Tan Shi Bei

We sat down with Music Teacher Tan Shi Bei to discuss her career so far and thoughts around the piano, music and education.

Her music journey

I describe myself as someone who is slow to warm up to people. However, when we get to know each other, you’ll see that I am open, fun and a good listener. I’m also an enthusiastic and passionate person especially when it comes to music, which I first got involved in when I was 3 years old. Back then, my parents noticed that I would always go to the piano and pound the keys without ever attending music lessons before. Seeing my interest in the piano, they asked me if I would like to learn, and I innocently said yes! That’s how I got started in the Yamaha Junior Music Course.

The earliest musical memories that I can recall is listening to my mum singing church hymns, nursery rhymes, and she taught me and my brother how to sing them too. All that started even before my JMC classes.

I’ve always wanted to be a music teacher since young, but I did not pursue music as my university degree as my other interest during school was also healthcare and science. During my university days, the more I got further away from music, the more I became sure that I want to choose music teaching as my lifelong career path. As such, I applied and auditioned to be a music teacher and was accepted and assigned to a Yamaha Music School outlet in Penang, Malaysia.

Her thoughts on music and education

I’m driven by the desire to discover new music that gives me chills from the unexpected, beautiful harmonies, be it classical, music soundtracks or from the games I play. These musical pieces would drive me to figure out the chords they use, playing them out on the piano, and inspiring me to apply the same progression into compositions. I am just so grateful for all the composers out there who made such beautiful compositions.

For me, creating music is something that is spontaneous, which can be done anytime, anywhere, as I constantly have music playing in my head. I believe women create music through the expression of our emotions.

When I play music, I feel like I can put aside all my worries and thoughts for a while, entering into another world of just enjoying music entirely. When this happens, time passes so fast without even noticing it.

By playing music all these years, I believe I have developed some strengths. I have become more patient by not giving up in learning new pieces or overcome difficult phrases in playing. I also find that I’m more disciplined and goal orientated, which will see me through in the never-ending development of my musical skills. Last but not least, I’m now more flexible and creative especially when it comes to group lessons which is unpredictable, requiring me to be nimble and change lesson plans on the spot.

The challenges that she faced in the field of music and education

I do face some gender stereotypes such as the time when I completed Yamaha Piano Grade 5, I asked my parents if I could learn to play the drums. However, they said that drums is more suitable for boys, so I ended up learning the violin instead. I love the violin too, but now that I’m an adult and can make choices of my own, I will sign up for drum lessons when I have the time. In teaching, I encounter school age boys often telling me that they do not want to sing, as singing is for girls. I would encourage them by giving examples of famous male artists and choosing their favourite pop songs to sing.

Her thoughts on her students

My sense of purpose comes from seeing my students achieving what they want to play, getting good grades in their exam and seeing them enjoy music in class. I feel really fulfilled when they come to class telling me they want to learn a specific Sonata piece, such as the Chopin Waltz because they have learnt to appreciate classical music.

My teaching style revolves around engaging the students as much as possible, asking them questions to check their understanding towards the pieces. In my music classes, seeing the students enjoying music together with friends, telling me “Again!” and “One more time!”, especially for ensemble pieces, is something important to me in my teaching.

When I am teaching, I feel empowered. Like the captain of a ship, I am in control of every situation in the class. I feel responsible to do my very best, to teach, to communicate, to listen and to appreciate music together. When making music with my students, I feel like we are friends because we discuss and share ideas together, and that’s when I get to know them better.

Message to the Next generation

I think women in the field of music should be given equal chances of opportunities, especially in music production, song writing, DJ’ing, sound engineering and not be limited to just the field of education.

If you want to try playing music, try it. Once you try it, never give up or lose hope. By never giving up, music will be your friend, companion, strength and support every day for the rest of your life.