Street Talk: Ryan Yeung Ka-lok
He doesn’t like to toot his own horn, but 15-year old Ryan Yeung Ka-lok has been playing in the Hong Kong Vigor Marching Band for six years. With performances across Asia under his belt, he tells Beverly Cheng that he doesn’t do it just for the costumes.
HK Magazine: So, what’s your weapon?
Ryan Yeung Ka-lok: I play the marching trombone. I’ve been playing this instrument for the past six years non-stop, since I was nine years old. I first got into it because all of my older friends played and I thought it was really cool. When I was young, marching bands seemed so wicked! I loved the colorful costumes, and when they burst out onto the stage, the crowd went wild. I liked the attention the band members received at events, and it was only a matter of time before I sought the limelight for myself.
HK: How many people are in the band?
RY: There are 60 of us. We’re all very different in age, gender and interests. Some are in high school like me, while others are already in university. It’s really nice to have friends who are much older and a mixed group of boys and girls—I learn a lot from everyone.
HK: Cool threads. Did you design your own costumes?
RY: No. But I really like them! They’re designed for us and they don’t really change—the uniform is a red jacket, with a vest and black pants. It sounds pretty boring, but it’s not, because of the accessories: black gloves that match our pants, and a really tall top hat with a long feather—it attracts a lot of attention! Tons of sequins are sewn all over the red jacket with stripes of yellow and patches of black. I imagine it’s quite labor-intensive, but the result is that it’s really eye-catching and super-sparkly!
HK: Where have you gigged?
RY: We’re invited to play at all sorts of different special performances. At City Hall, among tons of other places. We even got a spot playing at the Olympics at the Equestrian games—that was fantastic!
HK: What was your favorite venue?
RY: The Cheung Chau Bun festival was one of the hardest, but also the best performance. It was such a hot and humid day outside; we were all drenched in sweat and pretty miserable. Dressed-up in really tight, thick costumes and carrying these heavy brass instruments was terrible—it became pretty unbearable, and there were times when I wanted to pass out. But, we didn’t complain, and just kept on playing. We put on one of the best performances ever, and overcame our own discomfort for the sake of the audience. I am very proud that we stuck it out together as a band, and played as a band.
HK: Do you want to turn pro one day?
RY: My dream is to become a professional trombone player. I want to keep on improving over time. I would also like to eventually be a trombone teacher, and inspire students to take up the trombone like me. Whatever I end up doing, it’s really important for me to promote marching bands in Hong Kong and get the public out on the streets to hear live music. I want marching bands to be an event that rouses up excitement everywhere we perform.