The Three PAs - Stories from Jazz On The Jetty (Sep 2020)

 

Stories from Jazz On The Jetty:

Very glad that

Jocelyn Wong Lixian

grabbed the two of us for a group photo. It’s the only photo we had on the trip of “The Three PAs”.

The spirit of teamwork and mutual respect runs deeper than what the words merely suggest - the three PAs.

When

Tay Cher Siang

first put the lineup together for Jazz On The Jetty, I didn’t plan to pack a personal assistant (PA) on my rider. I thought it might be good fun and an adventure to run a show on my own without an assistant - something I haven’t done for years.

As the date of travel to Penang for the week drew closer I started having second thoughts about the PA. I called up my regular temp Jessica and try to book her on the trip to help me on my show night Sep 19. Jessica had other work for the day already. That’s when Cher Siang told me, Jocelyn (we call her Jo) was coming on the trip to volunteer, maybe she could help out. So I zipped my bag for the trip, without booking any PA.

Jazz Mama

Junji Delfino

was to kick off the festival with her concert on the Friday. I volunteered to be her PA on the show. I hadn’t had that kind of, a sense of usefulness and thinking-on-my-feet crew spirit for years and gosh I loved it and missed it. Though I was kinda a pariah PA due to lack of practice, I know both Jo and Mama Junji had fun having me milling around off stage, waiting for my next cue to be useful on the show. It was a hell of a show - a really successful first night with awesomeness spilling over the brim of the space.

The next day came my turn to be on stage. I had two PAs Jo and Junji fussed around me. We planned stagings, props cues; Junji tied my hair for my second costume change and plastered herself on the transparent door so I could strip and change, Jo touched up my makeup...What a crazy load of fun we had. These were just the tip of the iceberg of the connection we made on the short whirlwind weekend of 3 shows. The thoughtful conversations during the trip, in between sound-checks, meals and more - were the unexpected reward for me for being part of this project.

If anything, this tells me that I’m in a very safe, loving and nurturing music community of artists who are ever ready to jump on board to help each other to make live music performances a joyful ride each time.

P/S

Jessica Teh

arrived next day for the last show so we wrapped the festival with two singers on stage and two singing-PAs off stage

Thank you ladies! Xoxo  and thank you WVC Kampong where useful crazies prowl (

Alton Wong

and Aaron).

(How come it’s all J...a? Jo-Junji-Janet-Jessica) lol

#lifeisacabaret #janetleeinpenang #jazzonthejetty #janetleemusic #showgirldiary #wvcjazz #wvckampong