with violinists Loh Jun Hong and Gabriel Ng, and pianist Abigail Sin, on 9th September at 7.30pm. To book a ticket for this memorable evening, visit http://www.sistic. com.sg/events/play0914 For more information about Loh Jun Hong, visit http://www. junhongloh.com