By Kuah Guan Oo
Phto by Marina Ismail
SERDANG, 27 May (UPM) – Dr Joanne Yeoh, violin maestro and head of the Music Department of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has bagged a Gold Medal award from the Global Music Awards (GMA) for her new album After A Dream.
The award was announced on the website of GMA, a California-based competition that judges and publicises the work of independent musicians all over the world, providing high standards of judging, commending musicians whose craft and creativity are outstanding.
“I consider the award as a blessing and as an endorsement of my work as a musician since I had entered the competition with no expectations,” said Dr Yeoh in an interview at her office.
She said like any other independent musicians, she had entered her album After A Dream to GMA’s international competition and she is gratified that the independent judges awarded her album with the Gold medal (http://www.thegma.net).
The album of 10 specially-arranged songs was released here on 10th December 2013 as a treat to her fans and followers and though it is only available online, it has sold more than 1,000 copies (www.joanneyeoh.com.my).
She said that most of the musicians who submitted their work to GMA are musicians who do not necessarily conform to the ‘poppy music formula’. Instead musicians who enter the GMA competition tend to favour eclectic, crossover classical music and they are judged for various categories, for example musical craft, composition, creativity and originality.
The talented musician who looks like the school girl next door, hails from Subang Jaya where she completed her secondary schooling before earning her 1st class honours degree in music from Middlesex University in 1998. She obtained her Masters in music performance (specialising in violin) from the University of Leeds the following year.
She joined UPM in 2000 and in 2009, she completed her PhD with Heriot Watt University, focusing on music and consumer behaviour.
After A Dream is Dr Yeoh’s second album and it is a collaboration with the notable Malaysian musician-composer Daniel Veerapen.
Among the songs are Simple Gifts, Miserlou, Dixie’s Land, Everytime I Pray, Greensleeves, Khosn Kale Mazel Tov – Hava Nagila, Tango, After a Dream, Danny Boy and Goin’ Home.
Asked if she planned to come out with another album, she said it was too soon to even think of one at this current moment – UPM/kgo
