HK Magazine: Did you ever get in trouble as a kid for playing drums at the dinner table with your chopsticks?
Simon Chiu: No, I never did that! I didn’t actually start playing drums until I was in my teens, and even then I didn’t start practicing until after my family left the house.

HK: You’re off to China and America soon. What are you doing there?
SC: I’m moving to Shanghai to start up a drumming school there. I think the mainland has a great potential market for opening up a school like this. There are a lot of mainland rock acts coming out now that are really great and they deserve to have access to schools where they can hone their talent if they need it.

HK: Do Hong Kong people have rhythm?
SC: I think people generally have a natural sense of rhythm, and you can’t confine that to any particular race. We all have a heart beat, right? For someone with natural ability, I think that you can train him or her to be a professional drummer in 1-2 years. It’s the same with the piano. With a good teacher and some natural talent, a little bit of tuition can go a long way.

HK: You’ve played drums for Cantopop stars such as Ekin Chen and Eason Chan. Do you like that, or are you just paying the bills?
SC: It’s just a job. For Cantopop stars, it’s not just about the music; it’s about the spectacle of performance, the guest stars and the show. Their image is a very important part of their act so you don’t tend to get a “band” as such. The backing musicians often feel like employees to the stars rather than part of any “band.” When you’re in your own band, you get the feeling of being in a family.