SMU alumna Lou Peixin (BBM 2016) (aka Miss Lou) was enjoying her work as a singer-songwriter until the pandemic struck, and brought into question her identity. Ironically, it was due to the pandemic that she discovered who she was, what she stood for in life, and why she began making music in the first place. Today, this jazz-pop singer produces music as an art form to empower others with hope and inspiration.
Tell us more about yourself and how you got to where you are now in your career as a professional singer.
My name is Peixin; professionally I am known as "Miss Lou" and I am a full-time singer, songwriter, and music producer. I graduated from SMU in 2016 with a degree in business management and majored in corporate communications.
My first foray into singing happened when I was in my first year at SMU. I was asked if I would be keen to perform at a wedding. I accepted the offer and as a result of that, I took on more gigs and it became my side hustle during my undergraduate years. After I graduated in 2016, I decided to pursue my passion for music and became a full-time singer.
In 2018, I co-founded "Loudanclear," a music management and production studio, with my husband. When the pandemic hit the region, we shifted our focus to two new revenue streams: live streaming productions and music production, including song writing, arranging, and producing original music.
Why did you choose SMU and what was your student life like?
My goals were crystal clear: first, I did not want a repeat of what I went through when I was in junior college; four gruelling years was enough for me. Second, beyond achieving academic excellence, I wanted to have the time and space to develop myself holistically. Lastly, being an introvert, I needed to immerse myself in a group environment that would compel me to engage in conversations and participate in discussions.
SMU checked all the boxes with its vibrant student life, interactive pedagogy, and seminar-based lessons. Compared to the other open houses that I attended at other local universities; SMU was the only university that made me felt alive!
Apart from my studies and wedding gigs, I also learned to play the Indian dhol with the SMU Samba Masala and improved my jazz harmonies with the NUS Jazz Band. It was certainly a hectic period, but one that allowed me to develop my 'groove' and discover my own voice.
What impact did the pandemic have on your career as a musician? What challenges did you have to overcome along the way?
I was forced to question my identity as a musician. Prior to the pandemic, I used to identify myself as a "singer" or "songwriter". However, when the pandemic struck and brought the music industry to a standstill, it wiped out everything on which I relied on as a musician – singing to a live audience, writing songs, and so on.
I then realised I was only using verbs (i.e. singing and writing songs) to describe my day job. During the pandemic, I became a “nobody.”
That realization served as a wake-up call for me.
It is through such times that we pause and re-evaluate the things we have done and achieved, and search for solutions to heal from the loss we experienced. For me, it renewed my sense of purpose to produce even more meaningful and uplifting musical content for the community.
Using digital technologies, we explored and developed new ways to produce music and to run live events online. When we first started, it was very stressful and painful because the learning curve was steep, but we persevered.
On 16 May 2020, we streamed a 12-hour programme live and had viewers from the US, Taiwan and other countries tune in. This programme included a duet I sang with local singer Ms. Joanna Dong, as well as a live chat segment with guests such as Ms. Grace Fu (then Minister of Community, Culture and Youth) and Mr Kevin Foo, General Manager of Sony Music Taiwan. With projects such as these, we felt like we had a "fresh start" - beyond the boundaries and beyond the labels (as a singer or songwriter) - proving that we are more than what we perceive ourselves to be.
You were mentored by the legendary David Foster! Tell us more about that experience.
(Laughs) You are of a certain age if you know his name (most of Generation Z seems to be unfamiliar with his name). In 2017, AirAsia collaborated with Spotify and launched a campaign to help promising musical talents from Asean achieve their dreams and perform with legendary producer, performer, songwriter, musician, composer David Foster. As the sole participant from Singapore, I was immediately chosen to represent the country.
I was blessed to receive an exclusive mentoring session with David Foster after finishing fourth in the campaign! It was a precious 60 minutes that I will never forget! Having just started my career in music, he advised,
"Whenever you reach a wall and feel like you are going nowhere, simply go around it until you discover another way."
I immediately knew what he meant; even if the outer world changes, what matters most is making sure our inner world (i.e. values, goals, skills) remains constant and adaptable to the evolving circumstances.
A living legend who has evolved with the music industry, his words mean a lot to me.
(Side note to David if you are reading this - I took your advice very seriously and took it to heart especially during the pandemic).
Tell us about your involvement in ‘2GETHERAS1’, SMU Art Festival’s second virtual edition taking place from 30 November to 30 December 2021. Did the festival have any special significance for you?
I was delighted to return full circle and perform with one of my favourite professors, Associate Professor Mark Chong! At this year’s festival, I was also part of SMOOJazz, a community jazz band made up of talents from the SMU family comprising faculty, staff, students and alumni.
I performed SMU Symphonia's reinterpretation of Dua Lipa's "Do not start now" with two very talented SMU students. The second piece was an arrangement of two of my own original songs that I had penned, "Medley of Sophia (Time to Let Go)" and "Right Next to You". I got a chance to work with Chok Kerong (a Singaporean-based pianist, organist, and composer).
The two tracks were also a reflection of parts of my life – from secondary school to junior college to SMU (at Arts & Culture Centre (ACC)) where I spent most of my time there after class with the SMU Samba Masala.
Where do you see SMU and the arts in the future?
Nobody can predict how the world will evolve in the future. But what I do look forward to is seeing more SMU alumni like myself, returning to campus to perform and share our passion for music with the SMU community.
Follow and subscribe to Miss Lou’s YouTube channel!