You can be an artist only if you have that singularity and vision, that obsession and determination. If you are willing to compromise, in particular, be willing to be told what to do by market forces or by people who filter information and manipulate your talent, you’re not really an artist, you are a work for hire.
— Bob Ezrin, quoted in “Too busy for Jagger” by Eddino Abdul Hadi in The Straits Times: Life!, 23 May 2012, p. C10.
When I attended the City Night Songs rehearsal on Mon night, I was reminded of something that Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, once wrote about finding success in life:
If you want an average successful life, it doesn’t take much planning. Just stay out of trouble, go to school, and apply for jobs you might like.
But if you want something extraordinary, you have two paths:
Become the best at one specific thing.
Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.
The first strategy is difficult to the point of near impossibility. Few people will ever play in the NBA or make a platinum album. I don’t recommend anyone even try.
The second strategy is fairly easy. Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort.
In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people.
The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare.
And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it…
Well, traditional theatre requires actors to be good at one thing and one thing alone: acting.
But the way the actors have to multi-task for City Night Songs is friggin’ amazing – they’re not only actors in the traditional theatrical sense, but they’re dancers and musicians too.
Having to do all these things consecutively (and sometimes, concurrently) is no easy task, and that they were cast to star in their various roles also points to their versatility and talent.
So if anything, you can be assured that these multi-talented actors are gonna put up a great show over the weekend.
And coupled with a fantastic script that has Huzir Sulaiman as both dramaturg and director, you can see why I’m looking forward to seeing the show in its full glory.
Bringing people into six real-life homes that’ve been transformed into art spaces and acting as their guide.
What you’ll receive:
FREE opportunities to meet new and interesting people,
A FREE special edition OH! 2012 t-shirt,
FREE training on how to talk about art, among other FREEbies I haven’t mentioned.
Commitment intensity:
One training session at Evil Empire on either Sun, 15 Jan 2012 (2pm) or Mon, 16 Jan 2012 (8pm),
One walk-through in said hippest neighbourhood on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 (2pm) or Mon, 13 Feb 2012 (8pm), and
One or more volunteer sessions on:
Sat, 18 Feb 2012 from 4 – 8.30pm,
Sun, 19 Feb 2012 from 4 – 8.30pm,
Sat, 25 Feb 2012 from 4 – 8.30pm, and/or
Sun, 26 Feb 2012 from 4 – 8.30pm.
It’s quite intense, but it’s over a relatively short period of time, so do spare the time to go if you can.
I would do this, but unfortunately, I have a National Service call-up over that period, which means I’m gonna need the weekends to catch up with work (yes, that’s the price of being male in Singapore).
