Welcome to Joshua Ting's personal home on the web
Josh was born in Malaysia and grew up in a home filled with love and music.
He showed an early interest and gift in music by picking up simple piano playing by ear at the age of 3.
He started playing the piano from the age of 5, specialising in improvisation by listening.
At the age of 15, Josh also showed a keen interest in the drums, an instrument he had not had a chance to play or be exposed to.
Taking some early lessons, Josh showed promise by possessing a good sense of rhythm and showing a quick rate in improvement.
By this time, the piano had become Josh's first love and he was playing the piano in high school musicals, including reproductions of "Miss Saigon" and "Oklahoma".
He began playing regularly in small groups and duos, focusing on accompaniment for solo and duet vocals.
Josh joined the swing band in high school for an opportunity to develop his ability on the drums.
Although leaving home was hard to do, Josh moved to the UK to attend university, and found his feet quickly by earning the position as resident pianist at an award-winning fine dining restaurant.
He stepped his way onto the drum throne of the incredible University Big Band, gigging regularly.
Three amazing years later, Josh found himself playing in the Montreux Jazz Festival with the Big Band.
Upon graduating from university, Josh has moved his focus to drums and has plays sessions and in funk bands, Big Bands, and jazz quartets
including
Moment's Notice and resident jazz quartet for JAM, a regular jazz evening at Warwick University.
In addition to his love for playing jazz, Josh has also collaborated with up and coming artistes across the UK in private functions, sessions and
showcases, playing a variety of music styles, including latin, pop and funk.
In the near future, Josh is looking to get involved in exciting new music projects, ideas and thoughts are welcome on a postcard please!
Monday, September 12, 2005
insomnia
I can't sleep. I went to bed at 9pm and tossed and turned for nearly 7 hours.
Excitement has got the better of me.
197 minutes to go.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
work politics
My boss at Raffles came in yesterday and asked me to play Saturdays again. I declined as I always have, stating that I don't want the commitment of working all Saturdays. To the shock and horror of my colleagues, I was brave enough to tell him I REFUSE to play all Saturdays, as I know that taking a pre-committed Saturday off would leave him with no pianist, and that he would probably get pissed off and blame everyone. (Maybe I am way too brave..)
He carried on being very professional (in his own way) and business-like, and said
"Saturday is our most important night. I don't want Tim Jefferson* to play. He is very boring and morbid, and useless to me in my opinion."
It suddenly dawned on me that just like when I joined Raffles to begin with, someone was about to lose his job for not being good enough (for the boss). I carried on refusing, and at the end came to a compromise of me saying I agree to work 2 Saturdays a month or less, but no more.
Boss is willing to find someone else to play the other 2, but not all 4. I don't see why he can't find someone better than me - I know so many others who are better pianists, and would suit the mood a lot better.
Oh well, this will help me to reach my target pay for the year and make the decision to quit at Christmas a whole lot easier - this is what snapped into my head when I agreed to play 2 Saturdays a month. Kind of works for me then, in a bizarre yet convenient way.
Less than 4 days to go. Oh have mercy.
*name has been changed to protect privacy
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
5 days
The anticipation is suffocating me..
