Local sound engineer Ellison Lau Chi Keong told The Macau Post Daily yesterday that interest is evident in learning sound engineering in Macau, sharing his insights during an interview in his studio near the Mong-Ha municipal park.
According to Wikipedia, sound engineering is viewed as a “creative profession where musical instruments and technology are used to produce sound for film, radio, television, music and video games”.
Lau is also a soundtrack composer, film designer and the founder of SoundMist, which provides soundtracks, on-location sound recording for films and audio post-production.
Lau said that “a lot of people want to study sound engineering in Macau”. Lau added that regarding music, a number of local independent (indie) bands, which he said usually record albums on their own without the help of professionals, have been exploring the process.
Despite the local interest, Lau said that sound engineering cannot be studied in Macau as there are no schools that teach it, commenting that he has a number of friends that have taught themselves through various online platforms. He emphasised that “the most important thing is to stay open-minded to all kinds of theories” when teaching oneself, as well as to not be “narrow-minded”.
Lau said that there are also benefits of studying the profession abroad as it allows access to “quite a lot of really good equipment” and experiences that cannot be found in Macau.
Lau also spoke about Macau’s small “society of recording”, saying: “If I include music recording into this category, I think it is not that much”, estimating that there may possibly be only five or six sound engineers in Macau. Moreover, Lau remarked that the sound-engineering market in the city is “so small”, adding that there are difficulties in making a living just by sound recording itself, at times requiring him to switch roles within the industry such as working on composing or sound design. He said that this was less evident compared with the industry in Taiwan, Hong Kong or the mainland.
Lau insisted, however, that he “always” recommends studying and becoming a sound engineer, noting that the city’s “industry is so tiny”. However, he was quick to add that it is important to “figure out what you want to be” in the industry and what one wants to record, as well as what considerations to make when pursuing it as a career in Macau.
Works to be played in concert tomorrow
Meanwhile, a concert hosted by SoundMist called “Those Who Want to Catch Time-Ellison Lau’s Recital with Friends” will be held at the Macau Art Garden tomorrow at 9 p.m.
Lau said that the concert will feature performances of both new and previous works with new arrangements he has done for theatre and film. Performers will include Lau on the piano along with his friends visiting for the Chinese New Year holiday, who will play instruments such as the cello and the Chinese instrument “sheng”, which Lau explained is a wind instrument that allows the musician to play multiple notes at once.
Lau explained that the main inspiration for the concert came from a dialogue derived from something he had worked on last year, which was “time, there is no time. And we are the ones who want to catch time”. Lau elaborated that during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, reunions become “the start of another farewell”, adding that there is uncertainty about when one can reunite with others again, regardless of how far or how near they may be.
Details and ticketing information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/macau-art-garden/those-who-want-to-catch-time-ellison-laus-recital-with-friends/667511631086708/
Local sound engineer Ellison Lau Chi Keong plays one of the songs after yesterday’s interview in his studio that will be performed at tomorrow’s event “Those Who Want to Catch Time-Ellison Lau’s Recital with Friends”
