Thank You For The Music - CHMA 06

Great CHMA last night. Was standing at the back of the hall after settling the judges, and believe me, I was practically rocking while standing the whole night. The beatboxing and the rappers really set the mood for the evening. So it was a most electrically charged CHMA, showcasing the entire spectrum of our CH music talents. Ranges from East to West, from yang qin to guzheng to piano to electone, with both Mandopop and Englishpop, as well as instrumental rock, chinese rock and western rock, with both creative espressions of other sorts - beatboxing and original composition. In other words, CHMA 06 is a whole tour de force of what our CH students are capable of. And thinking back to 2003, when we first started the CH Music Awards, I remember we said we wanted to 'Create Stars of Tomorrow'. CHMA is a platform, and a first step, for many of our students.

And then, it's the music that's really important, and the improvement witnessed in all the performers, and the confidence exuded by all. I especially loved how the chinese rock band has come together over this period and really moved and touched us with their jay chou's 'qing tian' in the evening. They have come a long way, and they have truly found their own style and confidence last night. Then, the western rock band really rocked. All the solos were really not mere virtuostic displays alone, but each solo was really responding to the audience, teasing and connecting with them. And the final drumset closure of umpteen times repeated cadences really was the most spontaneous musical outpouring, with all the musicians having fun.

Most important of all would be how to me, CHMA is really a coming together of the best musical talents of catholic high, and how it is about music simply and only about music. During the final show, all the musicians on stage were no longer competiting, but were playing real music and interacting with the audience through their music. That is the greatest of all - music brings people together, and not to divide people. Competition is an ugly word in music, and CHMA has soared beyond that each time. Each time, we would remind all the performers after the final rehearsal that CHMA is not a competition - it is a show, and all are performers, and may the best performance that connects best with the audience be given the award. Well, it is the 'best performance' award, right?

It's been a great CHMA - kudos to all musicians, and especially kudos to the unsung heroes of IMedia - the hard work to put on such a sophisticated production is worth every bit of respect from all. All the late nights that the IMedia guys put in really paid off, and without them, there would be no CHMA, no platform for our students' musical outpouring.

So there - THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!