Shining star

URIAH See burst into the entertainment scene with a musical background in opera vocals, and the ability to play the piano, violin and guitar.
See has his mother to thank for his current recognitions as the winner of the 2014 Astro Star Quest and TVB International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship. When he was a kid, she would – with the help of a rotan too – pressure him to practise music at least an hour every day. But in retrospect, he is grateful that she recognised his talents and pushed him to excel.
Today, at only 21 years old, See is not only recognised as a musical artiste, but a face in several print and TV commercials, as well as two travel programmes.
Have you always wanted to be in the entertainment scene?
Before I joined Astro Star Quest, I was hesitant about joining the entertainment industry. I didn't know that it would take me this far. I prayed a lot, that if God wanted me to go this direction, to give me a sign – and I was crowned champion.
When I joined TVB's competition, I didn't know how it was even possible because the other participants were so good, but I prayed again. Lo and behold, I was champion.
What do you think was your winning point?
I don't think many realise this but song choice is crucial. A lot of people pick songs they like to sing, and fair enough if you can sing it well. It is really important to choose a song you can sing well and perform. You need to know what you can sing, and what you are good at.
The songs I picked have a nice verse and melody, and are in a comfortable range for me. I am a baritone which is considered the lower range of tones, so I had to pick songs that don't hit high notes yet are powerful. For example, John Legend's All of Me is mid-range, has a nice verse and a chorus that doesn't go too high. It also has a nice falsetto which I can pull off.
How does singing differ from hosting and acting for advertisements?
I can really be myself when singing, but when hosting or doing advertisements you have to cater to the theme of the show or be in character, yet be yourself in certain ways. Singing is powerful as you don't have to say anything; you convince people through music and lyrics, and by singing well.
As a public figure, whatever you're doing, people are watching. So I think it is really important to be yourself, do your best and do the right thing. Pretending to be someone else would mean you have to always maintain an image, and that would be hard for me. I'm okay as long as I can be myself.
Tell us about your song, Gei Ai (Give Love).
Seeing the world now in chaos, I hope this song can bring a little bit of hope to the world. It is mellow but thoughtful. I originally wrote it in English, but I wanted it in Chinese so I asked (a composer) KS Chong to translate and write the lyrics in Chinese.
Share with us some goals in your musical career.
Hopefully I can make better songs. I wrote quite a lot of songs, but Gei Ai is the one I felt is different and is 'the one'. My goal is to influence and inspire people to do better. It matters how far I go but at the end of the day, that is the person I want to become.