My unshakeable bond with music

Dr Michael Leung Chi-hin
Assistant Professor, Department of Cultural and Creative Arts

I grew up in an ordinary family, paying no special attention to music. My first experience with music was the violin lessons I took when I was an elementary school boy. The quality of the violin that my family bought me for these lessons wasn’t very good – I still remember it was very painful to press the strings. That may be why I didn’t particularly enjoy the lessons. As a result, I gave up learning the string instrument after practising it for a year and a half. After I quit the violin, I started to learn the piano. This time, I persevered in learning the piano, from primary school to secondary school. By the time I took the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) at the fifth form in secondary, I had already reached Grade 8 in piano.

Although I played piano for many years, it was ultimately the violin that brought me into the world of music. I met a very good violin teacher during my summer holidays after the HKCEE. He loved music and often took students to concerts after class. He also introduced me to a string orchestra where I could play with other music lovers. Practising a musical instrument by myself could be incredibly boring. In marked contrast, it was a lot of fun rehearsing in a string orchestra. In an orchestra, people need to play music together under the conductor’s baton. It was such a delightful experience to hear the sounds of different musical instruments come together in an ensemble. At that time, I had already made up my mind to study music after secondary school. When I was a matriculation student, I often went to concerts and studied music theory on my own. That’s how my unshakable bond with music began.

After completing my secondary school studies, I went to the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd, the predecessor of the Education University of Hong Kong) to study music. Although the music curriculum of the institution focused on music education, there were other music-related subjects that students could choose from to expand their horizons in music. I took a course relating to musical composition when I was a first-year student, and this course became the turning point in my musical life.

HKIEd had many passionate professors. Under their guidance, I composed my very first piece of music, "String Quartet No. 1". Creating music by putting notes onto the staves on sheet music brought me to another realm of the musical world. Musical composition gradually became my life-long endeavour. During my four-year degree at the institute, I worked hard to compose music, and in the end completed more than ten works. A professor said that the number of works I had produced was more than that of many students majoring in composition at other higher institutions in Hong Kong. Creating and having the opportunity to play your own musical works gave me great satisfaction and pleasure. The journey from playing musical instruments to falling in love with composition is something that I hadn’t even imagined before entering HKIEd.

The studies at HKIEd have musically enlightened me. After graduation, I decided to continue my studies in music and pursued a master’s degree at The University of Hong Kong, majoring in composition. During my studies at HKU, I participated in many public composition competitions. At that time, classical music radio programmes invited professional musicians to perform and broadcast the winning pieces from the competitions. It was so exciting to hear my own works on the radio, which also indirectly gave me opportunities to meet professional musicians, expanding my network in the musical field.

After obtaining my master’s degree, I spent a year studying electronic music at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, learning to use electronic technology to assist in musical compositions. At the academy, I also acquired the skills to apply computer technology in music programming. A year later when I was studying for a doctorate in music at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, I utilised all my previous knowledge in music education, composition and electronic music for my research project. My doctoral thesis was naturally the embodiment of all the knowledge and experiences I gained throughout the years in my musical pursuit.

I joined EdUHK eight years ago. At EdUHK, I am not only a music teacher, but also a musician using technology to create music, and a music researcher who works to promote music to the schools and the public. I feel happy that I can fully utilise my knowledge and experiences in music education, composition and electronic music at my present job.

I am delighted that the breakthroughs in my research made in recent years have helped to promote music among the general public. Many people are deterred from playing music by their limited musical knowledge and the hurdles of reading traditional music notations. At the university, I developed the Grid Notation as well as accompanying score editing software, THE GRID. My aim was to help people overcome these hindrances and enable them to enjoy musical composition and performance by simply using a tablet.

From the first violin I got at primary school to teaching, composing and researching now at EdUHK, music has become an indispensable part of my life. The footprints I have left throughout my music journey remind me that I have come a long way, and that my dream in music has indeed come true. I truly enjoy my present job at this university, and I am a proud member of my alma mater. The inspirations music has given me, however, is far greater than the satisfaction brought by work. After being a lover of music for so many years, I have gotten so many inspirations from music. Music has given me self-confidence, and I have learnt to see life through music.

To compose a piece of music, one needs to have rich knowledge in music and stay creative. It can be said that each piece of musical composition is a combination of wisdom, technical skills and creativity. What’s more, musical composition nurtures the self-confidence of a composer. Music also helps me understand myself. I used to love Chopin’s music, and always imagined myself one day making the same kind of melancholic and nostalgic music like the Polish pianist did. But when I started composing, I realised that my personality was wildly different from Chopin. Through composing music, I realised that I am actually someone who is always positive and energetic. Because of the differences in personality, the music I create is unlike Chopin’s works; instead, my music gives listeners an irrefutable sense of rhythm and energy, which is very different from the sorrowful feelings that Chopin’s music exudes.

