Metro

Thursday November 12, 2009

11-year-old captures hearts with her sweet voice

By YIP YOKE TENG


EVERY one in her family was in awe when they first heard Hew Ling Xuan sing. She was only three then.

Now 11, Xuan, as she is fondly known, has captured the hearts of many in her hometown of Johor Baru with her multi-faceted talent, encompassing singing, dancing, story-telling and reciting poetry.

“Our family was so surprised when she sang to us during the Mid-Autumn Festival when she was only three. It was a Chinese folk song, and she sang with such mastery, with perfect control over the tune, tempo and lyrics,” recalled her eldest sister Venus.

“We felt that it was our responsibility to groom her, so we enrolled her for music classes, but she soon began showing interest in many other arts, too, like the piano and ballet, and impressed every one around her with her performances,” she added.

Winsome: Xuan holding the Studio V logo during the interview.

It is learnt that Xuan’s parents love music passionately although they are not artistes or musicians.

Xuan is the only one in the family who has shone in the performing arts at such a tender age. She has taken part in several competitions, and most of the time, she has emerged champion.

StarMetro had the opportunity to witness her talents in an interview on Sunday at Studio V in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya.

Although she was initially a little uneasy in front of so many strangers, Xuan’s jitters vanished the moment she began reciting a poem and when she picked up the microphone to render a chart-topper by her idol, Taiwanese songstress Zhang ShaoHan.

“I like her because she is pretty and sings very well,” the girl said softly as she flashed her pearly whites.

But, unlike her peers who are fans of pop of of pop music, Xuan prefers folk songs and will warble whenever she has time, especially during bus rides.

“The folk songs are usually in higher octave and I like the fact that it is more challenging to sing these songs well,” she said in Mandarin.

She also expressed her gratitude to her soprano teachers on several occasions, reflecting her proper upbringing. They are Wan Yin Chin, wife of the late Tan Hooi Song who co-founded our national heritage 24 Season Drums, and Gee Siew Mei.

Xuan is certainly born for the stage; she is never nervous performing in front of a large crowd — not even on her first show.

“I was duped by my mum into going on stage to sing for the first time, when I was three years old. She said she would put on nice makeup for me if I went on stage, so I did what she asked,” she recalled with a giggle.

Does she aspire to be the Teresa Teng of this century?

“I haven’t thought about the future,” she said. “For now, I just want to learn to sing better.”

Asked if she felt any pressure juggling her time between school work, tuition and talent classes, Xuan admitted: “A little, when exams draw near.”

“Attending classes is not really a problem as long as they are scheduled properly, but I feel the pressure when it comes to school work and exams, lest I upset my parents.

“My parents have always said that school work is more important than anything else,” she explained.

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