On June 17th, I had the privilege of being the musical director for the renowned Thai pop singer Jennifer Kim at Bangkok’s Impact Arena, the largest concert venue in the city with a capacity of 12,000 seats. It was an exceptional event, as the concert was completely sold out.
Jennifer Kim is regarded as THE Diva of Thailand. Her enduring success can be attributed to her artistic dedication, numerous hit songs featured in films and television series, her role as a judge on “The Voice Thailand,” and of course, her legendary sense of humor and quick wit.
I have had the privilege of working on several recordings and concerts with Jennifer Kim in the past. Notably, I composed the melody for her single "WA WEE" and participated in her 2009 concert titled "My Name is Kim."
However, the journey for this recent grand concert at Impact Arena began on April 23, 2023, during a dinner event I hosted at my home (those who know me well are aware of my love for cooking). Among the guests were Soh and Neung, two members of the renowned Thai band ETC, who are also acclaimed producers for numerous Thai artists. In 2013, I collaborated with them as an arranger for their 10th-anniversary concert at Impact Arena. (I made a video about our collaboration. Here is the link) During this gathering, Soh approached me and inquired whether I would be interested in serving as the musical director for Jennifer Kim's concert, as they themselves were occupied with a tour in Japan at the time. Jennifer had also considered me for this project, as she desired a touch of symphonic and neoclassical elements for certain segments of the concert. And that, my friends, is right up my alley!
In any case, the first lesson is this: the opportunities that present themselves in life largely depend on the people we know. Therefore, develop your network of contacts while constantly refining your musical style. It will pay off sooner or later.
We met again in mid-May with the entire production team for a brainstorming session, discussing the songlist and the different sequences of the show, among other things. I'm not exactly sure why the organization of this concert started late (just a month before the event), but we only had three short weeks for arrangements, recordings, and rehearsals.
There were three artistic directors responsible for arranging the 50 songs of the concert: Bee (also a member of the group Etc.), Soh, and myself, each with our own specialties. The songs were primarily compiled into medleys, consisting of introductions, verses, choruses, bridges, and then transitioning to the next song.
I was thrilled with my musical part, as it included three standout moments:
A symphonic rock medley with Jennifer Kim.
Two songs with the rock star, Toon Bodyslam.
And two tracks with the popular comedian, Jazz Sputnik.
This accounted for 30 minutes of the concert. With no time to waste, I quickly got to work, and the first thing I composed was the opening of the show on May 20th. Jennifer wanted something epic, music similar to the Game of Thrones theme. I invite you to listen to this opening accompanied by rehearsal and concert footage.
For composers and arrangers, here are some details about the plugins I used. For orchestral sounds, I used the excellent BBC Orchestra sound library from Spitfire Audio, which covers all sections of the symphony orchestra. To enhance these sounds, I employed the fantastic Kontakt libraries from Native Instruments, specifically Tina Guo for the solo cello and the Symphony Series: string ensemble, brass ensemble, and percussion ensemble. The entire suite of instruments and effects in Komplete is remarkable for composers and music producers.
For the choir, I used the Genesis Children's Choir and Lumina from Spitfire Audio. As for synthesizers, I'm an absolute fan of Arturia's V Collection.
And here is the result in music and visuals.
Starting from June 2nd, we rehearsed every day until the day of the concert, first with Jennifer and then with the guest artists. As Jazz and Toon are highly sought-after media personalities, we only had one rehearsal day per artist, with the final full-dress rehearsal on June 16th.
On June 4th, I recorded my string quartet arrangements at Dynamic Record Studio in Bangkok. Writing for a string quartet is truly one of my favorite activities. Here are some excerpts.
During this period, my daily routine was simple: taking my dogs for a walk in the morning, arranging songs, writing scores using Steinberg's Dorico software until noon, and then heading to rehearsals, which started at 1 p.m. After rehearsals ended at 7 p.m., I hurried home to continue my arranging work late into the night.
With the mounting tension and fatigue, I must admit that the last week before the concert was challenging. With the workload, I neglected some of my morning routines, which I will talk about a bit later.
