A Musician's Tale

A Musician's Tale Today a little online piece of news strikes a chord deep within me… After reading, I thought to myself, “This news is interesting yet rather depressing to me..” This article was about a very talented local musician, duly awarded a honorary title called Datuk… After a lifetime of composing countless musical scores and compositions while gold was overlooked… His most productive years was spent with the local radio and televison orchestra team called RTM… The closing credits did proudly run his name at the close of many a TV musical presentations then… I remember distinctly his name in all musical shows involving the RTM Orchestra team….. From the early TV shows which were in black and white until the colorful shows in the later years…. Now the latest TV boasts of new electronics and technology to enhance color and experience… Now this veteran musician –composer is long forgotten and he is fast becoming another has been… Where once he rubbed shoulders with the best singers of this nation, churning out musical scores.. These days he is old and weary, memory is failing and nostalgia weighs heavily in his memories… Uppermost on his mind still were his many memories of 20 years of faithful service in RTM family… Appreciative still the unique privilege of his life filled with music among talented musicians and singers.. Further on, this news articles relates the hard times he and his loving wife are presently undergoing.. Driving this aging 77year old to seek for musical gigs with the local hotels to keep going.. For that, his age and health are against him, forcing him to constantly ponder ways to make ends meet… How harsh the deck of cards Life has dealt him recently was seen in the double tragedies in his family…. His sons are victims of the dreaded big C, the younger was only 24 when he succumbed to leukemia.. The other is in expensive medical treatment for brain tumor, the ongoing bills are excruciating… Hopefully my little poem of this veteran musician-composer will somehow bring further recognition… And maybe somehow blessings galore will rain down on Datuk Ooi Eow Jin, a retired RTM musician… Datuk Ooi Eow Jin https://sg.news.yahoo.com/life-no-longer-song-passionate-musician-230400838.html http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/focus/2016/05/07/wife-of-ailing-composer-in-a-bind-76yearold-khaw-shoulders-the-burden-of-caring-for-her-sick-husband/