THE ANOMALOUS LOCAL ENGLISH MUSIC SCENE: WHY & FOR WHOM DOES IT STILL EXIST?

Abstract

In July 2005, when I was still pondering what to write about for my thesis paper so as to graduate with an Honors Degree in Southeast-Asian Studies, I considered writing about poverty in Thailand. This made sense as I am familiar with the Thai language and had previously volunteered for a month in June 2005, with a Thai NGO catered towards helping the urban poor in Bangkok. However, a good friend of mine suggested to me to that I write about something 'close to [my] heart.' As I prayerfully considered those words, I realized that much as I felt for the former issue, I wanted to write about something closer to home... and to the heart. Music is something which I have always loved, but never pursued. For most of my life, my focus has been on academia and the competitive sports. I suspect that this something which is not unique to me, especially in a country like Singapore where there is intense pressure to excel and compete. While I had taken formal lessons in Piano previously, I soon gave it up as it followed the same pattern of examinations and rotelearning that was already overwhelmingly present in my schooling life. It has only been in recent years that I have become increasingly exposed to musicians and music lovers - especially to those in the local music scene. As a result, I have been inspired to embrace my love for music and to pursue it wholeheartedly. In many ways, this thesis is a tribute to the local music scene, which, in spite of still being unknown to and unsupported by most Singaporeans, has served to steer me on my life's course and enabled me to discover also, the music inside of me.