Will this year be the turning point for local music?
By Christopher Toh, TODAY | Posted: 16 April 2009 0953 hrs

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SINGAPORE: In five years’ time, Singapore will be the place to be when it comes to all things music. That’s if Yeo Chun Cheng has his way.

As the CIO of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), part of his portfolio covers the development of the music industry in Singapore. And he wants something to be done within the year.

To that end, the MDA recently put out a call for proposals by members of the music industry to send in ideas that could be considered for various means of support. By all accounts, the exercise has been fruitful: The MDA had to extend the deadline by one week to accommodate all requests.

“That’s a good sign,” said Yeo, who says music is something he feels passionately about. “Music is integral to the content of TV and movies, and (the relationship) is symbiotic: Good music can make the other content more appealing, and the fact that we have appealing content makes it a good platform for music as well.”

LOADED WITH MUSIC

A good example of how music in Singapore has grown, said Yeo, is the MediaCorp TV Channel 5 programme Live ‘n’ Loaded, a series which featured a plethora of live performances. It ended its run last week.

However, he added that shows like Live ‘n’ Loaded should not be the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to featuring local music on TV.

“From a music perspective, I’m looking for something more holistic. Maybe when broadcasters produce new programmes, they can incorporate some of these bands, maybe they can incorporate some of their music, and even a drama could feature these bands playing.

“So it would not be a one-time thing. I’m hoping that by using these bands, it will also give an appeal to the programmes. It’s going to be something that’s interesting to see.”

The thing is, will the public bite?

SUPPORT (GOOD) LOCAL

Not really, said undergrad Yong Chundu. “A show like Live ‘n’ Loaded is a start to show that Singapore definitely has got what it takes. But it doesn’t take one show — what it needs is the continued support of fellow Singaporeans. (The public) are definitely aware, but whether they will think of supporting is another matter.”

“In the past, one of the problems was that the indie bands were not tight, the vocals were not great; that left a bad taste on the local consumers, and they got a bit jaded by that,” said veteran DJ/producer Paul T.

He should know. He, along with fellow collaborators in the outfit Quadmix, was one of the first musicians in Singapore to score a hit with a dance single, Trick Rider, back in the mid-‘90s.

That attitude, he said, has made it a tough challenge for many local bands today. “You only have that one chance for someone to listen to you, and we already have that kind of social stigma, so we really need a great product to turn them around.”

Chinese pop singer Kelly Poon hopes that attitude will change soon. “I feel that Singaporeans should support local musicians, like really support — like the way they used to support Kit Chan, or the way they’re enthusiastic about Stefanie Sun.

“Such that, when we go overseas and come back, we can feel the warmth from our own country-people, I think that support is very important.”

However, veteran singer-songwriter Kevin Matthews, who had a hit in the ‘90s with My One and Only, said that the public should not just support local music blindly, but “support good local”.

“There’s no point asking somebody to support local music just because it’s local, and if it’s going to be lousy,” he said.

Concurred Paul T: “Take Live ‘n’ Loaded — we had some good acts up there, but we also had some sub-standard acts that, for me, spoiled the show. If the Average Joe turned on the TV at that point in the show, they would’ve switched to another channel. If they continue to put bad bands on TV, that’s detrimental to the local music scene.”

GET RIGHT WITH ME

Still, MDA’s Yeo thinks five years is enough time to get the creative scene up and running on an even playing field with international markets.

“If we do it right,” he cautioned. “My personal belief is that if we do it right, it will have an international appeal that goes beyond our shores.

As for the musicians themselves, they need to make sure they’re on top of their game. “Refine your craft, whether it’s songwriting, guitar-playing or singing, or whatever,” said Paul T. “If you’re a singer, for example, go for vocal lessons. Honing your craft is important.”

He cited the example of a female Singaporean rapper going by the moniker Masia One, who recently signed a record deal with renowned American rapper/producer Dr Dre, who’s worked with some of the top names in rap music, like Eminem, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent.

“She infused and immersed herself into the hip-hop industry — she even stayed a month in Jamaica to learn the raga rapping style. This is the kind of commitment that you hardly see.”

“There are definitely creative people in Singapore, just that maybe the support and infrastructure are lacking,” said Tan Weiye, bassist for pop band Melt. “I think that when the creative people find that it’s tough to get working in the music scene, they sort of put it aside until they are financially able or give up altogether.”

WITH A LITTLE HELP

That’s where organisations like the MDA can help. “I’m giving a challenge to the local music producers, musicians, everybody: Come to us with some good proposals; if it’s really good, we will support it,” said Yeo.

And money is not an issue. “We announced last year that we are going to put in an additional S$230 million over the next five years,” he said. “That’s in addition to the previous financial support we’ve had before. There’s no shortage of money. But there is a shortage of good ideas.”

However, cautioned Paul T, the MDA needs to talk to the right people. “Otherwise the money — which is the public’s money — will go to waste,” he added.

And that’s your cue to step up to the plate. “If you don’t try, you’ll never know. If you fail, you try again,” said Yeo.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that MDA knows the right formula for success. We don’t. Nobody really knows.

“But what we want to do in the MDA is to create an opportunity for the creative people to really make something out of it. It’s not true that Singaporeans are not creative. If we put our minds to it, we can be — very.”

If we do it right, if we are brave enough, if we take that chance. That’s a lot of ifs. But as someone once said, if we don’t dream, then how can our dreams come true?

- TODAY/yb