Busker Michael Lee is a familiar figure on Orchard Road, playing 6-8 hours every day on an ancient Chinese instrument few might recognise. A professional performer all his life, he tells CNA Lifestyle how his passion for the sheng took him beyond Singapore’s shores and back.
Michael Lee posing for a photo with his sheng - a Chinese woodwind instrument. Every day on the Orchard Road thoroughfare, in front of Wisma Atria or Takashimaya, busker Michael Lee unpacks an instrument few would be familiar witha cluster of several dozen bamboo and metal pipes large and small, the metal looking distinctly hand-hammered.
The sheng that Lee performs with is custom-made for him by a Beijing-based professional. In contrast to traditional shengs, which are smaller and made solely with bamboo pipes, Lee's custom-made instrument is larger, and has a combination of bamboo and metal pipes. Intrigued by the instrument, he persuaded his father to buy him vinyl records, which he would listen to and learn from.Through practice, Lee’s fingers found their place on the sheng. Within a year, he could play it fluently.
Later, Lee was invited to teach in Taiwan, where he had students of all ages. “Most of my students were only ten years younger than I was,” he recalled. “I have given my best performing and teaching stints when I was overseas. Of course, there are definitely areas of improvement when I look back. But I have no regrets.”Today, Lee continues to hone his craft, spending five to six hours every day playing his instrument on Orchard Road.
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