Alice Hu, former SOAP President, had her international exchange in Singapore come to an abrupt end, but she is finding the silver lining in her situation. We gave her a call to see how she is doing.

Transcript

Alice Hu: Ding! It’s so weird *laughs*

Alex Siegers: Hi there! I’m Alex and welcome to my isolation work station! Today I’m chatting to former-SOAP President, UNSW Orchestra Percussionist and Bachelor of Music student, Alice Hu, who is currently in self-quarantine having just returned from Singapore. 

AH: Hi, my name is Alice. I’m in my final year of studying a Bachelor’s, a double degree in Mathematics and Music. Currently still in self-quarantine, day 12, so almost there. I’ve been in Singapore since the beginning of the year and I had plans to stay at least until September just studying, doing some interning and language training as well under the New Columbo Plan Scholarship, which is an initiative by the Australian government. And before I was urgently recalled back home I was studying on exchange at the National University of Singapore taking some classes at Yong Siew Tow Conservatory. 

AH: It’s a bit anxiety-inducing thinking about the possibility of completing the rest of my degree at home. I’m someone who really values a learning community and engaging with all the extra-curricular activity at UNSW, including the Orchestra and Wind Symphony. So I think a lot of students are struggling at the moment. I think it’s important to keep connected. Reach out to your friends and classmates, especially about their creative practice. If you ask each other how you’re still engaging with the arts and giving each other ideas or song recommendations or anything. I think that’s what’s gonna get us through this time. 

AH: It’s been a difficult time to plan for the future. But I’m fortunate to still be completing some courses remotely, from Singapore. The time difference has been a little bit of a struggle. But it’s also good to do some things that I think that I usually don’t have time to do. So, what’s been really important has been keeping connected to other people through the arts. There is so much music you can discover, and books and articles that can give you food for thought in self -isolation. So, I’ve been really enjoying some of the live streams offered by Australian artists online. They help me feel like part of the live music community still. And because I don’t have any instruments at home that I can practise on it’s been a good excuse to return to some of the basics, like practising snare drum rudimentary techniques on a practise pad, and also just exchanging practise videos with some other fellow musicians and giving each other constructive feedback, that’s been really, really nice.