Baybeats 2012

In full swing, Baybeats 2012. This is the tenth year of the festival, "celebrating a decade of great independent music, in particular the friendships that have been built along the way." I can't agree more. I love this festival. I've seen it birth from a fledgling event to something more established and today's recognized name in the region. It has every potential to grow more. The sound, tech and lighting crew is top notch. We can be very proud of the festival, the venue and the facilities.

Of course, the music is not for everyone. But for the friends and I, this is a celebration of our passions, be it making music, or loving the genre of music and its different sounds adopted by the bands out there. It's awesome that we needn't make any dates with the regular bunch of gig-going friends. I don't even need to hang out with the man. We can just wander around the stages at the Esplanade and we'll bump into all the familiar faces who are in town and have made time to check out the acts this weekend. Best.

Starting Friday evening, music is filling our evenings, making it very exciting. I'm proud of our Singapore bands. Some are absolutely brilliant. Stunning. Sure, some are not as good as the others, and some might be nowhere near the standards of international acts. But they've put their hearts out there, practised very hard and have the courage to stand on that stage. In Singapore, chasing your dreams of making music, especially to become an indie musician, is never the easiest path to take, and never with non-progressive parents. For all the musicians who dare to chase this dream, to play full-time, part-time, use their sabbatical at work to write songs, and all related, Baybeats is a time to celebrate their dedication and commitment to their passion, regardless of how life happens for them.