Michael Tseng writes:

My own life & careers might be of interest to you. 

I had always had an interest in playing music since the start with the Sandosham brothers in 1950. My capability in playing Dance Music progressed from the time that Gerry Soliano was teaching me the clarinet for me to take that chair in the SJI Orchestra since 1950. After school, I was taught the trumpet by Concordia Soliano in 1952, enough for me to take the 2nd trumpet chair in the Sambodian Orchestra & the Blue Note Dance Band. All the time, my talent as a pianist had also progressed accordingly, so much so that I was sitting in with Bands at the New World & Great World Cabarets, and even the famous Raffles Hotel. That horrified my father when he found out. You know how 'wicked' cabarets were in those days. He immediately ordered me to take on a Uni. course overseas as I was interested in Engineering. That was how I landed in Sydney  in '53.

                  I continued to be interested in music while here and self taught & progressed as the years went by.  When I was admitted to Sydney U. in 1954, I was leading the Uni. Jazz Band then- after. I also played in Night Clubs and 'ponteng' lectures to do tours with American visiting artists who were top Rock 'N' Roll popstars at that time.  I was also a 'pioneer' of pop music on television which was starting up in 1957 and subsequently, was in articles in music journals & the press in Sydney. 

Of course, that also meant I didn't pass exams every year because I used to 'ponteng' lectures to go on tour of Australian Cities with US Groups like the Platters, Diamonds, & stars like Bobby Darren, Chuck Berry, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon etc etc.  In 1955 whilst playing in a Band at a Uni. function, I met an Aussie-Chinese girl who I subsequently married in 1958 when I was in 3rd year Uni. Soon we'll be celebrating our 46th Wedding Anniversary. I subsequently graduated in 1959 and continued to work both as an Engineer & a professional musician on piano as well as vocalising. I was subsequently known as the S'pore George Shearing on Piano & Nat King Cole on vocals.

                    I returned to work in the PWD S'pore in Jan '61 but soon discovered that as a Govt Servant, I wasn't allowed to do 2 professions. So, I 'churri churri' again and did work on the sly in places like the Princes Restaurant in Orchard Road, the American Club, the Raffles Hotel, the Adelphi Hotel, the Dutch & Island Clubs etc etc. and writing & composing Radio & TV Commercials such as the Brylcream & Rothmans etc Ads, which I also recorded in various S'pore studios.  

However after the racial riots in 1964 and the unsatisfactory feeling of having to work on the sly in the music profession, I decided to return to Sydney, where I could work in the 2 professions.  By then,  I was also an established music orchestrator & arranger writing for TV Artists & Band Leader, while I progressed ultimately to the position of Principal Engineer in one of Australia's largest consulting firms. When that firm started a joint venture with a Malaysian firm, I was asked to manage the operations in KL where I was from Nov.'81 to July '84. On my return to work in Sydney, I suffered a heart attack in Nov. '85 whilst on holidays at the Gold Coast. After a lot of thought, I decided I couldn't continue doing the 2 professions so I never continued in the Engineering Job after that.

                   Thus, from 1986 onwards, I was solely a professional musician-entertainer & music  orchestrator( music Arranger as we are known in the profession). I held the post of Secretary in the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia for some 11years , representing the professional interests of music notators( both manuscript & computer types ) all over Australia. It was a registered professional Association, corporatised as an organisation by me. 

I retired from that post last year but currently, still do work as a musician-entertainer cum Band Leader( I have been leading  a 5piece Dance Band at the Liverpool Catholic Club every Thurs night  for over 11yrs) and last New Year's Eve, I finished 11yrs service at a Returned Soldiers Club leading the Band there.  

I don't work as much now but not from a lack of trying. I turn 69 in March so I'm entitled to a life of retirement soon. ( I think I'm one of the youngest in the SJI Class of '51. Together with my pal, Fong Fook Kai, having started school in 1945 in Primary 2, then progressed in double promotions to Std 2, 4 & 6, before facing the fierce( I think ) Bro. Henry in Std 7, with the rest of the Class of '51. Maybe because when we finished school, I was not yet 17yrs yrs old and still not fully grown in height & build,  that's why, Bro Henry didn't recognise me when the next time we met, was in 1973, and by then I was much taller( I'm 6ft 7in ) and broader. That's what I said in my email message to the re-union gathering, " that he didn't remember me  even tho' he taught me for the last 3yrs of my school life").