Crossing Borders: A Temasek Polytechnic Student Unites Cultures Through Chinese Orchestra Innovation
ARTICLE:
The Unlikely Chinese Orchestra Maestro
Singapore - A guy who only understands a smattering of Mandarin words like lian(practise) and zhun bei (get ready), Muhammad Iman Mohamed Irfan, has already been performing solo parts with a Chinese orchestra.
The 18-year-old is the sole non-Chinese member of Temasek Polytechnic's Chinese orchestra and the only bamboo flute, or dizi, player in the current squad.
He leverages the efforts of his conductor, accustomed to communicating in Mandarin but making an effort to repeat his instructions in English for Iman. When he's at a loss, Iman relies on his buddies in the orchestra, "more than happy to help," as well as the Chinese dictionary app Pleco. He picked up the language after joining the orchestra as a co-curricular activity (CCA) in 2024, his first year at the polytechnic.
Iman's passion for Chinese music ignited at the age of 12 when he stumbled upon a Chinese orchestra performance of Bai Niao Chao Feng (A Hundred Birds Paying Homage To The Phoenix) on YouTube.
"After I watched it, I really fell in love with the style, so I started listening to more and more (Chinese music)," he recalled.
Iman joined the concert band in Edgefield Secondary School, which did not offer a Chinese orchestra as a CCA. For four years, he played the trumpet, nurturing an interest in wind instruments.
By his upper secondary years, he had saved up enough money to buy his first dizi for $70. Subsequently, he added a $230 double-reeded horn, or suona, and a $100 vertical flute, or xiao, to his collection of wind instruments.
Iman taught himself the three instruments through watching videos and playing by ear.
"I'm one of the few people I know who really enjoys traditional Chinese music. (My friends and family) knew about my passion for music and supported me all the way, even though it was something different for them."
His family always cheers him on by attending his shows, said Iman, who is starting the second year of his chemical engineering course in April.
When he entered Temasek Polytechnic, Iman auditioned for a spot in the Chinese orchestra. After playing the three wind instruments, along with other orchestra instruments, he was assigned to the woodwind section.
Second-year student Walter Yeo Boon Kai, 19, who is also in the woodwind section, was impressed by Iman when they first met.
"I asked him what he knew about Chinese culture and how much he had learnt, and I was very surprised," Mr Yeo said.
Despite Iman’s background in music, he admitted that the transition from playing in a concert band to performing in a Chinese orchestra was challenging. Apart from the language barrier, he said that "everything is different - the instruments, the (music) genres, and my conductors' personal ways of teaching."
Moreover, some of his friends in the orchestra were already skilled at playing their instruments, having participated in Chinese orchestras in primary or secondary school. To catch up, Iman often sought help from them and practised difficult sections of the music repeatedly to improve his technique.
The efforts have paid off - he played multiple solo parts during the orchestra’s performances, one of which was the Chinese orchestra's annual concert in February.
Iman’s passion for traditional Chinese music has led him to explore Chinese opera and Chinese tea, a natural segue for him. However, his true love remains in music.
Iman aims to inspire more people to join the Chinese orchestra at the school’s upcoming CCA fair. "I would tell them about my story and how it doesn’t matter what background you come from, as long as you enjoy the music and have a passion for it," he said.
"My dream is to join a professional Chinese orchestra in future, but even if that doesn't work out, Chinese music will still be my passion."
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TL;DR
A non-Chinese student with limited Mandarin skills excels in a Singaporean Chinese orchestra by honing his musical skills and relying on his fellow musicians and technology.
Sources:[1] Singapore Chinese Orchestra[2] Singapore National Youth Orchestra[3] Temasek Polytechnic[4] Community Engagement Activities
Strategies for success: musical skills, familiarity with repertoire, language and communication, collaboration, and digital and visual aids. Leverage apps, videos, and visual aids for learning, engage in multicultural and exchange programs, and build relationships with fellow musicians for translation and cultural context. Focus on instrument mastery and practice, listen and observe, learn basic terms, and embrace multicultural collaboration. Singapore's Chinese orchestras often present a blend of traditional, modern, and global works, and value musical skill over language.
- Iman, the sole non-Chinese member of Temasek Polytechnic's Chinese orchestra, demonstrates the power of passion in overcoming language barriers, as he performs solo parts with a Chinese orchestra using a combination of self-taught skills, help from his multicultural peers, and the Pleco Chinese dictionary app.
- Beyond music, Iman's story shows how interest in lifestyle pursuits, like Chinese music, can lead to explorations in other aspects of Chinese culture, such as Chinese opera and tea.
- In the realm of fashion-and-beauty and personal-growth, Iman's dedication to learning and mastering traditional Chinese music supports the idea that individuals can take control of their education-and-self-development and grow through skills-training, no matter their background.
- Iman's journey in the orchestra illuminates the value of collaboration and relationships, not just within music but also in breaking down communication barriers, as he assists and learns from fellow bandmates who come from various cultural backgrounds.
- As a proponent of career-development, Iman aspires to join a professional Chinese orchestra in the future, envisioning a path where traditional Chinese music intertwines with global cuisines, relationships, sports like basketball (NBA, NCAA Basketball, WNBA), and more.
- Iman's growth story serves as an inspiration for family-dynamics, as his family supports and cheers him on in his musical endeavors, further encouraging him to continue pursuing his passions and furthering his career.
- Enjoying life, learning new skills, and nurturing relationships and personal growth all come together in Iman's journey, demonstrating how the worlds of food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and lifestyle choices can complement and enrich one's experiences.
- In learning to play the dizi, suona, and xiao, Iman relies on digital aids like online videos, resonating with the current trend of digital self-training and the idea that access to educational resources can drive personal success.
- As Iman continues to share his story and inspire others to join the Chinese orchestra, he embodies the spirit of learning and collaboration, advocating for the importance of embracing new experiences, skills, and cultures in one's life.
