Live4MusiC

by Christopher Toh



Popular singer-songwriter Inch Chua will play her last shows in Singapore on Sept 16 and 17. The first concert (Sept 16) is part of a weekend event called Spread The Love, which is organised under the Esplanade Presents: On The Waterfront concert series. The other gigs will feature bands from indie music company Aging Youth's roster, with veteran and upcoming acts, including Lunarin, West Grand Boulevard, Tacit Aria, Zero Sequence and B-Quartet.

The second show (Sept 17) is part of Rev Up @ Orchard 2011, in conjunction with this year's Singapore Grand Prix.

A statement by Aging Youth said that Chua will be relocating to Los Angeles to pursue and develop her music career and this will be her last public show here in Singapore. However, it added that she would be working in both Singapore and the United States. Incidentally, Spread The Love will also be the last free-to-public show for alternative rock band B-Quartet before going into indefinite hiatus. 

Spread The Love happens Sept 16 to 18, various times, at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Visit www.esplanade.com for more details. 

by Mayo Martin



You know what they say about how going to a rock show could, like, dude, totally change your life? Well, that's exactly what happened to a young student named Syed Hyder.

Except he wasn't at some cavernous concert stadium together with thousands of people pumping their fists and waving their phones. Instead, he was at Holland Village haunt Wala Wala watching his drum teacher Brandon Khoo perform with his band The UnXpected. 

Up to that point, Syed was a student at Republic Polytechnic who was a passionate dabbler behind the drum kit. But after watching Khoo, who had invited Syed to come watch, he realised something important: You could actually make a living playing rock music. 

Fast-forward to today, and Syed's the guy spearheading a laudable rock music initiative that's invading schools, spreading the good news about local music talent and inspiring wannabe musicians everywhere.

The 26-year-old entrepreneur/drummer is the man behind School Invasion Tour (SIT), an ongoing series of free concerts that sees respected musicians and bands like Inch Chua & The Metric System, Caracal, and West Grand Boulevard, for whom Syed drums, playing to students from secondary schools to universities. This year, the tour has reached 15 schools, with five more to go. 

But it's no ordinary series of gig. After every show, talks are held by invited personalities from the creative industries, like a music producer or a photographer. Simply put, it's not just rock 'n' roll. 

SIT began in 2008, an offshoot of the short-lived Rock The School tour.It had one simple mission: To show that playing music could be a respectable - and viable - career option in Singapore. "All of this is done in hopes of building a market for the coming generation of Singaporean musicians and creatives."

The participating bands went to 35 schools over 10 months and seemed to be gaining traction. That year's sponsor, Nokia, brought a specially kitted-out bus to the schools, where students could log on and download songs from the bands. "There were so many downloads that the servers crashed," Syed quipped. They also developed good ties with the folks behind the Speak Good English Movement.

And if that wasn't enough proof of the simmering positive effects, they were gaining a following. "We knew from prior experiences that whenever we do an NUS show there won't be any people. But the crowd grew and a lot of them knew our songs." Turned out, most of these kids had caught their School Invasion gigs back when they were in junior college. "We realised there was a potential for the tour to have an impact in a bigger way," he said.

But while it's one thing to get young people interested in local music, it's quite another to get them to see music as a possible career option - that involves dealing with the big question all aspiring rock stars face at some point: Where do you get the money?

"If you don't have a financially sound plan, then you're not gonna do this for long. People cannot afford to continue playing because they feel, 'If I continue playing, what's gonna happen when I'm 27 or 28? How am I going to feed my family, how am I going to pay back my parents for tuition money? That's what we want to tell the bands." 

Syed knows what he's talking about. At one point in his music career, he juggled performing for pub bands and playing original music, doing as many as five gigs in a day from early afternoon well into the night. "I got the full musician's experience," he quipped. 

Unfortunately, SIT's promising start took a hit from the recession and stalled in 2009 and 2010. Syed himself had to take a breather for health reasons. 

But, after finding a new sponsor in Coca-Cola, the tour was revived again this year. And Syed walked the talk, expanding beyond school tours to a multi-pronged invasion. 

Roping in Willy Tan, who manages groups like B-Quartet and Inch Chua, and a handful of other like-minded friends, SIT is now just one cog in the wheel. They set up the marketing agency Invasion Online, and are now pushing for Invasion.sg, a "marketing solutions platform provider" for all types of corporations and SMEs who want to tap into social media via the Facebook app Invasion, which will be released in two weeks time.

And here's the nice twist: Musicians (and other creative talents) are given the app for free to help them engage their fans online. The SIT band roster will also be using the Invasion app. 

