Speech by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee at the Launch of "Keep Music Original"
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Mr Kenneth Tan,
CEO,
MediaCorp Radio
Mr Edward Neubronner,
CEO,
Recording Industry Association of Singapore (RIAS)
Ms Liew Woon Yin,
Director-General
IPOS
Ladies and gentlemen.
Good evening.
- I am pleased to be here this evening to officiate at this launch of the "Keep Music Original" Campaign.
- From classical to pop, from mainstream to alternate, music pervades our daily lives and enriches it with colour and vigour. Indeed when we hear good news, we say its "music to our ears".
- Music has the ability to evoke the deepest feelings in all of us. It is a universal language that transcends barriers. It can be healing; it can be inspiring; it is the expression of our creative being. That is why the music entertainment industry has always enjoyed popular following and along with that much glamour. The industry has produced many gifted talents and some of the world's greatest pop icons - they make music that affect us. We, in Singapore, have also seen our fair share of homegrown artistes and musicians who have made their mark in the business. Names like Kit Chan, Dick Lee, Jacintha and Stephanie Sun come to mind.
- In recent times, digital media has transformed both the music and film industries and will continue to do so for a long time. These changes bring new opportunities for music to reach out to more people than ever before.
- However there is a flip side to this. The proliferation of new technologies has also facilitated file sharing that has led to a rapid rise of on-line music piracy. It is not uncommon these days to hear that even albums that have yet to be launched are illegally made available on the Internet for free downloading.
- Many do not realise that unauthorised downloads and CD burning have severe consequences. Such activities translate into losses in album sales and revenue, fewer jobs, scaled-back operations. The economic damage goes beyond financial losses.
- Ultimately, this victimises artistes, songwriters, composers and music producers when they cannot reap the benefits of their creative work. Consumers will be left with less diversity, choice and eventually nothing at all.
- Today, I am happy to see that MediaCorp Radio, RIAS and other key partners like IPOS have come together with a plan to educate consumers on what the music industry is about and to understand that there is a value to the music they love.
- IPOS has been calling on Singaporeans to 'Live for REAL" - to respect and reward original creative work, to be original and buy original. This dovetails nicely for the message to all music lovers to "Keep Music Original". The music industry in Singapore is an important growth area. To sustain this growth, we need a strong culture that rewards and encourages creativity. We need everyone to play his part.
- MediaCorp's plans as spelled out by Mr Kenneth Tan in his speech are impressive and will reach out to the very people who make music a big part of their lives. The RIAS video will deliver the message to our youth through the education system. I am confident that this campaign will drive home the message in Singapore.
- I take this opportunity to commend the pro-active stand taken by MediaCorp Radio, RIAS, IPOS and all the other members of the industry and wish them all the best.
- Before I end, I am reminded of the question Glenn Ong asked in the RIAS video - "Can you imagine life without music?"
- I would say - Unimaginable. So, "play on maestro".
Thank you and enjoy the evening. |
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