IMPACT 0210: PASSION, PURPOSE & MUSIC

Adele Wee is a student who plays the violin, viola and piano. She also sings. Besides her passion for composing, arranging, and producing music, she has also been giving back by participating in community projects to raise funds and support causes such as ChildAid.

Her dream is to contribute to the music industry in Singapore, with hopes that future musicians will be given the chance to pursue their own dreams with greater ease.

We take a look into a day in her life.

This is the usual time I end school. By school, I mean academic classes. If I don’t have any extracurricular activities that day like chamber classes or rehearsals, I would use the time for my music activities, such as practising, composing and writing songs.

I am passionate about these activities, which are in line with my dreams of furthering the music industry in Singapore. As both a classical and contemporary musician, my skill set is wider than most, and I am able to learn things such as music theory as well as music production. These skills are extremely important for the future generation of musicians!

Recently, I have been working on making covers of existing songs that I like. I love doing this because it’s less time consuming than writing a whole new song from scratch. However, I do like to spice things up by doing something different, such as a new vocal arrangement, performing it acapella, or rearranging the song entirely.

My mother picks me up from school and I sometimes have dinner in the car because of my busy schedule. Having to juggle my passion for music and school at the same time can get tiring, but I believe that it is necessary to grow as a musician!

Why do I put in so much effort into my musical development? It’s simple: I love music. Someone once explained to me how true love should feel like, and I couldn’t help but draw the comparisons between that definition and my love for music. I don’t think I could ever get tired of music – nothing fulfils me like it does.

One of my favourite rite events I look forward to every year is ChildAid, a charity concert that donates its proceeds to the Straits Times Pocket Money Fund and the Business Times Budding Artists Fund. Despite the 10-12 hour-long daily rehearsals in the weeks leading up to the performance, nothing makes me happier than doing what I love the whole day!

Having earlier finished my music practice in school, I can now focus fully on my academics. I like having that distinction between music and academics. Usually, I have quite a few pieces of homework to complete, in addition to projects and long-term assignments.

At the start of every week, I always plan my time to spread out my workload, so that I won’t get overwhelmed. Everything is planned out according to priority and deadlines, so I can ensure that all my work gets done by the time they have to be submitted.

Although music is what I love and enjoy, I cannot forget that my academics are just as important. They provide me with the skills I need to make my future in music possible.

Being able to play or create music well isn’t everything, there are still other things a musician needs to do, such as finding one’s personal brand and recognising good opportunities! Therefore, this balance between pursuing my dreams in music and doing well in school is extremely essential and shouldn’t be neglected.

I usually finish the work I have for the day around this time, which is when I go to bed. Getting enough rest is one of the most important things when it comes to studying and music, because it helps to ensure that I can give my full attention to improving my skills.