Cyan Rhyme Awards: A Cradle of Aspiring Artists
By Lily Wu
On November 29th, 23 finalists of the 43rd Cyan Rhyme Awards gathered at the 1st floor Conference Room in Paul Cardinal Shan Medical Building at FJU to have a final showdown. The annual event appeals to competitors from various colleges and universities across the country. When asked about the adoption of a demo tryout program based on the cooperation with StreetVoice, a Taiwanese free music-streaming platform, competition affairs team leader Yuching Huang said that the innovation of this year’s event format—adding the demo tryout—was to let the public hear the participants’ demos nationwide; by doing so, the team aspired to promote Cyan Rhyme Awards from a niche to a more general audience. Moreover, Huang said that the cooperation with StreetVoice this year meant a lot, describing it as “a milestone,” especially in an era that saw music-streaming services reshaping people’s lifestyles.
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The cooperation with StreetVoice allows the public to hear the contestants’ demos
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The event organizers this year invited Neci Ken, an indie folk group featuring two vocalists, as the opening guest band. The panelists in the final were artists from various musical backgrounds, including pop punk band No-Nonsense Collective guitarist and vocalist Liwei Kuo, acoustic singer-songwriter Wenchiang Liao, and Misi Ke, a singer-songwriter, experimental sound designer, producer, photographer, and poet. Event coordinator Ipei Lin said they were very lucky to have these talented artists as judges and guests since“every judge has different perspectives on certain issues of the contestants’ performances, which is good.” She added, “a musician or performer needs that—diverse criticism—to grow as an artist.”
The competition consisted of three sections: solo, duet, and songwriting. The solo section required one, and only one, vocalist covering existing songs, the duet section required two vocalists covering existing songs, and the songwriting section required a group performing an original song. In the semi-final and final, any form of pre-recorded tracks were not permitted during the live performance. According to Huang, the policy is crucial because “that’s how you spot real talent.” When asked about the team insisting on this tradition in view of the common utilization of pre-recorded augmentation during live performances in this era, Lin said, “that’s especially a reminder of the preciousness to go back to simplicity, to strip off the layers and see what’s really under the fancy stuff that technology can do now.” Performing live solo requires developed skills of singing and playing an instrument at the same time; performing live as a band requires more in that it involves a certain amount of teamwork. “You need to establish a rapport with your bandmate(s),” said Huang.
The competition consisted of three sections: solo, duet, and songwriting. The solo section required one, and only one, vocalist covering existing songs, the duet section required two vocalists covering existing songs, and the songwriting section required a group performing an original song. In the semi-final and final, any form of pre-recorded tracks were not permitted during the live performance. According to Huang, the policy is crucial because “that’s how you spot real talent.” When asked about the team insisting on this tradition in view of the common utilization of pre-recorded augmentation during live performances in this era, Lin said, “that’s especially a reminder of the preciousness to go back to simplicity, to strip off the layers and see what’s really under the fancy stuff that technology can do now.” Performing live solo requires developed skills of singing and playing an instrument at the same time; performing live as a band requires more in that it involves a certain amount of teamwork. “You need to establish a rapport with your bandmate(s),” said Huang.
The panel of judges in the final (left to right): Wenchiang Liao, Misi Ke, and Liwei Kuo, photograph by Yuchun Feng, 29 November, 2020
FJU Cyan Rhyme Awards was founded and directed by Fu Jen University from 1977 until FJU Acoustic Guitar Club took over in 1987. The event has evolved from a campus-based folk music competition to a national competition open to all undergraduates and graduates across the country. Based on the belief that music has a massive impact on human lives, the Cyan Rhyme team is dedicated to providing a platform for young artists to showcase their strength on stage, spotlighting countless talents over the years, including the renowned trio F.I.R, emerging pop-rock band Sugarcat, and singer-songwriter Dena, to name just a few. Lin described music as something that “causes intense emotion and joy within it, influencing mood and actions, thoughts and feelings, and that’s why the power of music should never be underestimated.” Rain was this year’s theme. “We were inspired by the usual damp weather starting from November in Taipei.” Lin added, “most days it’s mizzle, and other days it’s pouring rain; we want to let out the everyday thoughts, feelings, and epiphanies in many minds, the unspeakable emotions, just like the falling rain, light or heavy.”
43nd Cyan Rhyme Awards semi-finalist Mingli Lu, a frequent performer in local music scenes, said that the meaning of the contest lies in the opportunity to see other people doing the same thing, so that “you will be encouraged seeing all these talents […] and there are going to be a lot of crazy-talented people that make you want to work harder […] and it’s fun to exchange ideas with the same passion, and who knows? Maybe you’ll meet your lifetime bandmate there.” Lu also said that it would be fine if one didn’t win the contest. After all, “it’s more about the experience.” As a frequent music contestant, Lu said that these contests allow one to become more experienced little by little, and the artist will do better and better: “I am who I am right now partly because of those experiences.”
43nd Cyan Rhyme Awards semi-finalist Mingli Lu, a frequent performer in local music scenes, said that the meaning of the contest lies in the opportunity to see other people doing the same thing, so that “you will be encouraged seeing all these talents […] and there are going to be a lot of crazy-talented people that make you want to work harder […] and it’s fun to exchange ideas with the same passion, and who knows? Maybe you’ll meet your lifetime bandmate there.” Lu also said that it would be fine if one didn’t win the contest. After all, “it’s more about the experience.” As a frequent music contestant, Lu said that these contests allow one to become more experienced little by little, and the artist will do better and better: “I am who I am right now partly because of those experiences.”
Performing live as a band requires a certain amount of teamwork, photograph by Yuchun Feng, 29 November, 2020