After two weeks of production and rehearsals, on Thursday, June 15th, we went to Impact Arena for instrument setup.
Regarding the piano, I opted for a digital piano. Although I'm a fan of acoustic instruments, I chose digital because the sound volume on stage would pose serious problems with sound amplification and feedback. So, we reached out to our sponsor Yamaha to obtain the N3X, the new digital grand piano that faithfully reproduces the sound and touch of the CFX concert grand piano on which I recorded my 24 preludes in partnership with Yamaha Thailand. Here are my initial impressions.
I'd like to quickly introduce the musicians in the show:
First and foremost, my dear friend Jibb, who has always faithfully supported and advised me during the concerts we've done together. Even though I speak Thai, it's always helpful to have someone who can translate the nuances necessary for good understanding. A big thank you to him.
Then , there are: Beng on drums, Game on guitar, and Keng on keyboards. These four musicians make up the Takeshi band, a group with extensive experience on stage and in the studio, specializing in accompanying Thai pop artists. They are truly the kind of group you can trust to be at the top of their game in a high-production artistic context like this.
As for the rest of the team: the brass section with Man, Jeang, and Rung. "The cool-cool brass section. You're well set for a fishing trip!" We also have three backing vocalists (Oil, Kai & Som), our percussionist (Amp), and an additional keyboard player (Yai). Since we were going to play a Symphonic-Rock medley, I asked to have two young promising musicians specialized in this style for this part of the concert: the drummer Non and the guitarist Bomb.
After the setup on the 15th, we did the soundcheck and run-through on June 16th (the day before the concert). The run-through started at 7 PM. It was at that moment we discovered the remarkable lighting design.
The show begins with Jennifer Kim literally descending from the air onto the stage. Then the songs follow until my part, which comes approximately 40 minutes after the start of the show.
Then comes the long-awaited day: the concert on June 17th. It starts with makeup. After a moment of meditation and breathing exercises, I head towards the stage to experience the long-awaited and well-prepared moment.
A big thank you to Jennifer Kim for her kind introduction.
My part begins with an opening followed by the Symphonic-Rock medley. Here are some excerpts.
Then comes the part I particularly cherish with Toon Bodyslam, the most popular rock singer in Thailand.
We ended beautifully with Jazz Sputnik, performing two songs. During the second song, Jazz was overwhelmed with emotions, thinking about his recently deceased father. This moment went viral on social media.
In summary, the concert went very well. I am very pleased with the outcome of this preparation and teamwork.
Once it was over, it was time to relax, take some photos with artists, friends, and guests.
To end on a high note, I would like to share with you some tips that have allowed me to approach this project with serenity and efficiency.
First, artistic preparation. Although I'm an improviser, I like to accurately notate the piano parts when I have an important deadline, such as a recording or a major concert. My sheet music looks like a classical music score. Here are some examples of my sheet music. Some passages remain improvised, but most of the time, I play the notated parts exactly as written... although I always leave myself the freedom to add something if justified. Writing each note takes time, but in the end, it's much more classy
Regarding mental preparation, I have been following the same morning routine for several months now. I believe that this discipline has played a significant role in my determination to succeed in this performance. I highly recommend that you give this routine a try.
Firstly, I do Wim Hof breathing exercises. These are simple exercises that fully oxygenate the brain and the entire body while controlling the heart rate. If you want to learn more, you can find all the information online. I practiced these exercises right up until my stage entrance. They greatly helped me to be sharp and focused.
These breathing exercises are followed by a few sets of push-ups and sit-ups to tone the body.
And then, there's my ice bath, which I value above all else! The icy water teaches me every day to be brave and resilient in stressful and challenging situations, like the one experienced at the Impact Arena on June 17th.
My morning routine concludes with some cardio exercises and a meditation session that allows me to find calmness, determination, and focus on my life goals.
I hope you have experienced the different emotions present in such a project. Share your impressions or ask me your questions in the comments.
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See you soon and good sharing of your talent!
