i was not born in KL, neither was i brought up there, nor do i live there now. i'm glad i don't spend a large amount of time caught in grid-locks commuting to/from work or worry about the high cost of city living. but i do envy KLites that they have ERL/KLIA & megamalls.
and KLCC, or more specifically the dewan filharmonik petronas, home of the malaysian philharmonic orchestra.
my colleague CK is a subscriber to the MPO & last week he offered his 4 tickets for the family fun day today. sure i grabbed them, as these tickets are often hard to come by (he was suitably reimbursed, i should add). this is the 1st time for the son. although i doubt he appreciated the pompous array of skilled musicians, he managed to sit through the whole performance lasting just over an hour, to our relief, showing more interest in the green-coloured lights on the ceiling than the melody. i myself was unfamiliar with the repertoire of pieces (but their effects were no less soothing) with the exception of william tell overture. no big deal - even older kids recognised it as i noticed a few mimicking a horse's gallop as the brass instruments blast away.
however, what is glaringly obvious to me, as was in previous performances that i've attended, is that the majority of the players are caucasians, although this has always been touted as the MALAYSIAN philharmonic orchestra. a count of musicians listed in the souvenir programme revealed that of the 100 or so names, only about 5 sounded local. hey, even the conductor for the day, a very youthful malaysian-looking jason lai, is british & speaks with a heavy accent.
isn't that strange? don't we have more than a handful of distinguished musicians in our midst? i know of many, many parents (myself included) who start their pre-school children on piano lessons, some even playing several other instruments. so, where are the end-products of this strenous training in music? are there only a few who excel? are there only few opportunities or platforms to display their talents? or, do we face the stark truth that playing music professionally (in an orchestra) just doesn't pay the bills? & that we just aren't ready to have our very own ensemble??
ah, questions, questions!
however, petronas is to be applauded for making it possible for malaysians to experience for themselves the wealth of foreign talent on display in a concert hall that bears its name - at very affordable prices, too. some performances literally go for a song (ha , ha, pun intended!) - starting from a modest RM10 per pax for the family fun days. there are even some weekday chamber music that only require your attendance.
another big pat on the back for petronas for the much-appreciated coffee/milo break on the way home.
& thanks also to the hot.fm roadshow team for the generous fuel voucher.
it WAS a lovely day out at the city.
indeed, if music be the food of love, play on!
(or as abba would sing,"thank you for the music!")
*PS this is NOT a sponsored post*
13 comments:
I think parents only start their children on music lessons to boast to their friends "oh, my child can play the piano, organ, violin AND flute" but when it comes to making music a living, most of them would not approve. 'Musicians' just don't sit on the same level as 'doctor' or 'lawyer' and it usually doesn't pay as well either.
I've never been to the orchestra before, was always under the impression that it was expensive.
well, going to those black coat concerts is still very much restricted to those well-heeled. Not for the everyday go mall jalanjalan man and his family.
anastasia,
parents push their children into music for a variety of reasons, & it would not be far-fetched to suggest that self-aggrandization is just one.
personally, i can't say that being a lawyer or doctor is better than being a musician - it takes passion, commitment & dedication to excel in what you do. to some, the money is not that important but to be passionate in one's career is. i'm glad lennon & mccartney wrote songs instead of healing or advocating.
this post just dispelled the myth that an orchestral performance is expensive, at least in m'sia.
las,
to some, concert attendance is like 2nd nature, while it is an acquired taste for others. a bit like golf.
to reiterate, for family fun days, you only need RM10 & to be attired "smart casual" to have a taste of life of the so-called "well-heeled". no tie nor jacket required.
think about it, ok?
My kids don't take music lessons, they are just not interested.
I would encourage them if they were.I understand that music lessons are very expensive and one needs to have the passion to continue to at least 8th grade too, right?
just me,
it takes a lot of determination on the part of the child to go right up to grade 8, & beyond, but i suspect a lot of encouragement (compulsion??) comes from the parents (esp. the mothers??)
yes, music lessons are relatively expensive, as it is essentially 1-to-1 tuition. i do not know of any music teachers who do not lead comfortable lives.
For me, I just don't have the time to complete grade8 for the practical. so had to settle with 6. :(
It is very natural for us to view as 'wasted" if a child does not continue his pursuit of music after the 8th grade whatever, rationalising that a lot of money has been spent on him. On the other hand, I think the chid has learnt a lot in terms of self-discipline and also, his mind has been "opened" to explore other interests, or maybe he will take up music for pleasure rather than as a career.
las,
is there anything/anyone stopping you from continuing where you left off? after all, you're just a couple of steps from the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
just me,
i agree, in that even if the child did not complete grade 8, all is not lost. it's important that music is to be enjoyed & savoured, not compelled.
however, if the opportunity & resources are available, & conditions are right for the completion of grade 8 & subsequently of a diploma, it would be most regrettable if this is not pursued.
Doc said, "i'm glad lennon & mccartney wrote songs instead of healing or advocating."
Me too. I think life would have been so different if there was no music.
What Anastasia said, 'Musicians' just don't sit on the same level as 'doctor' or 'lawyer' and it usually doesn't pay as well either.' is the general perception in our society. Sad but true to a big degree.
And then again, I agree with your "i do not know of any music teachers who do not lead comfortable lives."
Despite all the perceptions or otherwise, I am glad that I have a friend whose daughter aspires to be a musician and right now she's in her final year in Berkeley's. During her semester breaks she does stints here in KL with local artists - they play jazz mostly.
Doc, that must have been a good outing, Milo and fuel voucher at that. Is that your cute little boy?
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the read.
Also, best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous Chinese New Year. To everyone else here too. Gong Xi Fa Cai!!
happysurfer,
happy new year to you & your family, too, & thanks for your kind comments.
i personally feel that one can live comfortably, at the very least, with a career in music, more so with teaching.
yeah, it was a really nice day-out - affordable music, complimentary coffee/milo & free petrol - esp. during difficult times like these. & yes, that's my little boy.
meme - http://www.mylongkang.com/2007/03/06/5-things-i-wish-for-my-kids-this-year/
do respond if you want to, thanks..no compulsion :)
Post a Comment