I had the pleasure of hosting 插班生 The Freshman‘s very first autograph session last Saturday. I left Bugis Junction feeling all warm and fuzzy, having felt the sincerity of Diya and Carrie- who are so passionate about music, and the show of solidarity by Kewei, Peifen, Ivy and Auntie Lucy- who showed up to support the girls.

For industry players, the music business is largely about dollars and cents. Profitable acts get bigger promotional budgets. Artistes which bring in lesser money get neglected, or receive material otherwise rejected by the A-listers. The cycle goes on… In the course of publishing my *ahem* very first lyrics composition, I heard of people who churn out song after song with zero emotion, only hoping to rake in a quick buck. And there are the obviously non-talented and non-hardworking ones who depend on their looks and/or connections to release an album in their name.

I truly hope that The Freshman, together with many other local acts, achieve commercial success at home and abroad. Passion alone cannot guarantee a livelihood in this competitive arena. Some money along the way will be good. So, would you cheapos stop downloading songs and buy an original copy of the music you like?! Thanks.