Musician and Music Producer, The Music Collective
Shakespeare may be a little too high brow for many of us to appreciate, but the bard has a popular quote that we can all relate to: “If music be the food of love, play on.” Indeed, food, music and love are some of the most important passions sustaining us through life, and the world would be a much poorer place without them.
As a professional musician whose trusted method of “powering up” to stay ahead of his challenges is to wolf down a hearty plate of mutton biryani down by Arab street, Munir Alsagoff knows a thing or two about food and music.
When Microsoft Singapore dropped by for a visit, he was deep in work on his music console and Surface Pro 4, dreaming up tunes that may end up in an upcoming collaborative album with fellow artistes.
Despite his tight schedule, Munir found the time to share with us how he stays creative and keep pace with the fast-growing local music industry.
Do you find it a challenge being a professional musician in Singapore?
Any career has its own set of challenges, and there’s nothing inherently difficult about being a professional musician in Singapore. The local music industry is now more vibrant with more work opportunities.
I myself started venturing seriously into music in 2004, even though I’ve been playing the guitar for more than 25 years. With a small group of like-minded colleagues, I’ve served clients from a broad range of industries, from Shanghai Tang to Citibank.
Other than performing, we write songs that other brands commission, handle production work for events and entertainment venues, as well as sorting out gigs and concerts.
Despite all that work, my first love will always be getting hands-on and actually play music so I always try to schedule practice or performance sessions for myself wherever possible!
Other than a plate of piping hot biryani, what other habits help you stay focused and creative?
I’m a big fan of running and mountain-biking, and make time for either of these sports at least two or three times a week.
My favourite place to bike is in Pulau Ubin, where there is a mountain bike park with an off-road trail that leads into the forested areas. There are short hill climbs and drop-offs in the trail which I try to conquer without having to dismount and fall, on every trip. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of riding through the forest amongst its lush greenery and diverse sounds, the sound of nature
As busy as my job gets, there are times when the pace isn’t as frenzied. During these quiet periods, I like to take the opportunity to travel and recharge. My idea of a good holiday is to just sit down by the beach and do nothing – preferably with some local food right beside me!
How has Surface Pro 4 changed the way you work?
A convertible device like Surface Pro 4 really has everything I need to work, from checking email to scribbling out music scores to mixing tracks and even to dealing with spreadsheets.
It’s a fully spec-ed out machine with a proper desktop operating system like Windows 10, yet it’s so thin and light that I can pretty much bring it with me wherever I go. This is a real boon especially when I have to travel with my guitar and other equipment like effect pedals.
But out of all of Surface Pro 4’s features, the Pen has had the most impact on how I work.
It has replaced the pen and papers that I usually bring around with me, and I can quickly transcribe any inspiration that comes to me right away on the app StaffPad, instead of waiting until I get back to my desk.
This Windows-exclusive app really deserves a shout-out here – no other app I know makes it so easy to transcribe and compose music. It integrates beautifully with Surface Pen, and turns my scribbles magically into ready-to-print sheet music.
StaffPad can also play a preview of the music I write down through Surface Pro 4’s speakers, so I can tweak and edit my creation to my heart’s content without me having to pick up and put down my guitar constantly.
It’s just fantastic how I get easily get into the flow of composition with StaffPad and Surface Pro 4. I’ve come to rely on them more than I thought I would.
Has technology also changed the way you collaborate with other musicians?
Collaboration is a huge part of making music. You won’t sound very good if you’re playing alone.
Who I collaborate with depends on the project in question. If a client wants me to record an original song for them with live elements, then I will need to work with other musicians to create the sound I want. If I need lyrics, I’ll also have to hire a lyricist or a writer, if needed. A song will go through a few different processes, before it is ready to be released.
As the music industry is not very big in Singapore, you’ll find yourself collaborating with the same few people over and over again. While there’s nothing wrong with that, diversity of sound is always better for creativity in music in the long run.
Technology bridges this gap effortlessly and has allowed me to work with musicians all over the world. If I hear someone I like on YouTube, for example, I can easily get in touch with him or her, ask if they’d like to collaborate. They can then lay down their vocals in the US and send it over to me instantly through cloud storage services like OneDrive.
Personal technology like Surface Pro 4 has also allowed on-site collaboration to be more productive and efficient. In the past, if we’re jamming together on the road, for instance, we may lose a tune or two. It’s so easy to note down your inspiration these days, with the thin, light, yet powerful devices. I can bring it everywhere I go, from the studio to the stage, and it can serve all my needs as a full specced PC.
What’s the next big thing you’re working on?
I’m currently putting together a new album that aims to pull together the talent and creativity of fellow local musicians. Many musicians in the local scene are doing well on their own, but they seldom have an opportunity to come together and create something fresh together. That’s what my partner and I hope to change, with this new collaborative album.
I have a core team working on it, but we’re inviting fellow musicians to come in and lend their ideas and creativity to the album. There will probably be around 8 tracks, and I hope to launch it this year.
Look out for it soon!
Based on your experience, how can young people who want to enter the music industry “Power Up” their skillsets and succeed?
Practice is key!
When I first started playing the guitar, I made sure that I practice at least 30 minutes every day without fail. This went on until I was confident that I had reached a point of sufficient proficiency. But here’s the funny thing – when you start thinking that you’re already “good enough”, you get lazy and don’t practice as hard. Then your skills start to deteriorate. It’s important to constantly remind yourself to practice, practice and practice.
Technical skill is just one side of the story. Image and branding plays a part as well so you’ve got to learn to market yourself. You can be a good guitarist, but if you don’t pay attention to your image, for example, then you may lose out on some business opportunities.
You also need to plan your finances well. Don’t throw away all of your pay on shiny new toys. I know it can be tempting to get that new Gibson or Fender just sitting there on the shelf, but it’s important to set aside some money because honestly, most musicians won’t get very rich.
Don’t limit yourself to being just a musician. Learn more about the industry and related industries so you can expand your skillset and get yourself involved in other things, like studio recording, event production, and more. You have to learn to balance your art with business and commercial projects, because at the end of the day, you are self-employed and you only get paid when you get hired for a performance/ project.
Last but not least, find someone in the industry to be your mentor – be it a musician mentor, studio mentor, or production mentor. They’ll help you learn more in a shorter period, and show you the ropes better than any music school can.
If you constantly do all of the above and get it right, then you will definitely survive as a musician!