Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader
Tay Cher Siang and WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble's Latest Album: Purnama
Purnama. A bright full Moon, perfect. It lights up the whole of human civilisation.
The Moon is timeless, and yet we use its phases to compute and comprehend time, to mark change, to symbolise the repetitive cycles of the world. It presents a different face each night, different versions of itself, the light as well as the hidden dark, as it waxes and wanes endlessly.
The image of a new Moon seemed somehow to capture the spirit of those times, for Malaysia’s national anthem, ‘Negaraku’, shares its melody with a gorgeous love song made popular in the 1920s, ‘Terang Bulan’, and also with ‘Mamula Moon’ or ‘Moonlight Song’ 月光曲or ‘Moonlight in the Southern Sea’ 南海月夜. Perhaps these songs, I thought, showed us the glint of light on the new road taken.
WVC’s latest album Purnama includes 12 songs rearranged, performed by acclaimed Malaysian musicians.
Order now at https://www.wvcjazz.com/music
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Physical CD (with digital download) priced at RM 60.
Delivery to anywhere in Malaysian Peninsula please add RM 10.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay healthy.
Malaysian Musician Series by Kawai Malaysia
It was an honor to be invited by Kawai Malaysia to talk about my journey in music, and share some thoughts about jazz. Thank you Kawai Malaysia! Of course getting to play on the impeccable Shigeru Kawai grand piano is memorable. I am quite surprised by their Kawai electric piano as well (I am not familiar with their lines of electric pianos).
Listening to Jazz on City Plus FM
Hosted by Tay Cher Siang
Video
Comprised of education driven musicians from around the world, the Accidental Big Band's mission is to entertain, enrich, & expand the international music community with video performances, educational interviews, while advocating member supported charities/organizations.
"The piece was originally premiered with WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble together with String Octet written by Fung Chern Hwei in 2016. The melody of this composition came pretty much well formed in a quiet moment when I was sitting on the grass field facing Prinirvana Stupa in Kushinagar. This is where Gothama Buddha had his last breath, as legend has it. Samsara is the concept from Buddhism, meaning the wandering world, the cycle of aimless drifting or mundane existence." Tay Cher Siang, composer.
"Throughout the entire piece it was important to me to try and capture some of the musical ideas from India. Incorporating a tabla, udu, ankle bells and chimes really makes this chart come alive. The overencompassing struggle of trying to become the best individual we can really reside here. I believe that we as humans fight this inner feeling of complacency everyday while really trying to find our inner selves. Society, for the most part, really drives us to take solace in just following the norm and being a cog in the wheel when in reality we are driven to be the best versions of ourselves. My job as a composer, arranger, and musician is to take the audience members (and even the band) on a journey." - Jon C. Gardner, arranger.
About
Tay Cher Siang started his piano lessons learning classical music. He took up an interest in
Jazz during his teenage years and began to pursue his musical journey as a jazz pianist.
He received his Masters in Jazz Pedagogy under the tutelage of Dr. Miltenberger and Professor
Scea.
Tay immerse himself in the education of Jazz in Malaysia and Asia, he taught at UCSI, UM, The
Yamaha Music Academy and UPM. He is also teaching at his private studio, and giving master
classes, jazz clinics throughout Malaysia and Asia.
As a pianist and composer, Tay has been touring extensively with his band WVC –
Malaysian Jazz Ensemble, and also with a multi nationals band Unit Asia, to China, Taiwan,
Macau, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Turkey, Egypt,
India, Italy, Germany, Spain, and USA. Total of nine albums were released throughout the
Years, with original compositions and arrangements. Tay is also active in producing recordings
with various artists and singers in the region. He has produced 28 albums to date.
In 2016, Tay won three Kaki Seni- Cameronian Arts Awards, the most prestigious awards
for Performing Arts in Malaysia, for his compositions and performances. Another nominations
came in 2020, for his production of Shakespeare and Jazz concerts of which he bagged the
best original composition award. He is invited to give a TedX talk at the prestigious 2018 TedX
Petaling Street, and then perform with his band at the said event.
Tay is also the music director and arranger for various notable Singers and musical acts in
the Malaysian live music scene.
As a composer and music director, Tay has been involved with movie soundtracks, Musical
productions, and Theater works. He and his band played themselves in the Hollywood
blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians”.
Tay is currently the Chairman of the organizing committee of the annual Malaysian Jazz Piano
Festivals. He also is writing a bi-weekly Jazz Column on newspaper China Press, and he hosts
a weekly Jazz radio program on City Plus FM.
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@ 2016 Tay Cher Siang