My trip to Singapore was a grand time. The sheer sense of adventure, the eclectic mix of ethnic backgrounds and the bizarre nightlife, food and music scene all contributed to the experience. I uploaded a ton of pictures on my Picasa page here for you to see...
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a cello while I was there (sweet) and take a lesson with the section leader of the Singapore Symphony. She's originally from the New York area, but has lived in Singapore for almost a decade playing with the symphony. Her father used to play new works by P.D.Q. Bach in Manhattan. She showed me rare duet book written by Julius Klengel and I gave her a little primer ..o improvisation. It was a great lesson and eventually (d)evolved into a cello geek-out.
Singapore is only about 60-years-old as a country. Thus, the city doesn't really have a distinct or developed music scene, though it does offer plenty of music. Not surprisingly, the music consists mainly of regular bar bands playing tons of cover tunes and live versions of Top 40 singles. Still, due to the melting-pot nature of the city itself, "Top 40" encompasses Australian, Indian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese and Chinese radio playlists, so there was still plenty of fresh sounds to be heard. Still, it remains to be seen whether this country will break out of trying to play more commercial music for expats and international travellers and develop its own scene. There's a great music hall in the civic district where the Symphony plays that's over 150 years old, but further exploration of Singapore's music will have to be saved for another trip...