Poetry of Song Competition! Brought by Timbre Music Academy & Singapore Writers Festival! (27 July to 5 September 2011)

I recently received an media release from
Fulford Public Relations on a poem
writing competition from
Singapore Writers Festival.

Apparently they are encouraging anyone
who can take up a pen and write
their own poems... .

What's cool is that u get to work
with singer-songwriters from
Timbre Music Academy to turn
your poem into a song if u win!

More Details of the Poetry of Song Competition below:

27 July to 5 September 2011

Sing us a love note! Timbre Music Academy, by Timbre Group, and the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) bring you Poetry of Song! Win a chance to work with professional singer-songwriters from Timbre Music Academy, who will work with you to turn your poem to a song.
The theme is ‘Love Notes’, so write one to your special someone, your evil ex, your mum or your BFF - as long as it's a poem - and email it to tma@timbregroup.asia with your full name (as in NRIC) and mobile number.
Five shortlisted poems will be turned into songs and showcased on the SWF website – www.singaporewritersfestival.com.The most popular song will be performed live at SWF in October. Better yet, there’s $1,500 worth of prize money at stake for the most popular song!
Submissions open on 27 July 2011 and will close on 5 September 2011.
More information can be found at http://www.timbregroup.asia/timbremusic/event_pos.html.


Rules & Regulations:
• All entries must be in English.
• Entries must be no more than 200 words in length and can be in any poem form.
• Entries must be original and must never been published before in print or online (book, anthology, journal and magazine).
• The competition is open to all Singaporeans/ PRs and residents of Singapore.
• Shortlisted writers will receive a cash prize of SGD800 and the writer with the most popular song will receive a cash prize of SGD1,500.
• Entrants must be aged 18 and above to enter the competition.
• Multiple entries are accepted.
• The schedule of the competition is as follows:
o 27 Jul: Submissions open
o 5 Sep: Submissions close
o 10 Sep: 5 poems shortlisted; shortlisted writers will be notified
o 11 Sep: Song Composition Stage
o 7 Oct: Song recording
o 15 Oct: Release songs at SWF website, public vote for most popular song
o 26 Oct: Finale performance and prize giving; live voting

About Singapore Writers Festival
The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) is one of Asia’s premier literary events, organised by the National Arts Council. Inaugurated in 1986 as a component of the Singapore Festival of Arts (now known as Singapore Arts Festival), it later evolved to become the ‘Singapore Writers Festival’ in 1991.The festival presents some of the world's major literary talents to Singaporeans, and promotes new and emerging Singaporean and Asian writing to an international audience. SWF has featured many writers from around the world and delighted book lovers with literary celebrities such as Arnošt Lustig, Taichi Yamada, Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Ma Jian, Tash Aw, and comic book writers Gail Simone and Mark Waid. To date, it remains one of the few literary festivals in the world that is multi-lingual, focusing on the official languages of Singapore – English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.

7th Storey band launches "The Temple Is Dirty” album launch party @ Home Club (25 Aug 11)

The band "7th Storey" (aka Daniel Rucerito...formerly known as Blue Room)
is launching "The Temple Is Dirty” album party at Home club
on 25 Aug 11.

Check out 7th Storey - Official Music Video "The Temple Is Dirty"



The video looks pretty impressive and professional.
If more bands in Singapore can produce such top-notch
quality music videos, people will be more willing to
pay attention to the bands.

Check out the songs from Daniel Rucerito's album. All
music instruments and sounds are played and recorded
by Daniel himself. The awesome quality of the songs
makes me wonder "Did he really play and record all the
instruments and sounds by himself?"



Well its not surprising. Afterall
David Bendeth (Senior Vice President A&R RCA Records)
once reviewed and chosen Daniel Rucerito's music only
to be known to the audience during Full Sail Success
Seminar back in 1997.



If u like what u have heard, do check out
his album launch party at Home Club on 730pm,
25 Aug 11 (Thursday)!

SPECIAL PARTY NOTE: When you buy any drink from 7:30-9:30pm,
you can top up for only $5 and receive a CD copy of the new album "The Temple Is Dirty"!

Visit 7th Storey's official artist website here.
 
HOME CLUB
20 Upper Circular Rd, #B1-01/06
Singapore, Singapore
TEL: 6538 2928

Taiwanese pop/rock band F.I.R.World Tour 2011 Featured Cellist launches his debut album recital ‘A DOUBLE LIFE’ (1 Sept 11)

Who is the cellist who toured with Taiwanese pop-
rock band F.I.R. as their featured cellist in
collaborating with an Appalachian Dulcimer
player in country music?

He is none other than Mr Loke Hoe Kit!
He appears to be leading a "double life"
as a cellist with such a well-known
pop rock band FIR and his own pursuits
in the classical music realm.

His Double Life album recital will be launching
soon at Esplanade in September.

Check out the live performance of Wind Struck
performed at the Esplanade by cellist Loke Hoe Kit
feat. Jasmine Mok and Joel Na.
(pardon the poor sound quality)



More details on "A DOUBLE LIFE" album recital launch:

MEDIA RELEASE:
PROMINENT YOUNG SINGAPOREAN CELLIST RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM ‘A DOUBLE LIFE’

Young Singaporean cellist Loke Hoe Kit has been described in a Straits Times review as 'probably the most visible local cellist [from his generation] to emerge'. The 23-year-old, who studied at the prestigious Mannes College of Music in New York, will release his groundbreaking debut solo album this September. A launch concert will be held at the Esplanade Recital Studio on September 1st, 8pm, with tickets on sale through SISTIC from July 1st.

Already a seasoned performing artist, Hoe Kit’s main aim for his debut album is to attempt something a musician could never do in a live performance as a new artistic challenge. The entire album will feature works for two cellos accompanied by piano, with Hoe Kit overdubbing himself to play both cello parts. Such is rarely attempted in the classical music and perhaps never done before locally.

