This morning I was a guest on BBC’s NewsDay, where I spoke with Rico Hizon about political leaders putting on musical performances as a means enhancing their public profile.
It’s an interesting topic that was sparked by a recently uploaded video that depicted US Secretary of State, John Kerry, playing the classical guitar during a visit to China.
[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE6YHyVM8R0″]
Given the subject matter, and my background in classical guitar and public relations, it was a perfect fit. My parents will be pleased to know that the last decade I’ve spent honing my classical guitar and public relations skills have not been in vain.
During the segment, I mentioned that I felt John Kerry’s performance appeared to be impromptu as opposed to a staged public relations stunt. Classical Guitarists typically play with their left foot elevated on a footstool. If this was pre-planned, it’s hard to imagine why Kerry has to awkwardly tip-toe on his left foot, for an extended period of time, just so that he can play properly.
I ended the 3-minute segment with a performance of Romance de Amor.
I would like to thank BBC for having me as a guest. This was my first ‘live’, on-camera interview and the team of Peter Maude, Lucas de Jong and Rico Hizon were very friendly and easy to work with. I would also like to specifically thank Tim McDonald for reaching out to me with this opportunity.
This interview also would not have been possible without the support from my bosses from Nanyang Polytechnic, specifically Santokh Singh and Liang Hwee Ming.
And before anyone asks, I have no intention of uploading the video here or on Youtube. I respect BBC’s intellectual property, so if you want to watch it, I’m afraid you’ll have to search for it on you own.
