Much Ado About Nothing ...

Once again I find myself alone on a Sunday afternoon after what seems like such a long time. My wife and daughter have gone out for a Christmas party and my sister (yes, she lives with me) has gone for Sunday mass. I do not need to be in the studio today because the young Chinese lady we are currently recording has other appointments and I also don't work tonight (yippee), so I do actually have a whole day free. I've had a very busy but productive week and today I've decided that I shall not do anything but vegetate in front of my TV (with season 3 of the 44100) or write an entry for my blog. Well I guess I'm writing my blog first ha ha ... oh well, TV will seem so much more enticing by the time I'm done here. I'm also pretty sure that when this entry is ready for posting, some of my family will be home, but that's ok because these past few hours of quiet is all I needed to get 'ME' back in line with everything else not work related!

I was actually toying with the idea of writing about my favourite pastime ... 'FISHING'! How some 'fishermen' fish with a line and tackle and others fish with nets. I think I'm more of a line and tackle man!!! Ha ha ... but then I realized that there's actually nothing much to say about that topic because;

1. Most of the fish who've actually taken a 'whiff' of my 'bait' have been a little skittish

2. Some of them have actually been 'small fry' so I've had to throw them back in

3. Some have been too large to reel in

4. Some have already felt the hooks of other fishermen but can't resist the lure of fresh bait (no ... this is not an autobiography)

BUT most importantly ...

5. All my very close friends would know that I'm not really talking about 'fishing' ... because I really do hate that hobby!

So I thought about that other title I had in mind, 'THE AMERICANS & THEIR BUSH'. Well I have since found out that not all Americans support a Bush ... so that idea went down the drain too! Besides, the political connotations and ramifications of that topic feels a little uncomfortable for me to handle at this point in time LOL!

OPEN SEASON ... that's what I'll write about! Heck, which one, the cartoon or the actual act of hunting! The cartoon is fabulous and there's nothing more anyone could say about it except ... 'WATCH IT'!!!!!! So it's 'hunting' then, well with the exception of carrying the bag of cartridges/ammo for my late grandpa when he used to go hunting for green pigeon, flying fox, squirrel or wild boar ... I actually know next to nothing about it! That's another idea going up in flames!

TOM FOOLERY ... now that's a name that's fascinated me ever since I was kid! It's not just a name, it's an implication! So should I write about 'TOM'? I don't think so because most Toms I've met have not been interesting enough for me to even remember them. Besides, the 'toms' that are really closest to my heart belong on a drum kit! Oh well, 'FOOLERY' then! Now that's an interesting topic, don't you think??? Would you call what I'm doing now 'foolery' or would it be a desperate bid for attention!! Ha ha, a little of both you think? Well it's either this or a picture of a half naked individual to go with the entry. LOL ... I think not! I do want all of you to get past the picture and actually read, even if there's nothing here. Ha ha I think I'll leave the option of a sexy picture open for when I'm really scraping the bottom of my literary bowl!

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to resign myself to writing about my day and other developments with regards to my life as a musician, and being 1/3 of my band BIG GAME! Hope all you people out there have not forgotten about us, we actually have a few surprises in store for all of you this Christmas and guess what ... it's going to be free too. No paying for anything ... YET!!! :o)

Well it's a wonder I've actually got so far with this entry. Ha ha ... everyone should try this because it isn't difficult at all, especially when you have no idea what you want to write about. Just remember to split your subject matter (if any) into as many paragraphs as you can ... I find that gives the illusion of volume. 'Take care and God bless all of you' at the end of your entry makes people think you care ... supposedly, it portrays your sensitive side ha ha ha. A little 'P.S.' after you sign off helps too, it gives the impression that there was something really important you almost forgot to say, a little sense of urgency always helps LOL!

Voila ... like magic, I now have another entry ready for posting. Ha ha, ok so it gives new meaning to the phrase 'much ado about nothing' but at least you now know what my 'nothing' is! Take care and God bless all of you.

Gerard Singh

P.S. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time and trouble to check the BIG GAME clips out on YouTube. We've not had time to post any new stuff there yet but there should be something new by Christmas! For those of you who haven't visited us there, here are the links;

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTd32dkp1is

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYvnDsip9Zg

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojmo3-DsJ1E

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Ikh98E8zI

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyr5Ba4WIOQ

Focal Point ...

