Hong Kong musicians are sounding off about the MTR's crackdown on large instruments amid fears it will stifle efforts to cultivate young talent
PUBLISHED : Monday, 12 October, 2015, 2:17am
UPDATED : Monday, 12 October, 2015, 11:29am
Cellists have been stopped on MTR trains. Photo: Oliver Chou
The issue of "oversized" instruments being carried on MTR trains threatens to test Hong Kong's ability to accommodate and cultivate musical talent in a packed urban environment where 90 per cent of the population relies on public transport.
A series of expulsions of young musicians from MTR trains took place last month after they were accosted carrying large instruments on board, rattling the music community from students to professionals.
"This is such a joke, Hong Kong, come on!" said Elim Chan, a Hongkonger and now resident conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra, on learning of the MTR's removal of a Baptist University student for carrying a cello case.
"I played the cello, too, and I used to travel on the MTR to rehearsals. I don't even know when it all of a sudden became an issue," she said.
"Hong Kong is so far away from being a performing arts centre if ridiculous things like this keep happening."
MTR chairman-designate Frederick Ma Si-hang admitted the news "has undeniably affected the corporate image to some extent, and we've got a lot of work to do" in balancing safety with the convenience of passengers.
Cellists have been stopped on MTR trains. Photo: Oliver Chou"We should also ask ourselves - being one of the world's best mass transit systems - why have we come to this? The MTR is something we all should be proud of, and not something we criticise every day," he said.
Ray Wang, a senior lecturer in strings at the Academy for Performing Arts, agreed that the "MTR is a good Hong Kong product, and I believe it will grow to be even better with music in it. That's the international language which everyone understands from different parts of the world."
As a former assistant principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Wang said he remembered the good old days when he and his fellow double bass players could travel freely on the MTR with their instruments measuring 134cm for a cello in a case and 190 cm for a bass, both exceeding the 130cm limit in the MTR's regulations for carry-on luggage.
"It's funny that the safety issue is only a problem after the cellos have travelled on the MTR for 30 years," said Wang, now head of the Junior School at the academy.
He said he did not see a cello in a case - which weighs as little as 6kg - as being a safety hazard.
"We own luggage, but a cello owns us and is part of our life. Some musicians sleep eight hours a day but practise 10 hours. Besides, cello cases are expensive and are an art in themselves," he said.
"If 4cm is what was found at fault, too bad, it's been that size for over 500 years."
Cellists in Hong Kong, including the more than 60 young cellists currently at his school, "are quite well behaved and travel with discipline".
"A civilised society exercises rules with compassion and leniency, not heartlessness or harshness. The MTR should be careful in considering what messages they are sending out," Wang said.
Richard Bamping, Wang's former colleague and now principal cellist at the Philharmonic, called it "an unacceptable position for the MTR to discriminate against a totally harmless and peaceful group of people".
"I'm sure the regulations are there because people abuse the system by transporting large quantities of commercial goods - pity they can't see past the small print. They must have had a memo recently to crack down," he said.
David Wong Ka-fai, a former cellist with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, said he was quite sure a tightening of the rules had been in force since August.
"The MTR staff offered me help by opening the emergency gate for me and my cello. That was in July," he recalled.
Many of his cello students missed classes after news of the ban on large instruments was circulated.
"I think it is a disgrace for students to consider learning an instrument not based on their own interest but on whether or not it can travel on the MTR," he said.
He said the sense of guilt he felt when MTR uniformed staff spotted him and his cello from a distance had been unwarranted and he felt sorry for the young students forced to carry such a psychological burden, wondering if they would be penalised.
Ada Wong Ying-kay, a former board chairperson of the Philharmonic and founder of the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture, said musical instruments are key to the city's creative talents.
"It is about life, and when young people play instruments, it is the sound of the future," she said. "So any new measures from the MTR should not be seen as 'balancing' views from all sides, but are to genuinely acknowledge the values and cultural aspirations of the musicians."
Calvin Ho (left) was given a warning letter by the MTR. Photo: Oliver ChouRaymond Young Lap-moon, the former permanent secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau, said arts and culture were a major means by which the government could engage the young.
"We can't force them to comply but we can do it through wholesome activities such as arts and culture," he said.
Youth Square, a performing arts venue near Chai Wan MTR station, was a prime example of how arts and culture could engage the youth, he added.
"Under the MTR size restrictions, perhaps a way out for the musicians is to issue pre-approved permits for musical instruments," he suggested.
Ng Ka-ming, a senior officer at the government-run Music Office, also said a "special pass" would resolve the problem that had plagued some 400 young cellists at the music training centre.
"They are mostly from grass-roots families and the MTR is the only means of transport for them," he said, adding the issue had caused concern with parents and teachers.
Calvin Ho Ka-yeung, a Baptist University cello student who was slapped with a warning letter for breaking the MTR rules, said the incident had left him feeling negative every time he boarded a train to reach a rehearsal or performance. But he was hopeful reason would prevail.
"If they allow bicycles on trains, I don't see why they can't do the same for musicians," said the Baptist University student.
"For me, the best solution is they let us use the first or last carriages without paying any extra fee, just like cyclists with their bikes on the MTR," he said.
Bassist Charlie Wong Tsz-ho, a student at the Academy for Performing Arts, said he would prefer a policy of charging extra for his 183cm instrument.
"But I think the final push should lie with the government, which is the largest shareholder in the MTR and which is cooking up a thing called the West Kowloon Cultural District," said the second-year student.
An MTR spokesman invited the public to send in views via a special email address that will close tomorrow.
"We have received around 400 messages so far, which will be helpful for the ongoing review of the luggage regulations," the spokesman said.
HOW THE ISSUE UNFOLDED
Sep 15: A student carrying a guzheng is asked to leave Tai Wai station.
Sep 20: A young player with a cello is asked to leave Hung Hom station.
Sep 24: The Post reports that a Baptist University student is stopped and issued a warning letter at Kowloon Tong station for carrying a cello.
Sep 25: A 16-year old cellist carrying his instrument is asked to leave Tai Wai station.
Sep 25: Local flagship orchestras issue press releases urging MTR to exercise discretion.
Sep 25: MTR announces a review on luggage size restrictions.
Sep 29: MTR launches review@mtr.com.hk to take public views until October 13.
Oct 1: Music bodies from seven universities issue joint statement.
Oct 3: Hundreds of musicians gather at Tai Wai station to assert their rights.
Oct 8: MTR chairman-designate says the review process is going on intensively.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1866426/mtrs-crackdown-large-musical-instruments-will
