25 Years of The Substation: Reflections on Singapore's First Independent Art Centre
The Substation
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810967987

INDEPENDENCE. OPPORTUNITY. RAW. EXPERIMENTAL. FRINGE. PROGRESS. RESPONSIVE. EMPATHY. FEARLESS. IMAGINATION. PERSEVERANCE. CHALLENGE. INCUBATOR. SUPPORTIVE. CONTEMPORARY. MULTIDISCIPLINARY. SOCIOPOLITICAL. CRITICALITY. OPENNESS. DIVERSITY. COMMUNITY. POSSIBILITIES. PASSIONATE. PROCESS. HOME.

25 Years of The Substation features the accounts of 25 artists and people who have been associated with The Substation since its founding in 1990. The book is organised around 25 words, which serve as entry points for an extended conversation about The Substation, its stakeholders, and Singaporean society and the arts.

Rehearsal for Life: Singapore Youth Orchestra 1980-1990
Wong Sher Maine & Vivien Goh
Singapore: Vivien Goh, 2015
ISBN: 9789810955328

Youth Orchestras have had a checkered history in Singapore. This book traces Youth Orchestra activities from the 1930s when first glimpses of it appeared in the press in Singapore. It was only in 1980 that the Singapore Youth Orchestra was put on a firm footing with the full backing of the Singapore Government as represented by Dr Goh Keng Swee, known as the architect of Singapore's economic development. Goh was also instrumental to the founding of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to which the Singapore Youth Orchestra was to act as a "feeder".

The authors have not only given an account of this initial period of the Singapore Youth Orchestra (1980-1990) but have also made it a very readable narrative by interspersing quotes from Orchestra members themselves. Their amusing anecdotes of their days in the top ensemble in Singapore, and reflections on how being part of the Youth Orchestra changed their lives, make for engaging reading. The book also contains evocative photos from the 1980s as well as updated photos of these youths, who are now in their 40s and 50s.

From Clementi to Carnegie: The Journey of Singaporean Violinist Siow Lee Chin
Siow Lee Chin
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642224

From Clementi to Carnegie is an inspirational autobiography of Singaporean violinist Siow Lee Chin. The story of one of Singapore's favorite daughters of classical music began at age 15 when, against the odds, Lee Chin made the leap from her humble Clementi HDB flat to become the first Singaporean talent-spotted to study at America's prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, which has produced musical giants the likes of conductor Leonard Bernstein. Single-handedly, she carved a name as one of the most distinguished violinists of her generation, at a time when classical music was not the popular career choice in Singapore. But success was by no means smooth sailing.

In 2012, she faced her biggest setback -- a career-threatening injury from a car accident which broke both bones in her left arm -- the arm which holds her violin. Surgery could not guarantee that she would ever regain the fine motor skills needed to make her violin sing again. But through faith and determination, she worked note by note, scale by scale to put her life together again. A year after her accident, she made her comeback as a soloist performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, considered one of the most technically demanding pieces for a violinist. Today, Lee Chin is 100% back on track (with titanium-reinforced arms), honoured to share her inspirational journey with the world.

Jeremy Monteiro: Late Night Thoughts of a Jazz Musician
Jeremy Monteiro
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814516655

Jeremy Monteiro is a thinker and an observer. He likes to think about music, life, people, and human existence and he loves to observe human behavior. He loves people, loves to tell stories and share experiences.

From his formidable virtuosity on the piano where he communicates non-verbally, to the stories he tells on the stage at his many packed concerts and jazz club shows, he has often kept his show audiences in rapt attention. He has now also taken to sharing his thoughts in writing.

His Facebook and Blog posts have attracted thousands of "Likes" and comments. Both in person and in writing he loves to tell stories and set people thinking and talking. Some of his Facebook posts have garnered hundreds of "Shares," each of which has become their own lively discussion forums. In this book, he revisits, rewrites and updates many of his postings along with many new thoughts and stories.

Sometimes thoughtful and sometimes silly, sometimes cogent and sometimes irreverent, he writes with the confidence of one who has seen a fair bit of the ups & downs of life and is not afraid to speak his mind, while always observing his personal guiding light of fair comment.

Going from a fond reminiscence that tugs at the heartstrings, to a seductive but perhaps unworkable idea which may leave you quizzical, from a serious thought to a funny story that may evoke a huge guffaw, each essay will randomly take you on a journey into the mind of one Singapore’s most loved and respected musicians.

Arts Hats in Renaissance City: Reflections & Aspirations of Arts Personalities
Renee Lee (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814630771

Arts Hats in Renaissance City is an anthology of the personal reflections and aspirations of four generations in the new creative ecostructure in Singapore -- from those who help formulate policies to that of the individual artists, who have helped develop and build an exciting arts and culture scene from scratch and into a viable economic model. As evidenced by the professions in this anthology, the scope of work within the arts and culture sector is diverse, from backgrounds such as history, communications, management, economics, law, science, arts, psychology and entertainment.

Beyond theory, the anthology offers an authentic voice of real and lived experiences of the go-to people, their personal role in heritage development, and their thoughts and insights on our, albeit developing, arts scene since independence.

Play Things: The Complete Works: 1984-2014
Michael Chiang
Singapore: Really Good Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810920357

The publication of this anthology of Michael Chiang's complete works is a timely clarification that invites the public to 'read' his works as an oeuvre -- in totality and as units to a larger artistic score. For the first time, all his plays, shorts and full-lengths, are collected in one volume that includes updates and additional scenes previously unpublished.

Beyond the Tea Dance: The Story of Singapore Sixties Music, Vol. 2
Joseph C. Pereira
Singapore: Select Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810792848

Beyond the Tea Dance is the second volume of Joseph Pereira’s comprehensive survey of the Singapore pop music scene in the 1960s. Apache over Singapore, the first volume, was published in 2011.

