Datin Julia Chong’s lasting legacy

THERE is a Malay proverb which says “When a tiger dies, it leaves behind its bones; but when a man dies, he leaves behind his name.”

This saying rings especially true when it comes to the late Datin Julia Chong nee Wu Nga Chee – by all accounts, a staunch friend and teacher; a formidable woman, mother and wife; and a prolific pioneer of the local music scene in Sarawak.

In the run-up to “An Evening With The Stars of Tomorrow” (a charity concert which will be held in her memory) this August 6, thesundaypost caught up with Chong Pek Lin, Datin Julia’s daughter and now a senior music lecturer at Batu Lintang Teachers College, and Lai Mei Kuen, principal of The Talent Makers Music Academy in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, for a closer look at the rich legacy Datin Julia left behind.

Generosity embodied

Pek Lin’s memories of growing up are filled with fun, music and a seemingly endless assortment of visitors and friends streaming in and out of their home.

Datin Julia was very active in the local music scene and the Sarawak Music Society. Together with the support of her husband Datuk Dr Chong Chun Hian who also loved to sing, their home became a gathering point of sorts for the local music community.

“We used to have parties, musical gatherings and get-togethers, where people would come and sing, and get together and perform, and eat food. Those were the days before TV,” recalled Pek Lin.

“Every Christmas, my parents would invite 60 to 80 people to the house to sing carols. We would have live music – no such things as CDs then. We would do lots of charity concerts, raise funds for churches, Rotary Club and so on.”

She also remembers her mother as someone who was very generous with her time, knowledge and support – giving free music lessons, accompanying students and musicians on her piano, encouraging others to give their best and giving her best to help them perform well.

Pek Lin described her mother’s passion for music and sincere generosity as something which “runs in her blood”, influenced by her early childhood.

Datin Julia was born in China but her family was not well off. She was taught how to play the piano for free by missionaries and later by British expatriates’ wives when her family moved to Penang.

When Julia was aged 12 or 13, her father lost his job. Together with her sister who had also learnt how to play the piano, Julia went door to door – sometimes on bicycle – to give piano lessons.In this way, they both helped to support the family.

Trailblazer and teacher

One of the many people whose life Datin Julia touched is Lai Mei Kuen, who in turn, is passing on the knowledge and skills she gained from her mentor to the next generation of young musicians.

“I used to fly to Kuching to have lessons with her and she taught me for free. She wouldn’t take a single sen from me because she wanted me to carry on whatever she had learnt to the next generation and to pass it on,” recalled Lai.

The list of Datin Julia’s former students who have found success in the field of music is very long.

Lai easily reels off the names of some of Malaysia’s most prominent music performers, educators and lecturers, including award-winning pianist and UCSI University senior music lecturer Dr Nicholas Ong Cheng Hooi who obtained his music doctorate from Juilliard School, one of the world’s most prestigious music conservatories; pianist and composer Ng Chong Lim; London-based concert pianist Foo Mei Ying, and composer Adeline Wong who is currently assistant director and lecturer at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore

Amongst the principles and techniques she learnt under Datin Julia were how to look beyond what was printed on the music sheet to understand the cultural and historical background of the piece, how different people interpreted the piece as well as understand how the composer originally meant the piece to be performed.

“Just playing the notes is really not good enough. What we want to do is create musicians, teaching them to play musically, like phrasing, shaping, direction, and contrast between the sections. She taught me all that. They are small things but it makes so much difference when children play.”

Lai also credits Datin Julia with being the first to advocate a holistic approach to learning music, which many local music teachers did not practise at that time because they had not heard about it.

Pek Lin sees her mother as someone ahead of her time because she saw the importance of instilling a love for music in her students.

“Many piano teachers only teach students to pass exams,” she said.

“People just play those three pieces for exams. They can pass their Grade 8 exam but after they finish, they never touch the piano again. They can’t even accompany a choir because they don’t have the skills. And they end up hating the piano.”

Pek Lin said students had to be exposed to and taught about other aspects of music other than exams, adding that parents and educators needed to break away from the stigma that music is only something to fall back on when all other options have failed.

“My mom used to get really annoyed with parents when they sent their children for music lessons and said “ok la, if my daughter can’t study, at least, she can become a piano teacher,” recalled Pek Lin, laughing.

“Music was seen as second best.”

Pek Lin pointed out that in reality, studies showed that music could help improve a person’s ability to learn.

“People don’t see that music can be used to enrich their studies and help them be better in subjects like languages and maths.”

