Students from Hong Kong Baptist University’s music in creative industries programme are making a name for themselves
- This year will see the first batch of graduates from this degree – the first in the city to provide a practical pathway to a career in the local entertainment scene
- Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written
Anna Hisbbur (left) and Michael Wong are two budding musicians from Hong Kong Baptist University’s music in creative industries programme. Photo: Jonathan WongFrantic steps clack against the floor. Explosions fire in the distance. Keung To breathes shakily.
In the opening of the famous Hong Kong singer’s music video for “What The Work Says”, these noises paint a harrowing picture of doomsday.
Foley is the art of adding sound effects to videos or films to enhance the viewing experience. For this video with 12 million views, the foley was done in four days by a university student, Michael Wong.
Before even graduating, the 21-year-old has already worked with some of the hottest names in Hong Kong’s pop music scene such as Jason Chan and Cath Wong.
“I have been wanting to study music since my high school days, but I’ve always known that I leaned towards the pop side more,” said Wong, who is in his final year at Baptist University studying for a bachelor of music in creative industries.
Founded in 2019, this programme under the School of Creative Arts was the first in the city to provide a practical pathway to a career in the local entertainment scene. This year, it will see off its first graduates – nearly all 14 of them have already joined the industry in roles such as composing, film scoring and music production.
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What sets the programme apart
Different from Baptist University’s classical music stream, the creative industries programme offers comprehensive training to aspiring composers, vocalists and instrumentalists. Courses include songwriting, composition, film scoring, instrumental arrangements and even conducting.
One of the programme’s highlights is its teaching team, made up of big names in the local music industry.
Faculty members include Day Tai, who is a three-time winner of Best Original Film Score at the Hong Kong Film Awards, producer Edward Chan, veteran musician Harry Ng Chung-hang and jazz pianist Patrick Lui. Singers such as Joey Yung, Ivana Wong and Phil Lam have all been guests in their lessons.
Edmond Tsang, the degree’s programme director, is an award-winning songwriter who has worked with household names such as Joey Yung and Hins Cheung.
Last year, the programme admitted 20 incoming students from a pool of about 300 applicants.
Each applicant submits portfolios and is interviewed before being chosen, a process Tsang described as “slaying six generals and breaching five passes”, a Chinese saying about overcoming difficulties.
While music background and skills are vital for potential students, there are also other considerations.
“My focus will not be on what they already know, but rather their potential. Since our course covers many aspects, what’s more important is creativity,” said Tsang. “I hope our students are full of ideas all the time.”
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Tools to pursue careers in music
Another student in the programme is Anna Hisbbur, whose moniker is a creative misspelling of the word “rubbish”. Like Wong, she has already achieved beyond her years. Despite only being 21, she has produced two EPs and one album under her own music label.
For her debut EP in 2020, Hisbbur did everything on her own from composing lyrics to producing tracks.
“Without constraints from a corporation, I’ve produced a lot of songs,” said the independent artist, explaining why she made her own music label.
The school’s support has been crucial to bringing her dream to life.
Her latest song “God in My Dreams” was recorded entirely at Baptist University’s state-of-the-art studio.
“This is a luxury because renting a studio outside is very expensive,” she noted. “You can trial and error all day until you find the sound you want.”
The singer has also arranged and produced tracks for other independent artists such as Jan Curious and Novel Friday. One of these songs, “One by One”, was on the soundtrack for the film Coffin Homes and was nominated at Taiwan’s 2021 Golden Horse Awards.
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After graduating in a few months, Wong and Hisbbur are set to continue their roles in the industry.
Wong is on the production team for Edward Chan, a songwriter who has produced hits for boy band Mirror.
As for Hisbbur, she will continue growing her music. “Music is an honest industry. If you are good at what you do and you’re willing to work for it, you can do it.”
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