Composer scores own satisfaction

HE spends most of his time by his piano trying to string notes together into pieces of songs.

But Liu Kai-sui, 17, says the satisfaction he derives from creating and appreciating his own music is incomparable with any other pastime.

Though a skilful pianist who received a distinction in his Grade Eight piano examination, Kai-sui only started writing songs a year ago.

'When I play the piano, I do not always follow the music books,' he explained to Young Post .

'Rather I will play any melody I like. Then one day I was suddenly struck by some musical ideas and I thought, 'Why don't I put them down'?' So far, Kai-sui has written 15 songs.

'The first one is a happy one,' he said, 'but there are also sad songs including one I wrote in remembrance of my late dad who passed away a few years ago.' He depended heavily on his surroundings for inspiration, Kai-sui added.

'Sometimes in the evening when I look through the window, I feel very lonely,' he said.

'That is the theme of some of my songs. And recently some of my friends left Hong Kong for studies and that gave me ideas and materials for song-writing too.' Kai-sui uses his computer to arrange the new songs for different musical instruments and to add sound effects.

'I use the mouse [a computer device] to put each note on to the five lines on the screen of the computer and, through the installation of a sound card and connection with an amplifier, the song can come out naturally.' Kai-sui's short-term goal is to save enough pocket money to buy a keyboard that can be connected to the computer, so notes can pass automatically to the computer as he plays.

In the long-term, Kai-sui hopes to become a full-time musician.

'I want to communicate and establish some sort of relationship with people through my songs.

'And I hope my songs can touch people's hearts, whether they are encouraging ones or heartbreaking ones.'