The Yip's Hong Kong Youth Singing Festival was an eye-opener - in fact, it is an ear-driller as well. I joined the opera singing class and experienced the same lesson twice in the preliminaries and the finals, as a mere spectator at first, before I actually tasted the bitterness and the cynicism of that lesson. At the first round there were five contestants, myself included. I felt a place in the finals was rather dangerous, as there was a very good tenor, as well as a baritone and a bass with good control of the voice. Their mastery of the music opened my eyes. A cracky baritone who had a famous and powerful teacher was sure to go, given any musical standards. He drilled my ears and the music had no phrasing at all. There was only poor French diction and missing notes. Three good and one bad except myself: my chances of being among the top three were dim. When the results were announced I couldn't believe my ears, as the good bass had to go because of a voice 'too young' and the good baritone because of choosing a piece 'too simple for the finals'. In other words, the good tenor, the cracky baritone and myself got in. I was thankful for my fortune and didn't pay attention to what transpired: that the other baritone got in for political reasons. When May suggested it I didn't quite believe it. I only felt sad because good singers had been left out and that I had to face a relatively less challenging competition. I felt sorry, not painful. On the day of the postponed finals the match started at 3pm and none of us finalists was at our top. Everybody cracked and the cracky baritone had more than the tenor's and mine put together. It was a torture listening to him, again I felt bad for the two that didn't make it to the finals. It was an insult to them. When I heard that I got third and he got second I couldn't believe my very ears - I still cannot. The message from May emerged in my head only too late. I was dumbfounded and totally unprepared for the mockery of our hard work in the music. When I congratulated the good and victorious tenor I was glad he liked my performance in the delivery and the portrayal of the characters in the arias. When I congratulated the other - biting my tongue - he said in the voice of a boss, 'Oh, yes I have seen you before.' Even so, I think I did right giving him my compliments, however far from the truth it was. When you have powerful people backing you victory is almost guaranteed. So for little people - those without power or money and having only one's own merits to rely on - I have learned an important lesson first-hand: If you want your talents and merits recognized you must be better than the rich people BY FAR. Being a little better, or even decidedly better, will still get you nowhere. It gives me the most grievous pain even now but this pain is necessary if I were to be an artist - seeing one's preparation mocked and stepped on. Only in tasting this pain can one be more of an all-rounded musician. While unintended, the politics is something I need to look at when pursuing a life in music especiall in a little village like Hong Kong. At first, I hated the organisation for letting this happen but now I'd like to thank the organizer - Yip's Children's Choir - as well as the judging panel that day for teaching me this invaluable lesson. It is far more important than any one single aria I have learned. The most important people I'd like to thank are my family, May and Grace. I am happy my folks put up with me and I will never be where I am now without May. Grace was a loyal friend enough to tell me this lesson in words when I was most vulnerable. I consider this insulting defeat a starting point of a new stage in my life. | 