She added that trainee teachers at Batu Lintang were taught how to use music and dance to teach children basic knowledge and skills such as the alphabet, word and number recognition, and “heavier” subjects such as science and maths.

Lai strongly agrees that when it comes to music education, parents should look beyond exams.

“Education is more than just a certificate. My belief is that if you want to play music, you have to play it really well and really enjoy it –not just being forced to learn an instrument because you need to pass the exam for that certificate.”

Lai explained many people who passed their Grade 8 did poorly when it came to things such as public performances, improvisation and composing music because they hadn’t learnt how to think outside the box nor how to apply their skills, knowledge and creativity outside an exam setting.

“By and large, most people are ignorant of what music should be. Listening to what the ABRSM examiners are saying, they get really, really upset during exam sessions because they are not hearing what they should be hearing because of (students’) lack of knowledge.

“Not many people are aware that they need to learn. This is the part which is very, very sad.”

To counter this lack of knowledge so they could keep improving, students and teachers needed to have that attitude of wanting to learn, she said.

“Let’s have some humility if we do not know, so that we have a better standard of music,” Lai said, adding that she was fortunate to have Datin Julia there for her.

She is determined to pass on all the things which she has learnt from Datin Julia to her students.

Stars in the making

Lai’s voice is justifiably tinged with pride as she shares the background and accomplishments of some of her students who will be performing in Kuching and how music has impacted their lives.

Among them is Shulamite Chin, who comes from Temerloh, a small town in Pahang located about 130 km from Kuala Lumpur. She started learning the violin from scratch with Lai at the tender age of 10.

Lai describes her as one of those “die-hard people” for whom once Lai started teaching, there was no turning back.

“It was very tough for her,” Lai remembered.

“When she first came down, she used to leave home at 1pm to come to KL to have all the different lessons she was supposed to learn with me. By the time she got home, it was about 2am Sunday morning. The second year, I offered her to stay over at my studio, so she didn’t have to be so tired.”

Within six years, Shulamite earned four diplomas, including the Fellow of Trinity College London (UK). At 17, she won a four-year full scholarship to Birmingham and is currently the only first-year student selected to play in the Birmingham Orchestra (the other members are professional teaching staff).

At 12 years old, Antony Goon is not the youngest member of the group coming to Kuching to perform but he displays skills and techniques which rival those of older, more experienced musicians. He is the youngest musician to win the violin competitions at the Malaysian Youth Music Festival 2009 and the Kota Kinabalu Music Festival 2009 (Grade 7 categories).

Amazingly, he accomplished these feats after only studying the violin for three and a half years using the Australian and New Zealand Cultural Arts Limited (ANZCA) syllabus.  He is a member of the “Permata Seni Muzik” orchestra and is currently studying for his ATCL Diploma in Violin.

Seven-year-old Chan Shao Yong is the youngest member of the group and currently about Grade 2. Despite only taking up the violin and piano two years ago, he managed to win two gold medals for piano and one silver for violin in last year’s Kota Kinabalu Youth Music Festival – his first competition.

“It’s wonderful all these things that Julia has shared with me, we apply them and use them to teach children,” Lai said, adding that it was very satisfying for her as a teacher to see young musicians fulfill their potential.

The concert

Shulamite, Antony and Shao Yong are among the talented young musicians from Talent Makers who will be performing at the charity concert in Kuching this August 6.

They will perform a wide range of contemporary and classical solo and ensemble pieces, collaborating with students under the tutelage of teachers at Avant Garde music school, Marcus Leong, and Classic Music Conservatory (Brian Lee).

Lai is looking forward to the concert.

“Throughout the years of teaching the way I’ve been taught by Julia, it makes a whole lot of difference in the results of the children’s development. Finally, I’m able to do this and share with the people in Kuching what a diamond she had been in developing music in this part of the world,” Lai said.

“An Evening With The Stars of Tomorrow” will be held August 6 at Auditorium Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, Batu Lintang Teachers Training College, starting at 7.30pm.

Among the highlights will be a piano solo performance of “Rasa Sayang Variations” (composed by the late Datin Julia) by Khoo Ker Sin, as well as three performances by critically acclaimed pianist Wong Shuen Da, two of which will see him pair with Shulamite.

Concert tickets are priced at RM30, RM50 and RM100 respectively, and may be obtained from the Sarawak Music Society (Eileen at 016 8912286), International Music House, Classic Music Conservatory, and Century Music School.  Proceeds will benefit Rumah Kanak-Kanak, Kuching Autistic Association and the Boys Home in Kuching.