The second half of the sixties saw seismic shifts in the global music scene. In Singapore, newer breed of bands was coming to the fore, many with outlandish names. Tea dances became increasingly popular. Discotheques started sprouting up to cater to a new hip crowd. Pop Yeh Yeh, which had always been active alongside the mainstream pop music scene, came into its own with many releases. Singapore bands were very active playing the British services circuit and in Vietnam.

But, as the decade drew to a close, several pivotal events signalled the end of this glorious era for Singapore pop music.

Beyond the Tea Dance examines in rich detail all the major bands and singers in this turbulent period.

Iskandar Ismail: The Music Man
Monica Gwee
Singapore: Epigram Books
ISBN: 9789810768881

Iskandar Ismail has dedicated his life to pushing the boundaries and realising the possibilities of Singapore music, even as he has stayed resolutely behind the scenes. For the first time, get a rare insight into the man widely recognised as one of our foremost maestros. Composed of in-depth interviews and never-before-seen photographs, Iskandar Ismail: The Music Man delves into the triumphant, challenging but always tuneful journey of this Cultural Medallion recipient.

Experience the thrill of Iskandar’s prodigious years at Berklee College of Music and on the vibrant club circuit. Celebrate his commercial hits with recording stars Dick Lee, Andy Lau and Sandy Lam. Tune into his arrangements for the musicals Chang & Eng, Beauty World and Snow.Wolf.Lake, and his original compositions for Spotlight Singapore and the National Day Parades. Learn how he overcame his cancer diagnosis to continue scoring international events like the Asian Games.

As he finally steps out of the shadows, Iskandar Ismail: The Music Man looks back on the multiple facets of Iskandar Ismail’s life and sings to his success.

Malaya's Early Music Scene: Musika: Arena Muzik Silam Di Malaya
Azlan Mohamed Said
Singapore: Azlan Mohamed Said, 2013
ISBN: 9789810737641

Many archival photographs are included in this insider's account of Malaya's music scene 1900-1965, a period of close Malaya/Singapore interchange. The first section overviews the history of Malay music, traditional songs and the early 20th century's Bangsawan opera, and gramophone and radio music. This music scene and Japanese policy 1942-45 and the 1945-65 developments in Radio Singapura, in cinema and entertainment hubs and at functions are then described. Inset photographs and biographical summaries are given for some 90 artistes and performers, and the role of musical groups noted. With bibliography, online database and index. Bilingual in Malay.

Zubir Said: The Composer of Majulah Singapura
Rohana Zubir
Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2012
ISBN: 9789814311816

Zubir Said is best known as the composer of Majulah Singapura, the national anthem of Singapore, Semoga Bahagia, the Singapore school anthem, and Melayu Raya. Born into a religious and humble family in Sumatra where music was considered haram, at 21 he set out to seek his fortune in Singapore. This book, which includes numerous photographs, documents, musical scores and articles, as well as a CD of a selection of Zubir Said's compositions, vividly reveals one of Singapore's leading composers as family man, friend, composer and mentor. It also accords Zubir Said his rightful place in the history of Singapore.

Mel & Joe: I Play & Sing: Celebrating a Musical Journey in Singapore Spanning 40 Years
Mel & Joe Ferdinands
Singapore: Candid Creation Publishing, 2011
ISBN: 9789810891374

Stalwarts of the local music scene, Mel & Joe have played, sung and done it all. Household names since they first appeared on television in 1971, Mel & Joe are not only two of Singapore's best-loved musical talents, they are living proof of our rich musical past and vibrant present. From the early days of Talentime and the black-and-white broadcasts of RTS (Radio Television Singapore) to their glorious heydays with one of Singapore's top bands, Gypsy, they continue to rock on with passion.

Singapore Shifting Boundaries: Social Change in the Early 21st Century
William S.W. Lim, Sharon Siddique & Tan Dan Feng (eds.)
Singapore: Asian Urban Lab, 2011
ISBN: 9789814022743

This book aims to depict the richly textured and nuanced fabric of social life in Singapore in the early 21st century, as Singaporeans live in a blur of shifting boundaries where past, present and future co-exist.

36 commentators, artists and activists of different ages and backgrounds share their views in stimulating and compact pieces that come in a variety of literary forms, including essays, commentaries, reflections, poems, dialogues, novel and script excerpts, blog entries and presentations.

These colourful pieces touch on identity, language, culture, ethnicity, sexuality, politics, memory, religion, geography, arts and activism, painting a picture of the complex and vibrant society that is Singapore today.

The Adventures of the Mad Chinaman
Dick Lee
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2010
ISBN: 9789814328418

Written in an unpretentious style that is characteristic of Dick Lee and narrated in the first person, this book recounts the author's many escapades, adventures, trials and triumphs. It also provides a candid picture of his life, while showcasing the colourful facets of the Peranakan culture he was born into. The rebel-songwriter relives his varied career and traces the highs and lows of show business.

The Accidental Conductor
Toh Ban Sheng
Singapore: Armour Publishing, 2010
ISBN: 9789814270861

The Accidental Conductor is about the story of a self-made musician. The Young Artist Award recipient of 2006 started out his music career without any formal training until he reached 30 years of age. Although he majored in Physics, his passion for music drove him to take chances with each little opportunity that came his way. He was, perhaps, the only conductor whose choirs have twice won the highest national accolade of Best Choir of the Year without him having a single piano lesson in his life.

This book tells of how he grew up in a conservative average family, took a unique path to his tertiary education, and eventually became a full-fledged musician in the choral world - although it was a slight deviation from his childhood dream of becoming an opera singer.