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It’s more than music, it’s a lesson for life
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Many people tend to believe that music is all about playing an instrument, taking part in ensembles in and out of school, and taking exams from various recognized music boards such as the ABRSM (or DipABRSM, LRSM and FRSM) and Trinity College London.
Once reaching Grade 8, you will be seen as “talented,” or “gifted,” where for many, their musical journey would end just there. They’re partially correct. But that’s not what it’s all about.
First of all, “talent” is an understatement. As a pianist that has been playing for eight years, it is definitely an understatement to say that all of the musicians in our school that have excelled in any shape or form are not 100 percent talented — they are 100 percent hardworking. Hours of practice, whether it be scales on the piano; or practicing vibrato on the cello until your hands are full of blisters, these are all just snippets of what every single true musician will have to experience. Personally, although I enjoy listening to music of my own taste, I see music from a different perspective. I see music as a driving and motivating force propelling me forward, where practicing to be better has given me a stronger work ethic in various aspect of my life, whether it be in academics or sports. In February, I had the chance to join a collaboration of hardworking and motivated musicians during the 12th Annual ISCMS Festival.
ISCMS has literally become an annual pilgrimage for me. This year being my fifth joining ISCMS, I am glad to say that every year has been like no other. I see it as a unique approach based on collaboration, innovation, creativity and passion, with its core as a challenge to bring together many cultures with diverse backgrounds; to foster a global music experience. To be frank, each year has been a challenge for me. Indeed, ISCMS fosters not only a global music experience, but also life-long friendships. Every single year going back to ISCMS, I am always delighted to see old friends, students and teachers alike. From teachers that I have known since I was 3, to students that I just met for a short three days in the previous festival, each one of them are integral members of the whole ISCMS family, where they have taught me more than just musical skill.
Although ISCMS suggests the festival should be attended by Senior School students, I went to my first ISCMS when I was just 10, in Year 6. Bashful and quiet, I still recall sitting right at the back of the orchestra behind the piano. Back then, the ISCMS Big Band didn’t even exist. The festival consisted of just the orchestra and the choir. However, the beauty of ISCMS isn’t just the brilliance of its orchestra musicians and the scale of repertoire, it’s about how it develops, year by year, reaching a size larger than the original ISCMS committee could have ever thought of. This year, it was extraordinary. The South China Morning Post didn’t call ISCMS “Absolutely phenomenal” and “Asia’s largest gathering of musicians” for no reason.
This year, over 450 students and teachers across Asia (and even a school from Australia) came together at the YK Pao School in Shanghai. ISCMS XII now is completely different to what it was just five years ago. With the third year of the ISCMS Big Band running, I was fortunate enough to be selected to be Piano 1, which was led by our former Director of Music, Mr Goss, alongside a mentor and friend of mine, the saxophonist Nathaniel. Admittedly, the pieces given to us were incredibly challenging, but that’s the beauty of jazz — the irregular meter, dissonant chords especially in “Lester Leaps In” definitely put forth new challenges, so that meant long hours of practice and rehearsals for us.
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