tbjkids Magazine
Track down your favorite tbjkids article from previous issues, or check out the latest from the magazine.
Balancing Act
Name: Ma Xiangsheng
Nationality:
Age: 36
Chinese
Instrument: Voice
Genre: Peking Opera
How old were you when you started performing?
We all learn Peking Opera as children. I started learning Peking Opera when I was 12 years old.
How did you come to study Peking opera?
I was in middle school in Ya’an, Sichuan province, when a group of strangers came to our classroom and walked around to check each student carefully. The strangers checked my bones – then asked me to kick, stretch my arms and bend my waist. They also tested my singing as well. They were selecting students for the Peking Opera Troupe of Panzhihua City, and I was the one selected in my city to go to Tianjin Opera School.
Rhythm Stick
Name: Jon Campbell
Age: 32
Nationality: Canadian
Instrument: Drums
Genre: Rock/Blues
How old were you when you started playing drums?
I started drumming at 13, much to my parents’ dismay. This was after almost five years of piano and six months of guitar. I started playing hand drums a few years ago.
What’s the hardest part about playing drums?
Transport is the number one problem. Transport and noise are two things that make it difficult for many urban dwellers to take up the drums. Technically speaking, the hardest part is getting your four limbs to do four different things simultaneously, like patting your head and rubbing your stomach.
What do you love most about drums?
I think that more than any other instrument, it’s the one thing that people react to most deeply and immediately. Rhythm is ingrained deep in our bones, and drums bring that out – whether you’re playing or listening to them.
In the Spotlight
Name: Declan Galbraith
Age: 16
Nationality: Irish/Scottish
Instrument: Voice
Genre: Pop
How old were you when you started singing on stage?
I was singing from a very early age. I can remember singing at family parties when I was 5 or 6 years old. I used to watch and listen to my grandfather, Poppy Ben, who played and sang in a band. I suppose it was that influence that gave me the interest in music and singing.
How did you start singing?
One day when I was 6 or 7 years old, my mother took me to see a Dickens Festival in a town called Rochester, near where I live. The festival is very famous; a lot of singers, musicians and actors perform to the public in the streets. I loved seeing them all and asked my mother if I could sing a song. She laughed, but then realized I was serious. I started singing in the street, and very quickly hundreds of people gathered around. It was a fantastic experience. It was from that moment that I knew I wanted to sing.
Perfect Harmony
Name: May MacLeod
Age: 11
Nationality: British-Chinese
Instrument: Voice
Genre: Choir/Theater
How did you become interested in singing and performing?
I’m not sure where it came from, but I have lots of pictures of myself dancing and in costumes since I was in nursery, maybe 5 or 6 years old. When I was in Year 4 in England, around 7 or 8 years old, I started going to drama school, doing one hour of singing, one hour of dancing and one hour of drama. They thought I was very good at singing and asked if I was interested in joining the choir. Then I starred in a school performance as Alice in Alice in Wonderland. That was 2005.
How do you think being in a choir has shaped or molded your personality?
I used to be kind of shy, but now I’m not! It’s made me a lot more confident, and I’ve gotten to know more friends.
What’s the best part of being the lead singer/soloist?
Lots of little children look up to you.
Music Electronica
The latest gadgets for kids to blast their tunes on
Kids these days grow up surrounded by technology, whether it’s computers, cell phones or video games. And when it comes to MP3 players, chances are your kid has at least one. If they don’t, however, maybe it’s about time to get them digitalized with these kid-friendly MP3 and other electronic music gadgets.
1. Aigo F029
It’s not just a watch – this Aigo F029 also functions as a music player. The Aigo has a full-color OLED screen with a maximum resolution of 160x128 pixels. It supports both MP3 and WMA audio formats, and can also play MPEG videos. RMB 799 for 2GB; RMB 999 for 4GB. Available at various electronic stores and markets.
