Music to me is an art that stands amongst a few other things I enjoy profoundly. Music is something I can turn to in whichever mood I’m in. It can cheer me up when I’m feeling down. It can calm me down when I’m worked up and very often it has been able to give me good energy. It can motivate me when I feel demotivated with anything. Music has also been a great source of inspiration to me. Music alone has not captured me but lyrical content has also contributed towards my love for music

1. “When was your idea of music first formed, and how your understanding of music has changed
subsequently?”
Music to me is an art that stands amongst a few other things I enjoy profoundly. Music is something I can
turn to in whichever mood I’m in. It can cheer me up when I’m feeling down. It can calm me down when
I’m worked up and very often it has been able to give me good energy. It can motivate me when I feel
demotivated with anything. Music has also been a great source of inspiration to me. Music alone has not
captured me but lyrical content has also contributed towards my love for music.
My appreciation of music and lyrical talent has been handed down from my family, my parents in
particular. My exposure to music started all the way back from my grandparents and parents. I grew up
facing the music my parents were listening to. I enjoyed the music they enjoyed. I was absorbed in the
music that was just playing around me. From family functions to social gatherings, I found myself listening
and learning the different genres of music. With every new genre and musician I heard, my curiosity grew.
From what memory serves, my father being my role model, I found myself singing along and nodding
especially to the tunes my father was into. From Classic rock to Country, Disco; Jazz and some Blues too,
he listened to everything. He never seemed to be partial to any one genre, and I understood he
appreciated any good music. I was almost always in a musical environment because I was part of a big
family which had music running in their blood. I watched and admired my dad; uncles and their friends
just pick up guitars, or play a piano or the drums and sing whenever there were any social parties. This
was one way I learnt to appreciate musical instruments more than digital sounds. Up until now, because
of the love and knowledge of music that my parents and relatives have imparted to me, I am able to
differentiate, classify and appreciate music, yet always ready to learn more.
School has also played a big role in my understanding of music. In primary school in Hong Kong, I was
given the basic knowledge of music my primary school teacher. We had music class twice a week. We
sang for less than an hour on these two days. My teacher taught us how to read music temperament and
so much more that I can be grateful to her for. Music was always fun in school. I also had a group of
friends who, with me, were always excited for these classes. Music in school, however, was restricted to
certain genres or the school allowed only music that could be sung/ played in school. Nevertheless, I
enjoyed the music I learned in school. We watched many shows and participated in many competitions in
and out of school. I concentrated a lot on the music or songs I heard in school plays and concerts. I’ve
heard many beautiful choirs as well. As I grew older, I now recall, my friends and I started discussing
music a lot more. New singers out, new songs out and talk about music videos a lot too. I can never
ignore the music I hear in movies too. There have been so many catchy tunes in movies I’ve watched
which I have immediately had to find and get. I appreciate good music in movies or on television when I
do come across good music in movies, I always need to get myself a copy of the soundtrack. I play a lot
of video games and I’ve always had a close ear to the background music they use in these games
according to what one is doing in the game. I like how music builds and mellows according to the nature
of the game.
I grew into it until I was old enough to recognize and appreciate the music that was introduced to the
new, younger audience of my generation. Fresh new digital sound swept the music industry overpowering
many other genres. I discovered new age music and developed a strong liking to the new digital sounds
and beats. I listen to and appreciate a lot of genres just like I learnt from my father as my first-hand
experience with music. There are so many different types of genres now as compared to even what I was
hearing when I was younger. Amongst the many, I am mostly familiar with Hip-hop, Rock, Rap, R&b,
Progressive house, Metal, and a few others. EDM (Electronic dance Music) or club music is very popular
now and seems to be topping charts. Digital music had created a wave in music and this has been a
factor that has divided the generations apart.

2. I can never stop appreciating the beauty in live music and music instruments but I have to admit that
technology has really changed and revolutionized music from what it was and what it is now. Music is
more electronic as compared to the very physical and analog music my parents were listening to. I feel
lucky to have been exposed to the music from earlier years by my family and relatives, as that was one
way I can now differentiate and still be able to appreciate old music as well as new. I am glad I was
introduced to music at a young age. I understand with technological advancement, there will be no end to
changes that will arise in music. As we grow older, we are only receptive to sounds and music of our
liking. As children we’d listen to songs or music that sounded good. A catchy tune was all that mattered to
us. But In my experience with music I feel that, as I grow, I’m paying more attention to lyrics and reading
about the songwriter and finding out meanings in the lyrics so I can understand what I’m relating and
connecting to. I have definitely grown with music and I’m thankful to my initial experience and exposure
that I can now appreciate music the way I do.