Rotary Sentosa had the honour of having guest speaker Dr Eleanor Tan enlighten the group on the finer points of modern music appreciation. Dr Eleanor Tan is Head of Academic Studies (Music) at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where she educates Singapore's young minds on the many possibilities in music. Dr Eleanor Tan has many years of professional practice in both Singapore and the United States. She undertook undergraduate and graduate studies at Indian University, Bloomington and later pursued two years of doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music with Nelita True. Dr Eleanor also pursued her PhD candidature at the University of Queensland in Australia.
With her wealth of professional experience, Rotary Sentosa was truly enthralled with a rather unique and interactive talk on the development of modern music in the 20th century. For the group, it was probably the first time many had been exposed to such a wide array of composers and equally intriguing scores. From composers such as Charles Ives, the full time insurance man, part time composer to Cathy Berberian, with the Stripsody - a score with comic illustrations rather than musical notes. Dr Eleanor Tan introduced the various influences for modern music, including the importance of the Paris International meeting which became the confluence of Western and international music styles and cultures. The highlight of the evening, was perhaps the clapping experiment which she patiently guided the group through.
After the talk, Dr Eleanor Tan also highlighted some of the challenges of music education in Singapore. Institutions such as NAFA, play a key role in training and providing the talent that's required to promote and sustain quality music education for Singapore's younger generation. Indeed, even in the area of music, Singapore appears to face the challenge of encouraging innovation and flexibility rather than just academic excellence. A truly educational evening.
Rotary Sentosa wishes Dr Eleanor Tan the best in her musical endeavours.
