Stage Jitters - The 2010 Summer in Retrospect

There are many things I love about what I do. Among these things is helping students overcome their singing inhibitions and seeing them perform on stage for the first time. No matter how many times you get up on stage there will always be that flurry, pit-of-the-stomach sense of anxiety, the slight (or not so slight!) quickening of the breath, the over-awareness of self and downright fear! Anyone who tells you that they do not experience any stage-fright whatsoever is either lying to you or doesn't care enough about their performance. The stage is an exciting place where anything can happen and proper preparation is really the only way to ensure that you'll know what to do should things go not so according to plan.


The 2010 summer season was a very busy and exciting one for CSMA Studio. After our press conference in July, both the Junior and Senior Special Summer Vocal Programs kicked off to great starts and we had the pleasure of working with some very talented individuals who were, for the most part, all new to singing and performing. Both programs culminated in mini-showcases held at the Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon city where students got a chance to perform their new skills for their families and friends. Except for two or three students, none of the participants in the Special Summer Vocal Program had ever performed publicly before. For many of the parents who attended the showcases, it was the first time they had ever heard their child sing. There is nothing quite like the experience of performing for the first time and it is certainly a milestone that will always be remembered.

One of the first times I performed in front of a large audience was during a school production of "Fiddler On the Roof" in which I played the role of Hodel. During the climax of my solo number, "Far From the Home I Love", I momentarily drew a blank on the lyrics and stopped singing. Although only a few beats lapsed before I found my place in the song again, it felt to me like I had skipped entire bars of the song and I was convinced that I had completely made a mess out of the whole performance. In fact, I remember vowing to give up entirely on singing right then and there! Knowing that I had friends in the audience that night, I attempted to sneak away right after the show because I was too embarrassed to face anyone. Unexpectedly, however, my friends sought me out before I could make my great escape.

"You almost made me cry!" exclaimed one of them when she had found me.
"Pardon?" was my reply, not quite sure if she meant it as a compliment or a remark of the degree to which I had utterly ruined the song!
"During your solo," my other friend explained. "Especially when you took that pause. It was so dramatic and emotional!"

The moral of the story? More often than not, whatever mistakes we make on stage get magnified to such an extent in our minds that our memory of that performance can become grotesquely and unrealistically altered. The most important thing to remember when things go wrong is that age-old show biz phrase, "The show must go on!" Hopefully, our instincts and skills will lead us the rest of the way. If it weren't for the sincerity of my friends that night, I may very well have given up on singing and wouldn't be writing this blog entry today.

Earlier last month we also held our second CSMA Studio Student Showcase of the year (more photos to be added soon). While the mini-showcases described above were exclusively for students in the Special Summer Vocal Program, the CSMA Studio Student Showcases are publicised events that are held regularly throughout the year and are open to all students from our studio. This showcase was held at The Scene, a chic and elegant bar and lounge located in the Sha Tin Regal Riverside Hotel, and featured a wide range of performers with the youngest being just 7 years old. To make the event all the more meaningful, all proceeds from the showcase went to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). As with the mini-showcases, the Sha Tin showcase also featured a number of debut performances.

The beauty of live performance is that no two shows are ever alike and something unexpected is almost always bound to happen. Forgotten lyrics, technical problems, mistiming, singing off pitch....the list can go on and on! But this is what makes performing so thrilling and challenging. Getting up on stage is as much a test of your courage as it is of your level of preparation and skill. Every return to the stage is a testament of the passion you have for what you do and of the level of faith you have in yourself and your abilities. I have the greatest admiration for people who love what they do enough to want to share it publicly, and who respect their craft enough to work hard at honing their skills and preparing themselves for public performances.

With the start of the Fall/Winter season, many of our students are now asking us, "What's next?" We are currently in the process of lining up a wide variety of very exciting events, workshops and performance opportunities for all our students to take part in. Details will be released as they become available. Until then, stay prepared. You never know when it will be your turn to shine!

Christine Samson - Not Just a Vocal Coach

Earlier this month we held our first press conference to announce the official launch of CSMA Studio and its Special Summer Vocal Program in affiliation with Regal Hotels. We were thrilled to have had such a great turn out of press photographers and journalists, and felt very fortunate and touched that so many of our students came to support the event as well.

Hosting a press conference was a decision that came largely from the marketing team behind the CSMA Studio/Regal Hotel Special Summer Vocal Program project. Those who know Christine well will know that she is certainly not the type of person who seeks this type of media attention for herself. As Christine herself jokingly said at the press conference, "Ask me to sing a song and I'll be fine. Ask me to speak in public and watch my legs turn to jelly!"

We were fortunate that so many of our students were able to attend the event to show their support and it was especially heartwarming to hear some of Christine's students and friends (including Stephen Chan 陳志雲, Fiona Sit 薛凱琪, Miriam Yeung 楊千嬅, Tina Liu 劉天蘭 who spoke in person, and Joey Yung 容祖兒 and GEM who gave video testimonials) share a few words about their experiences with her. While each student had their own story to tell, one thing they all had in common was the feeling that Christine isn't just a vocal coach to them; she's a confidante, a person who genuinely cares about her students, who gives her time generously to others and, most of all, an inspiration. Canto-pop singer Miriam Yeung, in particular, shared that during a critical time in her career Christine inspired her to love music again.

