reported
by: Mr. Christopher Yap
Secretary (Term
1999/2000)
On Wednesday, 28 July 1999 at
7.30pm, 8 members of the AES
Singapore Section, and 19 students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, gathered
at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic to listen to a talk on "The Future of Audio in
Singapore - Starting an AES Singapore Student Section" by Dr Roland Tan and
Mr Rafael Oei.
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Mr Rafael Oei
addressing the students - photograph by
Robert Soo |
Mr Oei welcomed
all attendees and explained the objective of the meeting. Since
Singapore did not have an AES student section he felt compelled to
initiate one.
Coupled with his position as
lecturer in the Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he felt it appropriate to approach
the AES Singapore Section to attempt a start-up student section there. |
Dr Roland Tan stated that the
future of any country, and in the same way technology, lies in the hands of
the young, and thus it was of great importance never to neglect the youth in
any culture. The video tape "Careers in Audio" provided by the AES Head
Office was then screened. The video presented careers in the audio industry,
giving various examples from sound engineer to audio journalists. It brought
that reality much closer to its viewers, as they saw how the audio industry
is really a mature industry, with a place for anyone with a heart for
audio.
After the video, Dr Tan went on to
give a short presentation of the AES, covering topics that included it's
history, mission, organisation, membership benefits of the AES, and also the
details on how to start a Student Section. He emphasised that the mission of
the AES is to serve its members, the industry and the public by stimulating
& facilitating advances in the constantly changing field of audio. It
encourages & disseminates new developments through annual technical meetings
& exhibitions, and through the Journal of the AES. The AES Sections serve
members in 41 concentrated geographic areas throughout the world.
The Singapore Section has
currently a total of 70 members. According to Roland, they comprise of R&D
professionals in audio and acoustics. Others include people with background
in the design, manufacture & operation of components & systems for
production and recording. There are quite a few who are involved in the
processing of sound for controlling acoustical environment or sales,
marketing & installation for commercial, institutional, broadcast or other
entertainment. There rest make up of the academics in the field of education
in audio sciences & engineering.
Roland stressed that as an AES
student member, one gets to enjoy many benefits such as a reduced cost of
membership, discounted admission to local/overseas conferences and
conventions, discounts on special AES publications. Similar to the other
members, each student member will receive 10 copies of the Journal of the
AES per year and 6 bi-monthly AES Singapore Section Newsletters. There are
also various Award programs.
Besides the many tangible
benefits, one should also look at the other areas such as the fact that the
AES is the only professional society dedicated to audio profession. Also the
AES Journal is the only refereed scientific journal dedicated to audio and
itself is a significant link for the life-long learner in audio and provide
timely insight into this profession and its artistic utilization of audio
technology. He said that by attending AES activities, students can gain a
wider knowledge in audio. One can witness the healthy scientific and
artistic debate that surrounds new thought in this field. Such activities
will enhance their education and broaden their contacts and resources useful
for their future career.
Elected Student Section officers
are also looked upon as “tomorrow’s leaders” by their colleagues and the
industry, said Roland. It helps to develop one's leadership skills and
knowledge and build network of contacts (both local and global). He told the
young audience of the philosophy he once heard from Ms. Laurel Cash-Jones
that,
Who you know, gets the job…
What you know, keeps the job...
The next part of the meeting was
an engaging one as the AES Singapore Section officers gave first hand
accounts of their personal experiences and viewpoints of their careers in
audio here in Singapore. Due to the diverse audio backgrounds the officers
came from, the students were treated to a host of perspectives from multiple
angles. But everyone agreed on one thing, that one must possess a passion
for audio without which it's impossible to succeed in the sound industry.
Careers in audio are challenging and association to the AES is a sign of
commitment to that field. Furthermore it opens possibilities to network with
like-minded people in the audio community.
The meeting ended with a question
and answer session, followed by a simple tea reception where the students
had a chance of having personal chats with the section officers. The AES
Singapore Section would like to acknowledge Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Mr.
Rafael Oei, for the use of the lecture theatre for the meeting.
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