Entitled 'A Double Life', this album is a major undertaking for the young artist who has produced it himself, and is a milestone for the local music scene due to the unusual concept of the work

By taking on this novel, and seldom tackled, artistic challenge - to blend and interpret two cello parts together in rendering substantial classical works – Hoe Kit’s vision is to usher in a whole new perspective as a performing artist by creating a work of classical art possible only through harnessing modern recording technology.

The repertoire chosen for the album is also unusual. Adding to the theme of duality, there are only two works on the album, and they parallel each other despite having been composed centuries apart. One of the works chosen is George Frideric Handel’s Sonata for Two Cellos and Piano written in the 18th Century. This baroque work is a transcription of its original incarnation as a trio sonata for two violins and continuo.

The other work, the album's highlight, is a 20th century 'Suite for Two Cellos and Piano' by Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti, but written in a neo-baroque style, giving a contemporary 'update' to the genre with harmonic dissonances and asymmetrical rhythms.

Despite the two centuries separating the composition of the two works, both works are similar in form, consisting of four movements, and the tempo and style of each of the four movements in one work mirrors those of the other.

Menotti, who recently passed away in 2007, was commissioned to write the Suite in 1973 for the 70th birthday celebrations of the legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, two of whose prominent students, Nathaniel Rosen and Paul Tobias, were Hoe Kit's principal teachers. Rosen, who had introduced the Suite to Hoe Kit and guided him on it, had himself performed the work alongside its dedicatee in its early years.
Menotti's centenary is being commemorated this year, and his work will receive its Singapore premiere in Hoe Kit's launch concert on September 1st. The concert will feature Lin Juan as guest cellist, and pianist Nicholas Loh, who also accompanied Hoe Kit on the album. Nicholas was featured in the 2009 Singapore International Piano Festival at the Young Virtuoso Recital.

Hoe Kit started playing the cello at age 12, and made his concerto debut four years later playing Saint-Saens’ 1st Concerto. He left for the USA at 16 to study under esteemed cellists Nathaniel Rosen and Paul Tobias. In 2005, Hoe Kit was a finalist and the top cellist at the 4th Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition for piano and strings in Dallas. Emanuel Borok, the adjudicator and concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, wrote: ‘You are a wonderful cellist… I expect great things from you.’

Hoe Kit has since returned to give sold-out recitals at such venues as the Esplanade and The Arts House, and a Straits Times review described that his playing ‘moved with much eloquence and persuasion, distinguished with bold strokes and gestures…’ Lauded by Rosen as ‘a fine young cellist, Hoe Kit is a versatile artist who is active beyond his classical pursuits, having recently toured with Taiwanese pop/rock band F.I.R. as their featured cellist.

As no commercial recording label is likely to sponsor such an audacious and atypical project, Hoe Kit, spurred by his passion, chose to personally fund and produce the entire album. Noted recording engineer Sydney Tan was engaged to record this album.

Loke Hoe Kit’s official website: www.lokehoekit.com

Also check out Tessera (all ladies' progressive jazz band)
Late Nite Series concert on 26 Aug 11.

TANGLIN CC STUDIO FUND RAISER (For Jazz Music Lovers & Jammers)

The Tanglin Music Club is organising a fund raising event for TCC Studio facilities, instruments and equipment. The details are as followed:


Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Tanglin Jazz Jam, over the past 10 years, have been an ever present platform for musicians to practise their skills and interact with fellow jazz musicians. In our own small way, we have often been the humble cradle which nurtured talented young jazz musicians to learn their chops and go on to greater things and recognition. Many of the young musicians gigging regularly around Singapore today gained their early confidence in our jazz jams.

This is the first time since our inception that we are conducting a fundraiser to upgrade and improve our Tanglin CC Studio facilities, instruments and equipment - for all 3 studios. Our target is to raise at least $30,000 from among our own musicians, jammers and their supporters against which the CC management will equal it with another $30K. To achieve this end, we are now passing the hat around for your generous contributions. There will also be a gala Charity Concert on 27th August (date to be confirmed) where we will feature guest stars and our very own selection of bands and performers. Your jam masters and all band leaders will be consulted along the way on how the funds will be wisely applied.

As a Jam Group, we have had the privilege to use the Underground Studio every week free of charge whereas bands have to pay the standard rates. We should therefore show our support and generosity, which after all, ultimately benefits our own playing pleasure. I recommend that contributions start at a minimum of $50 (obviously there is no maximum) but if you cannot afford this amount we will gladly accept what you can offer.

I shall be personally going round to drive this fund-raiser as soon as I am mobile from my foot operation, but to begin the assisting Jam Masters John Wong and Maideen will be in charge of the collections.

Your support is vital and I thank you in anticipation of your positive response. May the music live on !!

Regards,

Frank Wong
Jam Master

If u have benefited from the music jams or want to contribute your part in the music scene, u can contact Frank Wong for more details on the fund raising event via his email:

sunblaze@starhub.net.sg

Famous Mr Brown gives us "In a Fun Pack" bag in a heartbeat for Singapore!

Our famous Mr Brown recently did a music video on
our NDP 2011 song "In a heartbeat" and changed the song title
and lyrics "In a Fun Pack"!!! Check out the video
below:



Check out the previous blog post
In A Heartbeat (2011 NDP song) accused of plagiarism
in Justin Bieber's hit Song "That should be me"!!!
featuring Dr Tan Cheng Bock
(one of the presidential candidates
in the upcoming Elected Presidency contest)
if u still have no idea who to vote for Singapore President:

http://musicartlifesg.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-heartbeat-2011-ndp-song-accused-of.html