This week's episode, I'm joined by Ron Tan, the founder of the Inclusive Arts Movement, an organization that aims to inspire and promote equality between the differently & generally-abled through the performing arts. Ron himself is a self taught pianist and he is 80% deaf, but it hasn’t stop him from performing and composing. I really enjoyed this chat and the energy and passion Ron brought to the conversation. In this episode we spoke: 

The work and services provided by the Inclusive Arts Movement which includes performances, team building workshops and pivoting into a more digital landscape.

His motivation to provide differently – abled performers a platform to showcase their talent and to perform

What music means to him and why he chose to be a practitioner despite his aural impairment, and how music helped him build up his self-esteem.

Responding to negativity with an open mind and calmness.

Restoring dignity to the differently-abled community and providing avenues for social integration.

Collaborating and interacting with differently – abled persons in a sensitive and empathetic manner.

The future for Inclusive Arts Movement.

For the videos mentioned in the episode:
Rueben's feature - Friends – Sasha M (feat. AngelK & Reuben Khanal)
Workshop Introduction
A Million Dreams

Find out more about Inclusive Arts Movement below:
https://www.inclusiveartsmovement.com/
Facebook

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

Continuing from the previous episode, in this second part of the conversation with Adrian, we spoke about:

His decision to take on leadership positions with BDAS and NICA, the difference these organizations seek to create.

The launch of the Singapore Band Solo Virtual Championships by BDAS

Creating environment for like-minded students to meet each other.

How assuming these leadership roles have impacted his life.

Where and what does Adrian invest his time and energy in.

What this 3 groups mean to him:
The Philharmonic Winds, The Philharmonic Youth, Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra

The most important tip with regards to having a freelance career.

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

I should have had this guest on way earlier but I finally set it up and its with Adrian Chiang. If there is ever a Singapore Band Director’s Hall of Fame, he would definitely be in it. Adrian is a well-known figure in the Singapore Music scene and has a portfolio that encompasses music education, conducting and management roles. 

In 2017, he took on leadership roles and became the President of Band Directors’ Association Singapore and the National Instructors and Coaches Association know as (NICA) founded by NTUC. Providing a voice to freelance instructors and coaches, restoring dignity for freelancers.

In this first part of a 2 part conversation, Adrian and I spoke about our unusual first encounter (at least for it was unusual), his decision to lead a healthier lifestyle and how it impacted his work, his thought process behind commissioning 17 new works for each his band performing at the SYF 2021 and his musical journey and career developments. 

Tune in to this upcoming episode, plenty of laughter in this one!

This week on YPAW, I am joined by Jazz songstress, Dawn Wong. Dawn is no stranger to the spotlight, appearing on prime-time television as a participant of Project Superstar 2. Since then she was continued to take her career on an upward trajectory, receiving the Music Scholarship offered by the Jazz Association (Singapore) and graduating top of class at La Salle College of the Arts. The work that Dawn has created and put up over the years have been truly remarkable and adding on to her already diverse portfolio, Dawn took on the role of Project Director of The One Million Towards Utopia campaign by The Foundation.

In this episode, we spoke about performing on live television and dealing with negative feedback, her role as Project Director of the One Million Towards Utopia movement by The Foundation and what is it about, the difference that The Foundation seeks to make.
The relevance of the arts in our daily lives, her musical journey and career developments, creating her own musical identity and style.
Keeping her creative muscle working in tough times, the creation of Jazz for Kids, the creative process behind her album, Marco Lopo.
Growing your work/career as an artist/musician.

To find more about Dawn:
Instagram
Facebook

Listen to Marco Lopo:
Spotify

Listen to Delivery:
Spotify
YouTube

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

I have recently enrolled myself in a Freelancer's Workshop, a part of a series under the Akimbo Workshops. I have found this course to be extremely helpful in allowing me to distill my thoughts regarding my work and redefining what freelance work is all about.

In this episode, I share what this course is about, how it works, a particular story that really resonated with me, working through why I have always felt stuck with my work and some takeaway from the course that I think everyone will benefit from!

My apologies on the late release this week!

Check out the Akimbo Workshops here: https://akimbo.com/

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

This week on YPAW, I am joined by Benjamin Thia, rugby fanatic, drummer, teacher, percussion repair technician, custom drum maker. I have known Ben for a number of years but never had the chance to speak to him about his career developments over the years and how he now has his hands in almost all aspects of percussion.

In this episode, we discussed his love for rugby, entering fatherhood, his love for all things DIY including renovating his current workspace, his musical journey, how he started his repair services from his own home, Colbern drums and what they offer, his thoughts about the increased number of school percussion ensembles due to the new SYF regulations and some of his thoughts about the development of the jazz music scene in Singapore.

To find more about Ben:

His work at P.Works
His work at Colbern Custom Dums

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

This week, I am joined by violin extraordinaire Loh Jun Hong. Jun Hong is the co-founder of More than Music, More than Music is a concert series that aims to revolutionize the classical music concert experience by bringing both the music and the performers to the audience in an informal and intimate manner. More Than Music concerts present the top young classical music talents in the region, bringing world-class chamber music performances to new audiences, up close and personal.

Jun Hong has a long list of accolades which includes first prizes in international and local solo competitions, appeared as concertmaster at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland allowing him to work the likes of Charles Dutoit and Valery Gergiev and was featured as soloist with numerous orchestras around the world. And now you might be thinking, why is someone like him speaking to someone like me… I wonder too.. But nonetheless, I had a fantastic time as usual.

We spoke about his recent involvement in the recording of the Utopia Symphony organized by The Foundation and what is his definition of utopia, his thoughts towards music competition, his mentality and relationship towards music and performance as the years go by, his time as a military musician, deciding to have portfolio career, going away from the traditional path, the challenges in starting a new performance project and “is good, good enough?”

To find out more about Jun Hong and his work:
https://junhongloh.com/
More Than Music

To find out more about The Foundation and their One Million Towards Utopia campaign:
https://www.thefoundation.sg/towardsutopiasg

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

Welcome back to the second part of my conversation with Jinjun, in this episode, we picked up where we left off regarding some of his thoughts about the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation. We spoke about an alternative to the current festival and question and if things can be changed to assess the band programme apart from just performing two pieces.

We spoke about competitiveness in music, his job as a teacher in School of The Arts and what its all about, how blue tack helped him cope with his braces when he was 15 and his thoughts about self publishing and writer's block.

The find out more about Jinjun's work visit his website at:
www.leejinjun.com

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

This week on You Play A What? I'm joined by fellow Liverpool supporter, Lee JinJun. JinJun is current a teacher in School of the Arts and is well-known name in the Singapore Band scene, having composed the set piece ‘festival on earth and Party in Space’ for Concert Band for the 2019 Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation.

On this first part of the conversation, we spoke about some of his favourite pastime, his involvement in other arts group apart from being performer and composer, his career development over the years. His creative process behind the set pieces he wrote and some of his thoughts about this year’s SYF.

The find out more about Jinjun's work visit his website at:
www.leejinjun.com

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

What is your relationship with offering and receiving feedback? Do you enjoy the process of it? Some questions for all of us to think about regarding feedback:

• What kind of feedback are you looking for from this community?
• What kind of feedback are you not looking for from this community?
• What kind of feedback do you commit to giving others?
• What kind of feedback do you not want to give?