HEAR: I AM

Artist Profile

Zai Tang (b. 1984) is an artist, composer and sound designer based in London / Singapore. He has a BA in Creative Music Technology and a MA in Digital Arts, and since 2006 has been presenting works internationally in UK, Saatchi Gallery (2013): Singapore, SAM (2011): Venice, 52nd Biennale (2007), amongst others.

www.zaitang.com

Q&A with Zai Tang

What were the challenges you faced during the process?

The most important barrier to break down was the idea that only people with music training can make music. This thinking is built upon fixed criteria for what does and doesn't constitute music. Through the activities they began to forget about judging what they produce through these criteria, and simply started to enjoy exploring the sonorous palette available with each instrument. They began to play highly sensitively, listening to one another and responding - they were making improvised music together, without even realising it!

What did you learn from the participants?

One of the greatest things I took away from working with the participants was the importance of being adaptable in such a setting. Initially I was going to have the seniors work in smaller groups with one another, but as time progressed I realised that the chemistry within the group as a whole was a very powerful resource to tap into.

What was the most rewarding moment for you?

After we played our collaborative composition to the audience, a few of the participants wanted to share a few things about their experience. I was particularly touched by what they had to say about the whole process! One participant, Mr Lim, expressed that he had become much more sensitive towards sound as a result of the workshops. He held up the visual score of our final composition with a quiet pride and explained how wonderful it was to discover that sound can be notated in such a way.