As for SIT itself, there are plans to register it as a non-profit organisation - a logical move considering it had never been a money-making venture to start with. And, as they've yet to find a corporate sponsor for next year's planned edition, they're crossing their fingers for a bit of government backing.

Touring schools and spreading the gospel of Singapore rock is just the tip of the iceberg. With contacts in other creative industries, such as photography and fashion, and with an educational programme where they offer sessions on arts, design, photography, music and video production and entrepreneurship, Syed and his team plan to create an entire Invasion Community. 

"We need our doctors, our bankers, our lawyers, definitely. But for those who are interested (in a creative career), we're here to show that this is an option," said Syed.

And that deserves a fist pump, don't you think? MAYO MARTIN

"My Singapore is a country where original musicians and creative talents are able to sustain themselves economically through the support of a thriving local consumer market." Syed Hyder

Inch Chua “heartbroken” at lack of support for original music in her country, wants to go overseas to develop career. This letter by her was first published as a Facebook note.

 

This letter is probably not directed to any of my friends on facebook, the very kind people on my facebook fanpage and anyone who has ever (legally) downloaded or supported my music or of any other local artist.

But this is a letter, a letter from a very heartbroken Singaporean artist to the general mass of people who just don’t care or are just too close-minded to see the big picture. Yes, you.

Its sad, because i don’t think i could have tried any harder with you, Singapore. When it comes to you, it has always been an uphill battle, where i’m swimming against the currents. Time to time, i’d always catch you make comments like, “i don’t like this band, they don’t play any songs i know” or “oh, this band is good, they don’t sound local”.

Why? why are we possibly the only country where “local” has so much negative connotations tagged with it. why are we the only country where you’re only considered a GOOD, COMPETENT musician when you can play covers. why are we the only bloody country where the press and media will have to INTENTIONALLY highlight that a local musician plays an “original compostition”.

Why?!

Why am i not accepted in your working society? On a day to day basis i have to deal with a hefty amount of people judging me; assuming i’ve made some majorly bad decisions in my life to wind up a musician. Why can’t i be musician? i don’t need your definition of success to be placed upon me. i don’t need your approval to do what i know i should be doing. i don’t need you to tell me that there is no future in Singapore Music, i don’t need you to tell me that what i’m doing is a lost cause.

Why?! Why do i have to try so hard to prove my worth about my contributions to society? why is it that our independent music community has minimal government support? why don’t i have someone to count on?

So on this note, i’d like to annouce that i’ve decided to move to another country to pursue my career. i’m not giving up on you Singapore, but rather its due to the fact that its the only choice i have, thanks to your pathetic need of validation from elsewhere before you see things clearly for yourself.

i’m hurt and you know why. i’m angry because i’ve been hurt for a long time now.
But no matter how heartbroken i am, i’m now more ready than ever to get out of the boat and walk on water.

Yours Truly,

A 100% A HOME-GROWN SINGAPOREAN ARTIST & PROUD OF IT. 

Source: http://newnation.sg/2011/07/frustrated-singapore-musician-moving-out-of-her-homeland/ 

LOCAL indie music may be somewhat marginalised in the eyes of the masses here but it's getting a little love from corporate brands like Fred Perry. 

Its Subculture Night event throws the spotlight on local bands to demonstrate their musical ability and artistry, and the latest instalment tonight at Velvet Underground features indie bands Inch Chua & The Metric System, Caracal and Breakbeat Theory.

Cheryl Ann Lee, marketing and PR manager of the event organisers, Amnesty Pte Ltd, explained: "Fred Perry Subculture Night is a series of music events inspired by Fred Perry's global music initiative to promote the brightest talents in music. It is a night to celebrate urban street cultures and the brightest homegrown music talents." 

It's worth noting that not only will it be free admission for anyone wishing to attend, there will also be a free flow of drinks once the performances begin at 8.20pm. The "local music initiative to promote music talents in Singapore", said Lee, is not a revenue-generating event. "This initiative is made possible with the kind support from our valued partners who have supported us from the start - 42Below, Velvet Underground and Home Club."

Bands are picked from a variety of genres listed on the Fred Perry Subculture website (http://fredperrysubculture.com) and that the line-up "is usually a mix of something old, something new and something that keeps the people dancing", said Lee.

A Fred Perry Authentic store was opened in KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, this year and there are plans on launching the music initiative there in 2011.

Such associations with a global brand are beneficial to local bands, said Kin Ho of Breakbeat Theory. "Fred Perry is in a position to connect an audience to musicians operating outside of the mainstream," he said. "Staging Subculture Night is one way of showing everyone that fresh music is being made in Singapore."

Fred Perry Subculture Night, tonight, 8pm at Velvet Underground. Admission is free.

-TODAYonline