Feature Focus

Book�s big store

By Tatat Bunnag

Young musician takes the cup

Now in its second year, the prestigious Conrad Young Musician of Thailand Competition recently took place with a gala dinner at the Conrad Hotel Bangkok�s main ballroom. The competition, sponsored in part by Bangkok Post and other international and local companies, was overseen by renowned judges and showcased eight Thai finalists.

The young musicians each took the spotlight to compete in categories of piano/keyboards, woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion to win the Royal Trophy given by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The Conrad competition was organised in association with the Royal Over-Seas League, a London-based organisation devoted to international art, music and welfare projects. There are plans to make the contest an annual event to promote the talents of young classical musicians.

Competing against some of the finest young musicians in Thailand, 19-year-old Pongsakorn Leartsakworakul (Book) took the King�s Trophy with his excellent percussion performance. In addition, Book won a 100,000 baht cash prize, a trip to London to perform at Princess Alexandra Hall and a recording session with Sony BMG.

Book is a first-year student at Chulalongkorn University, majoring in music. The young champion spoke to Student Weekly about his student life, music and his recent success.

Student Weekly: Congratulations for winning the competition. How do you feel about your success?

• Did you know •

The piano is considered a percussion instrument because the sound is produced by hammers hitting strings.

Book: It feels great. This is a life-changing event, so I�ll have to be responsible and do my best.

It�s the beginning of many things that are waiting for me in the future.

Student Weekly: What initially attracted you to music?

Book: My parents sent me to a music school for keyboard lessons when I was in Pratom 2. I wasn�t really into music at the time, and I didn�t think the piano suited me. When you play the piano, it�s hard to move and groove with the music.

In Pratom 6, I was invited to join in the school�s marching band, and my instructor suggested that I try playing percussion instruments.

Student Weekly: How did your parents react when you decided to study music at university?

Book: I was supposed to study medicine, because most of my family are in the medical profession. I�m a bit of a black sheep. [Laughs.]

They just said that I should think carefully before deciding to do it. They�ve always been very supportive and accommodating to me, so I have a lot to thank them for.

Student Weekly: Why did you decide to play instruments such as marimba and xylophone in the contest?

Book: I�ve enjoyed playing marimba since I was a kid. I love the resonance and the beautiful shape of it.

Marimbas also look good on stage. There aren�t many people playing it these days, so it attracts a lot of attention.

Student Weekly: What obstacles have you encountered since you decided to compete?

Book: It takes a lot of work to learn this kind of instrument. Controlling two mallets in each hand isn�t easy, and sometimes it really hurts. It makes your hands bleed if you play too much.

It�s almost impossible to own a marimba because they�re very expensive. There�s only one available at the university, and there�s always a few students waiting in line to play it.

Student Weekly: Do you enjoy other types of music besides classical?

Book: I study classical, but I enjoy many kinds of music. Sometimes I play drums in a rock band.

I like music that relates to real life. You can play rock when you�re feeling happy or songs with thoughtful lyrics when you�re sad and feeling down.

Student Weekly: Is there any advice you�d like to offer young musicians who are just starting out?

Book: Never overlook the basic steps � they�re the most important thing of all. Sometimes it can be boring when your teacher keeps telling to practise those basics, but they will definitely help you in the long run.

	prestigious (adj): respected and admired as very important or of very high quality woodwind (n): the group of musical instruments that are mostly made of wood or metal and are played by blowing percussion (n): musical instruments that you play by hitting them with your hand or with a stick annual (adj): happening or done every year initially (adv): at the beginning marching band (n): a group of musicians who play while they are marching black sheep (n): a person who is different from the rest of their family or group accommodating (adj): willing to give help and do things for other people xylophone (n): a musical instrument made of two rows of wooden bars of different lengths that you hit with mallets resonance (n): the sound quality and vibrations produced by something mallet (n): a small hammer with a long handle and a head relate to (phrasal v): to be connected with or to refer to something IDIOM in the long run: concerning a longer period in the future