School of Creative
Industries

Soh Pei-Shan Alicia

Soh Pei-Shan Alicia

MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice
2021 — 2022

Alicia is a prolific singer, arranger and composer for many projects, ranging from movie soundtracks to original songs for singer-songwriters. Having performed for 11 years as a sessionist, vocalist and keyboardist, she possesses a wealth of wisdom in both music and people. She now teaches ABRSM, LCM and Rockschool syllabuses at MADDspace, and specialises in the creation of space for both music exploration and the development of the musical self.
 

Work

Teaching philoshopy and research interests

My teaching philosophy is that of a captain leading a ship across various waters, and at the end of the experience, allowing the ship to decide its course. My students do not, and should not, need me forever. I believe very much in imparting skills and subsequently letting them build something out of what they have obtained. I do not decide their musical objectives for them, as this is an area they need to hone a sense of ownership over. I merely point them in the appropriate direction — all classes are exploratory and consist of the application of techniques and skills imparted.

My vested interest is philosophy, and how to choose or create a life philosophy that is best suited for one's unique personality. All my classes are customised according to the learning strengths of a student, be it kinesthetic, sonic or visual. There are many paths toward the same objective, and it is my belief that validating a student's learning curve and allowing them to discover at their pace is far more productive and healthy.

I believe very much in space, be it metaphysical or physical. It has great influence over a student's actions and reactions towards difficult situations. In giving them space to decide or take ownership, they formulate their own creative processes without comparison to another, and take pride in being who they are.

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Thesis abstract

Performative silence – decluttering the modern composer

The purpose of this paper is to expound upon the ideas that are usually inferred from periods of silence in music. In the experiments, interpretation of data was done through inference of spaces where notation did not occur, which speaks volumes within itself. The objective was to explore other perspectives on silence as an answer in communication, musically or verbally, and as a form of qualitative data, especially in a modern world that is surrounded by constant audio and visual stimuli. This paper explores what silence means in music, and how it can be recognised as an integral part of the tapestry of communication.

Work experience

2014 – Jun 2021
Timbregroup Asia (Singapore)
Lead singer

2018 – Jun 2021
Wheelers Estate (Singapore)
Musician

2020 – Jun 2021
Asia Music School (Singapore)
Speech coach, vocals and keyboard senior instructor

Jan 2018 – Dec 2020
Club Hollywood (Singapore)
Keyboardist

Jan 2022 – present
MADDspace (Singapore)
Vocal/keyboard instructor