The Gift Of Music

Mr Jeffrey Tan,  
Marine Engineer and NUS Wind Symphony President
(Engineering ’13) 

“I have played under Prof Ho since my National Junior College days in 2007. Prof Ho is like a father figure to us. His concern for his students extends beyond concert and band music. During rehearsal, he was strict yet very positive to his students. Playing music was difficult back then but he continued to encourage and help us to be more proficient. 

One of the most memorable experiences I had of Prof Ho was the NUS Wind Symphony’s 50^th anniversary concert in 2018, which featured a good mix of musicians from different generations. Prof Ho took the opportunity to tell us stories about band music ‘back in the day’, and how some of the seniors looked and behaved then. It was a very pleasant rehearsal experience.

That concert reinforced my love for band music, as it was not just about giving a good performance but also about fostering relationships with all the band members. Just like how Prof Ho has been teaching band music for the last five decades, I will also play my part to find more performance opportunities for the alumni band so that we can create new memories with everyone.”

Mr Lawrence Siao,  
Teacher and NIESB Concert Master
(Arts and Social Sciences ’97)

“I joined the NIE Symphonic Band (NIESB) in 1988 and learnt under Prof Ho when I enrolled in the Specialist Diploma in Band Directing course conducted by NIE and NTU in 2008. I continued learning from him as I played with the NIESB Alumni and when I became the NIESB Concert Master.

What inspired me most about Prof Ho is his gentle nature, which manifested in two ways. One, the way he deals with musicians: he never once raised his voice at us, not even when we didn’t manage to get the music right. Two, his style of conducting: the elegance and aura he exudes as he waves his baton, particularly in the soft or slow passages of the music we played.

Prof Ho’s disposition has motivated me to emulate him in my own teaching career — not to yell at students and musicians to get what I want from the music. However, this does not mean that Prof Ho has no standards. It is perhaps the quiet confidence he has in us that has very often propelled us to practise harder and, ultimately, deliver the music to the audience. 

Prof Ho can also get very philosophical at times. This is evident in his teaching and rehearsals. I remembered once when we were discussing the topic ‘The meaning of music’ and he asked us in return, ‘What is the meaning of the meaning of music?’.”