Paths of Passion: On the Record

If you were interviewed on the street and asked, “Who’s your favourite artist, and name your favorite song,” what would you say? Justin Bieber’s “Come Around Me,” or The Weeknd’s “Starboy?” No matter what you say – due to the fact that taste in music is quite a personal thing – these artists all require something in common: a professional recording studio that provides them with sound quality that enhances their albums.

 

Shawnigan Lake School is one of the very few schools that offer a full-on recording studio, with specialized microphones for a variety of music sources (vocals, instrumentals, drums); computer programs that allow you to make beats, tune, and have infinite freedom to create; and speakers that ensure there is no loss of sound quality. As a Grade 12 student who came to Shawnigan in Grade 10, I was truly amazed by the freedom to create in the recording art studio. R&B, rap, country, hip-hop… any style one can think of can be created in this shed.

 

What year is it in the Chinese zodiac? The Year of the Snake. As a custom at Shawnigan, Asian students are given the opportunity to celebrate Lunar New Year by offering performances of an integration of modern and traditional culture. Proud of my culture, I decided to take on the lead for a traditional Chinese song, “GongXi GongXi,” for our Mandarin 12 class. Yet, performing in front of more than 500 people, I thought, perhaps leading them in plain singing would be somewhat unentertaining for a three-minute song; it would be just an average performance. Then, a thought came to me: what if I add something modern to the traditional song – a blend of the 1940s with what teenagers like nowadays: rap? What if I put on a persona of a Chinese rap star, have a phenomenal entrance, and suddenly start rapping in between some slow-vibed, high pitched Chinese traditional music? Acta, Non Verba. I immediately talked to my dear friend Tomas K., a Grade 12 student in Lonsdale’s, who has a sublime talent in music production and an innate sense of rhythm, and asked if he would add a rap beat to “GongXi GongXi.” He enthusiastically agreed to help me.

 

Lights off when the beats drop. A majestic entrance with sunglasses. And rapping for 40 seconds during an interlude where there are no lyrics and only the rap beat. The performance lit up all of Marion Hall. It couldn’t have been more successful. What made it happen? Friendship, practice, and our Shawnigan’s own recording studio. The recording studio has been around long enough to be a place where producers and singers collaborate with professional equipment. It is a place where the top of the talents come together and mingle, producing something ingenious and creative. It is a place where I have the freedom to create.

Sean Xiao is a Grade 12 student at Shawnigan Lake School. As a member of the Recording Arts 360, he now is embarking on creating his own R&B single.