Interview with Fion and Yifei
Interview with Fion:
As 咖啡与茶 emerged Champion in the Chinese Xinyao Singing Competition 星空下, there has been growing interest amongst RVians concerning the two singers, Fion Chai and Liu Yi Fei. The Student Editorial Club brings to you their individual backstories and reports on how their venture into singing began.
Fion started singing when she was very young — about four years old. Her mother discovered her interest in it and sent her for professional training when she was five. Since then, singing has become Fion’s hobby and passion.
“I enjoy every moment I sing. It is a way for me to express myself.”
In Malaysia, she participated in a few singing competitions where she won several prizes. “The main difference between Malaysia and Singapore is that my choice of songs is different. I sang more Chinese songs back in Malaysia.”
After coming to Singapore, Fion continued participating in singing contests. The very first one was River Valley High School’s ReVel Fest in 2016. “I had never tried blank auditions before; it was very different from my past experiences.” In this year’s ReVel Fest, she challenged herself by entering the English Solo category, which was definitely more difficult than singing Chinese songs which she was more familiar with. “I needed to work harder for the English songs as I couldn’t even decide what to sing at first.” Fortunately, she had the support of friends who always sat in during her practices and gave her advice.
In 2016, Fion also joined the 星空下 Xinyao competition. She recalled, “It was the first time I joined a Xinyao competition. It being broadcasted on TV was totally unexpected. Moreover, I didn’t expect to win as the finalists were really competitive.” This year, she entered the competition again with her school mate, Liu Yi Fei. She found singing a duet to be very different from singing solo. “You can simply sing in your own style when you are a soloist. On the other hand, coordination between singers is critical for a duet. You need to collaborate and harmonise perfectly.” She admitted that this was quite a challenge for her and, till today, she still has not fully grasped the technicalities.
When asked whether she aspires to be a full-time singer, Fion commented that she has not really thought about it. However, if given the chance, she would definitely like to become a professional singer.
Now, moving on to Yifei...
Yifei was Champion of this year's ReVel Fest Chinese Category Competition, and he was also named the 2017 National Schools Xinyao Singing and Composing Competition Group Champion, alongside Fion Chai, for their collaborative effort "Coffee and Tea".
Ever since his winning performance in ReVel Fest 2017, Yi Fei has been making good progress in his musical journey. Music is something which Yifei has a great love for, and this passion also serves as a stress-relief for him.
"I feel at ease when I sing; it's something I enjoy. Singing also helps to relieve stress.”
When asked about when he realised that he had a knack for singing, Yifei’s reply was modest. "I wouldn't call it a talent," he said. It turned out that he discovered his ability to sing three years ago after covering a song by JJ Lin. It was also during this time that he started to become more passionate about singing.
I asked him how he practised and fine-tuned his singing, and his answer comprised only three powerful words: "Everywhere, anywhere, anytime."
Moving on, he spoke about his experience in the most recent Xinyao Competition. “The competition was filled with difficulties. For one, Fion and I were not choir singers, unlike most other competitors. We also lacked chemistry when it came to singing a duet. Both of us only knew how to sing but we didn’t really know the other components of music, so when it came to composing and creating the harmony, it was really hard for us." He then went on to thank one of the teachers in our school, Mr Dela Cruz.
"I'm really glad that Mr Dela Cruz stepped in and taught me much about composition of melody and harmony, which helped me in my songwriting. I managed to hone my skills in music organisation, composition and songwriting, for which I am grateful to Mr D (Dela Cruz).”
When asked if he would pursue singing as a career in the future, he gave a definitive response and said that it would remain as a hobby of his. "I don't really intend to become a professional because I don't think I am talented enough. I just want to learn to sing better and write my own songs for fun so that I can share them with my family and friends."
When asked if he had any advice for aspiring singers who were afraid to take the first step, Yifei answered, "As an aspiring singer who was originally afraid, I have one piece of advice: don't be nervous. I used to be very anxious whenever I sang and that adversely affected the quality of my performance and recordings. Thus, I would encourage everyone to just be confident and sing. If you're good, people will notice. Don't be nervous and worry too much."