[BRAND'S] Wang Lee Hom is here in Singapore!

Behind this close door is the moment I've been waiting for all my life...



It's not my wedding day yet!
What were you thinking?

I was highly anticipating to meet an international superstar, Wang Lee Hom!!!



He walked in with so much poise and when he has taken his seat, everyone else in the room wasted no time and shot him with what seems like endless rounds of questions, where he managed to pull off every single one with ease. Cheers!





BRAND'S Music Changes Lives media conference with Wang Lee Hom was awesomely insightful. The passion he carries for his music career is something we ALL should applaud for.

I feel totally motivated & inspired by him, TOTALLY!

To summarize the session, he urges aspiring musicians never to give up. Even for him, failures happen all the time. It's unavoidable that people will doubt you, doubt your songs. Success is when you keep trying, else where, until you succeed. He also urges the chinese media to publish more positive articles to compliment  artistes instead of picking on & enlarging the slightest mistakes they make. Instead of competing, he voices out how the chinese media industry can be like the K-pop industry, where different artistes from different recording companies are so united, to the extent that they came together to organise a K-pop awards show in a foreign country like Singapore!

I was nodding my head throughout, with tears in my eyes, wishing I had a chance to give him a bear hug and say,"thank you for believing, Sir!"

Whatever he had said got me so motivational that I am going to give it my best shot in the coming year 2012. I want my music to be recognized, my voice heard. Years down the road, I aspire to be someone like Wang Lee Hom, maybe not in terms of success, but a small voice who can help spread and urge the C-pop industry to be united and strong, just like what he's doing now!


Running for its 2nd year now, Brand's Music Changes Lives Challenge is a competition held on Singapore's online website, STOMP. As compared to last year, the contest this year attracted FOUR times more entry submissions, with a total of up to 68 entries! Not only that, it has also attracted a greater musical diversity from gu zheng to modern electric guitar & percussion instruments. Watch past entries here.

Of all, 4 talented finalists were selected from a combination of public voting and scoring by a panel of judges, including Ken Lim of Hype Records. Over a span of just 2months, the challenge attracted more than 67,000 votes!

What did the 4 finalists walk off with?

• $3000 CASH PRIZE
• $2000 to pursue their musical dreams
• $300 BRAND'S product hamper
• Schools of the 4 musicians were also awarded another $5000 each as special funding for the music department.

This is the first time I see a sponsor awarding a funding to the respective SCHOOLS of the winners. Very supporting!

The FOUR excited finalists are ready to meet the media & all ready to wowed the audience with their debut performances:


Left to right:
Spruce Teo who performed If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys with his saxophone. He mentioned that he self-learnt this instrument through Youtube tutorials. His friends were full of praises for this aspiring young man!

Michelle Soh, a pianist who awed the crowd with the song, Schubert's Impromptu Op 90 No 2. I was dumbfounded with her piano skills! From her introductory video, I could tell she's such a bubbly person by nature!

Andy Chong. The first performer who did Let's Go with his band. He's a CHINESE! My first impression of him was a malay until he conversed in mandarin with one of the journalists. Oh yes, he was playing the electric guitar. First of all, he charmed me with his dimpled smile. Then, his sense of humour added a few plus points. Last but not least, i think he looks a little(to me alot) like Gu Ju Ji, 古巨基 !

I so LIKE him!

Giam Yue Ling is a violinist who performed Beethoven Virus. The youngest of all, she seemed really nervous on stage even though she had been participating in violin contests since the age of 4.

Let the show begins!







I sat next to Angie Chew. She's a musician herself with the sweetest voice you can ever imagine, who's having her Yamaha Electone music test this week. Best of Luck, babe, SUPPORT!





After months of preparation and planning, the evening's showcase was opened by 2010's 4 finalists with the song, I got a feeling by The Black Eye Peas.





Brand's Ambassador, Wang Lee Hom making his way to meet his fans!
*WAVES FRANTICALLY*




Welcome speech for Brand's Music Changes Lives Challenge:


ANDYYYYYY!!! Look how he shines!


Totally Gu Ju Ji-alike!!!




Hello Michelle! She's fully indulge in playing her piece!






Spruce!

I believe his fan club is sitting somewhere at the back. Plenty of screams & were heard the moment he started playing.







The clearest picture I got of Yue Ling:


The rest looked like this because she was swerving so much!


Tor+ is a sweetheart from Thailand. He was also present to spice up the showcase. I was so surprised that he chose to perform the song a chinese classic, 月亮代表我的心(Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin). What surprises me more was the accuracy of his pronunciation! He doesn't sound like a thai at all! (Previously traumatized by some thai club singers with their strong accent.)







Brand's Essence Of Chicken is one of my favourite drinks.

I was from a poor income family who couldn't even afford toys. Even so up to secondary school, my mum would lavish me on tonics like these once in awhile. On the day of my examinations, she would warm a bottle for me and I'll have it before I head to school. I remembered how I would take the slightest sips I can, trying to enjoy the chicken essence for as long as I can. Drinking this while writing this entry reminds me of the simplicity of life, on how much my mum loves me, beyond words could describe.





Have you had one yet?