The more I create, the more I want to understand the driving force behind artistic creations. Great musicians like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven have produced a great deal of masterpieces. Their achievements in music are epoch-making, unparalleled and probably unsurpassable. While it isn't easy to become another Bach, Mozart or Beethoven, following your inner voice to create, infusing your work with your personal characteristics, and expressing your feelings through your music is not impossible. Indeed, as one form of art, musical creation is the process through which musicians express their ideas and emotions. Like any other form of artistic expression, creating a piece of music that is full of personality and a style people can recognise is the ultimate pursuit of a musician.

Some musicians spend their entire lives finding and establishing their own voice. Even now, I may still be looking for my favourite musical style, but after years of exploration, I think I’ve managed to find my own characteristics in musical creation. I like music that exhibits a strong sense of rhythm and is rich in timbre and texture. The sound of Western musical instruments is always apparent and the timbre is relatively uniform; Chinese musical instruments, on the other hand, have varied aftertaste, the very definition of rich timbre. As for texture, many years ago at the invitation of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, I made use of the motif of fire-dragon dancing to compose a piece called “Dragon Soars in the Cloud Billows”. This musical work has a very strong texture. If you still don’t understand timbre and texture, you can listen to the works of two of my favourite music masters: György Ligeti’s works are rich in texture, while Krzysztof Penderecki’s compositions are full of musical colours.

In Hong Kong, Chinese and Western musical traditions fuse together, making it an ideal place for musical creation. The city has nurtured many musical talents. Known as the “Father of Hong Kong Modern Music”, Doming Lam is a pioneer composer I have incredible respect for. Lam was active in the city’s music industry from the 1970s to the 1990s during which he made tremendous contributions to its development. So far, throughout my music career in Hong Kong, I have mainly composed contemporary music. However, I also listen to pop songs, such as those produced by Mirror, during my leisure time. I have found that their songs blend elements of Hong Kong pop with K-pop. Keung To’s hit “Love Behind the Mask”, for example, has an arrangement that makes the song feel fresh. These subtle variations may account for the phenomenal rise of the boy band. In fact, there is always something interesting to learn in every piece of good music. Perhaps one day, the nutritional value I get from pop music will be transformed into one of my more serious music pieces.

Most people I know like some kind of music. Very few of them don’t like music at all. Studies have shown that only 5% to 10% of the population dislike any form of music, proving that music is a universal form of art. Like traditional Chinese medicine that helps to regulate our bodies, music has similar therapeutic effects on our mental wellbeing. Whether you are happy or sad, you will always find some piece of music that echoes your sentiments. We might even say that music nurtures our spirit, helping us to create connections with our inner self.

When playing an instrument, you need to read the score and play it with your hands and feet at the same time. This improves coordination of your limbs. Reading a music score commands the use of your rationality, but listening to music connects you with your inner feelings. In this sense, playing music is an activity that enriches both your rationality and sensitivity. Learning a musical instrument is a good way to train perseverance as it requires at least several years of practice to reach maturity.

At EdUHK, I have witnessed the growth of many students. Students who take music as their major usually have a good foundation in classical music. To these students, I introduce other music genres such as electronic music to expand their musical imagination. I also lead them to organise concerts so that they have the opportunity to participate behind the scenes for a musical activity. Through these experiences they learn about the many different kinds of work related to music. Music majors are trained to have musical ears: they are exceptionally sensitive to rhythm and intonation, making them more competent for audio work. Some graduates do not become music teachers after graduation, but instead find employment in audio and video recording, in producing promotional videos, and even in the streaming industry.

Music majors are not the only ones to find four years of music education at the University fruitful. Many students who take music as their minors develop a strong interest in music because of the music courses they attended. I still remember a mathematics major who became a music lover because of the many music classes she took for meeting the university’s minoring requirements. She is now working at a primary school, teaching music in addition to other core subjects. She enjoys her work very much.

Our University boasts a very beautiful campus. Working in such a picturesque environment, I am thankful for the freedom to create my favourite music and the opportunity to engage in research to promote music education. Even more memorably, I have seen batches of students who have advanced their musical knowledge and skills by the time they graduate. This gives me a sense of passing on the baton to the next generation.

In the vast and boundless world of music, there are always new things to explore. Music is magical. When you are tired from work, you can listen to songs for chilling out or to brighten your day. When you get bored, music with a strong rhythm can boost your spirits. When you feel downcast, enjoying a melodic piece can soothe your aching heart. Music is a world of wonder, where everybody can get something they need. I am blessed to have built a close bond with music. I hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy music, deepen your understanding of it, and eventually make music a part of your life.

(Dr Leung Chi-kin collaborated with Tam Siu-man on this piece)