You Play A What?

He possesses the greatest collection of NBA video games. He prides himself with consistency from his daily lunch spot to his Tuba playing and I am please to be joined by The MAN himself, Siang Hong. Siang Hong and I met when I was 13 and it has been an honour to witness and be part of his career progression since we met. On this episode of YPAW, I speak with him about all that has gone on in his career, from being a chamber musician to his experiences auditioning for orchestras, as well as our trip to Jeju that I thought we were not going to survive...

Show Notes

"The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives", you might recognize this quote from a particular HBO series, Game of Thrones. You might find it strange, what has this quote got to do with my guest today? As humans, like many other species, we are herd animals who are trying to fit in and earn the respect of others. How we decide our behaviour is based on the degree that it allows us to fit in to your environment and social circle. I am lucky to be surrounded by extremely passionate band members during my time in school and at the centre of it all is Siang Hong. The band major that shows up at 2pm every single day (apart from exam periods) to the band store and starts practicing and we would leave school between 530-6pm. After 2 years of observing his dedication, I felt like I had to do the same when I assume a similar position and I was more than happy to do so!

On hindsight, if there is a word that can be used to describe him will be "consistent". Apart from the band room, him and I spent a bulk of our free time at the basketball court. Even the way he played basketball was the same, he does the same thing time and time again, he keeps scoring and there is nothing you could do.. During our years in NAFA, he would have absolutely no issue going to the same Nasi Lemak store just next to school every single day. Perhaps that is the secret to his life. On this episode, we speak about the travelling woes of a tubist, how chamber music has helped him develop as a musician, auditioning at different countries.

Check out Concerts go Online organized by the Wind Band Association of Singapore to see Siang Hong in action along with other Singaporean talent!

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 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.