Support for local music industry

Response to parliamentary question on the support given to the local music industry

Oral PQ 5807. Ms Usha Chandradas: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how much has been spent by the Government on the development of the local music industry over the last five years; (b) what is the nature of such spending; and (c) what have been the outcomes of the spending.

1. The local music industry comprises a diverse ecosystem of practitioners, non-profit collectives, and registered arts companies across different genres, languages, and music styles. This reflects the cultural diversity and open nature of the Singapore society today.
2. The National Arts Council (NAC) supports various aspects of a musician’s work, such as in content production, international export, capability development, and audience development. This is done through a suite of grants and initiatives for both individuals and organisations. 
   • The Presentation & Participation Grant supports both live showcases and production of albums, while the Capability Development Grant supports musicians to continually upskill through courses, workshops and masterclasses. NAC’s Market & Audience Development Grant also supports musicians to tour overseas and showcase at international platforms. 
   • Annually, NAC supports around 100 music projects through its grant schemes, along with 10 major companies and two national orchestras which are funded at an organisational level.
   • Additionally, NAC awards the NAC Arts Scholarship to outstanding art practitioners for undergraduate and postgraduate studies locally and overseas. This includes music-related disciplines, such as composing, conducting and music psychology. 
   • Developing our local music industry goes beyond just funding or grants. NAC actively spearheads strategic initiatives to foster collaboration, showcase local talent, and cultivate audiences for Singaporean music. A prime example is NAC’s Hear65 platform, produced by independent music media company Bandwagon. Hear65 elevates the visibility and profile of Singaporean musicians through strategic partnerships with various events and companies. It serves as a digital hub and repository for discovery of Singaporean music through platforms such as its website, Instagram and YouTube. Notably, to raise public exposure to Singapore music, Hear65 and SMRT collaborated to launch the “I Play SG Music” campaign last August. Commuters across 125 MRT/LRT stations and bus interchanges can enjoy Singapore-made music, significantly boosting not just the commuting experience, but also enhancing public support for local music.
3. NAC’s efforts are further complemented by our various cultural institutions in Singapore, which also play a role in promoting and showcasing our homegrown musicians. For example:
   • Since 2001, the Esplanade has organised Baybeats, Singapore’s largest annual alternative music festival; and 
   • As a celebration of Singapore’s Mandopop artists and music, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre organises the annual crowd favourite Sing•浪(Singlang).
4. We are proud of the achievements and accolades garnered by our homegrown artists, ensemble, and music professionals. 
   • At national level – Our national orchestras, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), broke into the Top 20 of the UK’s Specialist Classical Charts in July 2023, at #5 and #16 respectively. SSO also clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone in 2021 – the only Asian orchestra to be nominated that year. 
   • At industry level – Since 2017, the Composers & Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) and music company Ocean Butterflies have staged the mandarin pop song writing competition SG:SW. This platform helps to build a supportive community of homegrown talents and develop the careers of our songwriters, for example, by placing their works in Mediacorp drama serials. SG:SW also contributed to the body of cross-cultural work in the local music scene. For instance, one of the past prize-winning entries is Ku Mahu 在乎 (Ku Mahu Zai Hu), a bilingual song featuring both Malay and Mandarin lyrics co-written by Jamiel Said and Lim Wei Bin (林维彬). 
   • Our individual artists have also achieved success at various levels – Flautist Rit Xu was conferred NAC’s Young Artist Award for his outstanding artistic achievements, and recently emerged as a winner of the 2023 London International Concerto Competition. Another of our talented young singers, Shazza, whom NAC had supported through its EP/Album Grants, also recently went viral on TikTok with over 20 million views of her video with Canadian pop duo Crash Adams. Shazza was featured on a billboard at the iconic Times Square in New York City last year as part of Spotify’s EQUAL campaign which spotlights women in music from around the world.
5. Our music artists have come quite some way in the last few years, and we remain committed to nurturing their progress. NAC will continue to support our artists, and work closely with industry stakeholders to forge strategic partnerships that will further develop the music scene in alignment with the strategic thrusts of NAC’s Our SG Arts Plan 2023 to 2027.