As I sat there in the conference room listening to these heartfelt testimonials, I was reminded of the famous quote that goes, "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel." I believe that as teachers, we should always strive to not only pass our knowledge on to our students but to also nurture a passion for the subject they're learning. Whether it be through words of encouragement, patience and understanding, giving students goals, cheering them on as they struggle through their challenges, showing our pride when they succeed or, at best, all of the above, I believe it is the responsibility of teachers to not only educate but to also inspire and that these qualities combined is what makes a person truly worthy of being called a teacher.

RTHK Show - All the Way With Ray, 9 May 2010

Last Saturday, I had the privilege of singing back-up for my mother at the RTHK's All the Way With Ray charity function held at the Wan Chai Convention Centre. My mother had been invited to perform at the event which was in celebration of Ray Cordeiro's (A.K.A "Uncle Ray") 60th year at RTHK (Uncle Ray currently holds the title of 'World's Most Durable DJ' in the Guinness Book of Records, while his programme 'All the Way With Ray', airing weeknights from 10pm-2am, is the longest running radio programme in Hong Kong).

Uncle Ray has been a family friend of ours for as long as I can remember. He is one of the kindest, gentlest men I've ever met and I have the utmost respect and fondness for him. Over the course of his career, Uncle Ray, through his radio programmes, was extremely influential in shaping the music scene in the 60s and 70s. He introduced the best of English-language music into Hong Kong and interviewed such legendary performers as Cliff Richard, Tony Bennett, Paul Anka and even The Beatles. He truly is one of a kind!

Aside from my mother, there were several other performers featured at the RTHK event as well including my uncle, Danny Diaz, Albert Au, Joe Junior, Maria Cordeiro and Eliza Chan. Justin Lo (侧田) sang a duet with my mother, while a number of other young artists from Hong Kong's Canto-pop scene made appearances as well (陳柏宇、孫耀威、鍾舒漫、泳兒、陳偉霆、官恩娜、大Ｌ及玉石樂隊).

It was a wonderful feeling to be back on stage again and to groove to all those good old tunes from the 60s and 70s. I grew up listening to those song and don't think they could ever grow old for me. It was especially meaningful to be able to share the stage with my entire family (my father was the musical director for the event while my brother played the guitar in the band), and, of course, to see all our good family friends again who came to support the show!

Breaking the Rules in Beijing

Last week, my mother and I spent a few days in Beijing. We were invited by a very close friend to attend the Eason Chan concert that she was putting on there. It was the first time that both of us had been back to Beijing in 9 years. I knew that Beijing was going to be very different from how I remembered it to be but I didn't expect it to be virtually unrecognizable! The streets that I used to frequent when I was studying there no longer felt familiar. In fact, the only places I did recognise were the historical monuments I passed by such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. But despite the unfamiliarity, it was great to be back.

Eason Chan's concert was held on April 29th and 30th at the Beijing Workers Stadium. Although this was the second time I'd seen him in concert (the first time being over a year ago in Shenzhen), I was still impressed by his on-stage energy and enthusiasm. At the post-show dinner, Eason said that whenever he gets on stage, all he wants to do is give all he's got to his fans. He certainly accomplished this, but I'm sad to say that it was done to the extreme detriment of his vocal cords.

Firstly, let me say that I am a fan of Eason. I may not be able to sing all of his songs word for word, but I think he has great taste in music and that he was born with a great voice. He also has a lot of character and individuality. I also respect his unceasing support for local Hong Kong bands and musicians, as well as his down-to-earth attitude when you meet him in person. He shows respect for his elders and predecessors and is dedicated to his fans. What stumps and worries me, however, is that he doesn't seem overly concerned about the health of his vocal cords and, as far as I know, he does not spend much time on vocal training. Now, because of his age and stamina, he may be able to bounce back from the strain he causes on his cords fairly quickly. However, being that he is only human, his ability to keep bouncing back from all the vocal thrashing is not going to last. Moreover, if he continues with this habit he will most certainly end up with vocal damage.

Throughout the concert, my mother and I constantly found ourselves clutching our throats whenever he started screaming - a classic example of sympathy pains! At one point, Eason had to sing with one hand holding a mic and the other holding his water bottle so that he could take a gulp or two between phrases of the song. While I respect and admire his desire to give all of his passion and energy to his fans, as one of my very astute 9-year-old students once said, "There's a difference between singing powerfully and screaming your head off."

Fortunately, Eason is very aware that he is putting his vocal cords through a shredding machine. At one point during the concert, he even collapsed on the floor of the stage and joked that the audience member who had requested him to sing the song "浮誇" must secretly want him to retire and never sing again (for those who aren't familiar with this song, "浮誇" is notorious for being a very 'shouty' number). This is yet another reason why, despite his shouting tendencies, I like Eason: he's not afraid to make fun of himself and he certainly knows how to laugh.