All my life I've never had to compromise very much! In my family, I'm the eldest of three children and I'm also the oldest grandchild on both my maternal and paternal sides. In most Asian cultures that pretty much means I'm the 'KING OF THE HILL'!!! Ha ha ... I think because of that, I grew up rather spoilt as I was used to getting my way most of the time. I was very content living my life that way for many years and even the friends I kept almost always deferred to me when it came to decision making. Even when I was not around and there was a decision to be made, friends and family would always consider my interest first before making most decisions. All I needed to do was focus on myself and what I wanted to do. It got to be quite comfortable for me until the day I left my parents home in JB (Johor Bahru - to the uninitiated) for KL (Kuala Lumpur) to work.

A whole slew of different individuals slowly but surely illuminated me on this little concept called COMPROMISE! Working in a completely unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly environment made me realize that at times you just have to go with the flow. That was very difficult for a person who previously spent his life making an art out of going against the grain! The first thing I had to do was to deal with the issue of PRIDE ... or more accurately put, HURT PRIDE! Leaving the comfort zone of JB where people already knew who, what or how I am, for KL where no one really gives a shit, was a real eye opener. I came to realize that I needed to get with the program in order to get a 'toe hold' into the scene. Thus began my unlearning of almost everything I thought of as my GOSPEL before. The unnecessary attitude and juvenile pride were the first things that had to go. I also exchanged my rather short fuse for a longer one and believe me that was achieved under much duress LOL! It made me realize one very very important lesson ... maybe all my friends before this only tolerated me! My God, that was a scary thought and it made me feel insecure for quite a while. I needed to focus on improving other people's perception of me as a person and a performer ... and even as a friend.

I learnt to adapt to the new elements in my new life reasonably well or so I thought, when I was introduced to another aspect of re-learning called HUMILITY! Local production houses started calling me into their studios for 'jingles' (advertisement - to the uninitiated). Months and months of lending my vocals to numerous jobs with unsuccessful results made me re-evaluate my worth as a singer/musician! I think that was one of the hardest things I've had to endure because when you've decided on a career, it's really difficult to deal with the fact that maybe you're just not good enough! As fate would have it, I was finally excepted into the local jingle industry as a voice talent. Just as I was starting to get a little comfortable with my achievement, my real lesson in humility began. CLIENTS!!! We've all heard of how 'the customer is always right', well in the jingle industry the client is GOD! In fact I believe that the client is more GOD than God ever really is! They treat you like a 'musical instrument', a 'thing' and believe me that isn't good because singers are seldom that way. So sometimes you get stuck in the recording booth for hours on end, trying your level best to achieve something humanly impossible just because some producer is trying very hard to please a client, who in reality is a musical dunce in the first place! Where was that short fuse when I really needed it? Focus Gerard FOCUS!!!

I thought that was the pinnacle of all my lessons in life, and that what was in store for me from that point on was a smoother ride. How wrong I was, along comes Colin Jansen (guitar/vocals), Sherman Tan (bass/vocals) and Mark Felix (drums/vocals) to persuade me to form a show band for the local club scene. So along with Marfante Haridass (keyboards/vocals) and Regina Panizales (Vocals) we formed STAINLESS STEEL, I must say ... one of the better show bands in the country at that time. Playing in a band where everyone is an artist in their own right was never easy. Everyone had a strong opinion and we very seldom agreed with each other but it was a great band so we stuck it out for almost 2 years before calling it quits ... STAINLESS STEEL finally rusted! Some of us left for different bands and solo careers, and most left in disappointment (I know I did too). Once again I was left with re-evaluating myself. Trying to figure out what went wrong and desperately trying not to lay blame on the other members. It wasn't an easy task but I think some of us managed to achieve it as we have an even better time working together now. I learnt not to be petty and to put past grievances aside ... well at least for a later date LOL! So I focused on picking up the pieces and thinking up a new game plan, career wise.

In the midst of the band breaking up (at the end of May 1998) and armed to the teeth with all those valuable lessons on life, I embarked on the single most important thing in my very own life ... FATHERHOOD! It's amazing how a bouncing baby girl can be responsible for all your preparation and pre-conceptions going out the window. It was on the 8th. of May 1998, the day Gillian was born that my whole life changed. Almost everything I had learnt before didn't seem appropriate anymore ... nothing seemed enough. I didn't have enough cool, patience, tolerance, knowhow, time, money, even focus ... you name it and if I had it, it was never enough. I remember thinking to myself then, 'what is this little bundle of wrinkled skin and flesh that demands so much'. Heck the sum of my life up to that point just wasn't enough ... I just wasn't good enough for this new life I helped bring into the world. It took me a long while to settle into my new role and I believe I never really have ... not completely. I just do the best that I can all the time and pray that it's sufficient for her. Everyday with her is a NEW experience and in my life of reasonably consistent inconsistencies ... she is still, the WILD CARD! I thank God for her every minute of everyday, because she is my FOCUS in a world that is sometimes MAD!

Gerard Singh