XIN TONGGuZheng, Crystal Bowls, Singing Bowls, Gongs

    XIN TONG

    Classes taught at SPACE 2B:

    GuZheng, Crystal Bowls, Singing Bowls, Gongs

    Background:

    Chan Xin Tong is a young musician who is deeply enthusiastic about fusion music (the combination of different music styles). She started learning the piano from her mother around the age of four. She then picked up the traditional chinese instrument Guzheng in primary school. Due to the influence of both western and eastern instruments, she learnt to adapt to and appreciate different genres of music and slowly developed a passion for fusion music.

    As a student of the Dunman High School
    Music Elective Programme (MEP), she enjoys
    performing music with her musician friends.
    She wrote a fusion Guzheng and piano work named ‘Trapped’ (2019) which premiered in her school’s annual MEP concert. She is also a member of Dunman High School’s prestigious Chinese Orchestra, where she plays in the Guzheng Ensemble (which is part of the Chinese Orchestra). In 2019, she took on the role of Sectional Principal of the Guzheng Ensemble where she guided her ensemble musically and led her ensemble to attain the ‘distinction’ award at the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). These experiences in Dunman High often revolve around playing in music ensembles which enabled her with skills to work closely with different people to perform music together.

    Academically, in addition to her study of A-level music at the H2 (Higher 2) level, she also took music as a research subject at the H3 level, which are intended for students interested in pursuing the subject at a deeper level and specialisation. She was then awarded the Music Elective Scholarship by the Ministry of Education of Singapore in 2020.

    Xin Tong also actively participates in music competitions to gain more performing experiences and further her skills. In 2013, she participated in the National Piano and Violin Competition, where she was chosen to attend a masterclass by piano professor Gennady Dzyubenko. In 2020, she participated in the 5th Steinway Youth Piano Competition and Singapore Chinese Music Competition (SCMC). Other than participating in classical music or traditional chinese music competitions, she also writes pop songs with her friends for fun, and entered the 6th “Xin Kong Xia” National Schools Xinyao Songwriting Competition (2020) co-organised by the CPCLL (Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning), Jurong Pioneer Junior College, Lianhe Zaobao and TCR Music Station.

    Xin Tong is known for her sensitivity towards sound and expressiveness when playing music. In her time spent at the SPACE2B sound meditation studio, she experimented with creating different soundscapes using the unique instruments there. Under the guidance of Christina Nikolovski, she was trained to play the Crystal Bowls, Singing Bowls and Gongs in a meditative setting.

    Why I practice sound healing meditation:

    Being a musician naturally gravitates me to love sound, for it is the raw material in which I make art with. However, being exposed to sound on a daily basis (such as that of instruments during concert rehearsals, or just regular sounds of commute every day) may sometimes lower my awareness of the pureness of sound which sound healing meditation instead gives me an avenue to be more aware of. Sound healing meditation teaches me to feel sound in a mindful manner which not only enhances my connection to sound as a musician but brings me calmness as a human being in this rather hectic world.

    Why I teach sound meditation:

    I believe that sound meditation trains one to listen to sound in its purest form – where we not only hear but feel the vibrations of the meditative instruments which are often times extremely calming due to their resonant nature. In addition, teaching sound meditation in SPACE2B is always fun because I get to meet new people who are also interested in improving themselves through mindfulness! Their enthusiasm in self-improvement also inspires me as a sound meditation teacher.

    What does “SPACE TO BE” look like to you?

    It is a place of serenity and calmness; a place which is open to all ideas and emotions.

    What does “LIVE SIMPLY” mean to you?

    To me, “living simply” means taking things easily and trusting our decisions without overthinking.

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