I think it is a sad thing for any singer to feel that they HAVE to shout in order to do justice to a performance or to give a song 'character' or 'style'. It's like when rock singers get so wrapped up in their performances that they destroy their instruments on stage for dramatic effect. The key difference here, of course, is that musical instruments can always be replaced. With singing, you've only got the one voice and if you want it to last a lifetime you have to look after it and keep it healthy. Just as professional athletes have to keep up with their physical training in order to stay fit and strong, singers need to maintain their vocal training if they want to keep their voices in shape. As we often tell our students at the studio, learn the techniques first and if, for whatever reason, you choose to break the rules (e.g. shout or flip into falsetto on purpose), hopefully your training will help you lessen the strain caused on your vocal cords as a result of it. Having said that, we certainly hope that by helping you develop good vocal technique, you won't ever feel compelled to make that choice.

What Canto-Pop and British Improv Comedy Have in Common...

Last weekend I was invited to attend a concert by Canto-pop duo "Twins". That same weekend, I also went to see the hilarious improvised musical "Showstopper" put on by a very talented group of improv comedians and singers from the UK. Those who are familiar with both performance groups will be able to imagine how completely different the two experiences must have been. However, despite the obvious differences between Canto-pop and British improv comedy, it occurred to me that some of the feelings I got as a result of experiencing both performances were somewhat similar.

Although, admittedly, I am not at all familiar with Twins songs or any of the work that they do, when the lights dimmed at the Coliseum (where the concert was held), and the cheers of the crowd rose up through the hall, and the multi-coloured neon glow sticks began to shake as if entirely on their own, the sense of anticipation was so palpable that even I found myself unconsciously leaning forward and scanning the stage for signs of movement. Such is the power of the stage. No matter who we are, where we are, or the kind of music we're into, there is nothing quite like that special moment right before a show is about to begin. There is something about the sweeping hush of the audience, the dimming of the lights and those agonisingly long few seconds before a performer steps onto the stage that seems to hold us captive whether we like it or not. We become like children, obeying the commands of the theatre in the same way children almost ALWAYS obey when you say to them "I have a surprise for you! Now, close your eyes, put your hands out and don't peek!" Perhaps this "moment-before-a-show" is where the performer/audience relationship is first established, since it is in that moment that both the audience and the performers who are about to come on stage will share the same feelings of anticipation. And perhaps the success of a show is measured on how long this performer/audience relationship can be maintained....

In "Showstopper!", a group of actors improvise an entire musical based solely on suggestions given by the audience on the night of the show. In this way, no two shows are ever alike and the performers never know what they'll be singing about even when the show begins. Throughout almost the entire performance, I found myself on the edge of my seat. I was in a constant state of "What's going to happen next? What are they going to sing about now? Are they going to be able to pull it off?" that I could hardly relax. I enjoyed every minute of it. I was, yet again, held captive in the same way that I was at the very beginning of the Twins concert, the difference being that Showstopper!, I must admit, was more successful in keeping me captive throughout the entire show. In fact, Showstopper! was so successful, that it managed to keep me and my friends in a state of "captivity" even AFTER the show had ended as we all found ourselves humming the tunes that were made up by the actors as we were leaving the theatre. I just love the infectious energy of musical theatre!

Regardless of what show it is that I'm watching and whether I'm familiar with the performers or not, I know that as long as it's live, there will always be that undeniable thrill of experiencing something that will never be performed in the exactly the same way ever again. For this reason, I have a healthy respect for live performances and even more respect for artists who have the ability to do them well.

"Born With It"

One of the most common misconceptions of singing is that those who can sing must have been "born with it". There are many people out there who believe that singing can't be learnt. In other words, you either have it or you don't. Though I come from a long line of musicians and singers and had started singing at a young age, I never considered myself as being someone who was "born" a singer. In fact, singing was never something that came easily or naturally to me. By the time I was 20 years old, I had become so frustrated with my voice that I gave up on singing entirely. Although my mother (and voice teacher) never stopped encouraging me, I couldn't help but think that I would never be as good as I wanted to be and that it was better to quit and leave singing to those who were really gifted at it.

I realise now that that particular moment in my life had been my first lesson in teaching: you cannot teach someone who has given up on learning. I left Hong Kong and spent the next several years studying other arts subjects of interest. I even spent those few years abroad telling everyone that I couldn't sing. It wasn't until I had graduated from college, moved back to Hong Kong and gotten a full-time job at a film production company that I realised there was something missing in my life.

Being around music and music-lovers again made me realise just how much I had missed out on in those few years. I immediately threw myself back into singing. I started training again and rediscovered my passion for music. I even started performing in local music productions just so I could practice singing on stage again. I had to work extra-hard to get my voice back in shape because I had stopped training for such a long time. During that time, I also started assisting and observing my mother in her singing classes. I was so inspired by what she was doing and by the differences she was making in people's lives that I decided to pursue a certificate in teaching singing as well.

Although I know I will never get back those several years where I had stopped training, I feel truly blessed that I can share my struggles and experiences with those who are also frustrated with their voices. I hope I will always be lucky enough to have the opportunity to inspire others in the way that I have been inspired by those I call my teachers.