Siow: My biggest show yet
Last night's performance before 40,000 fans is a 'historical moment' for multi-award winning violinist
All she needs now is a waterproof violin.
Violinist Siow Lee Chin, who performed in front of a 40,000-strong crowd at last night's South-east Asia (SEA) Games Opening Ceremony, is a die-hard synchronised swimming fan.
While rooting for the newly crowned double gold medal-winning team over the past few days, an idea came to mind.
"(Some people) were saying that they should use a violinist to sprout out of the water," she said.
"So we're trying to figure out how we can get a waterproof violin."
In a glittering black and pink dress, she played her violin to a jazzed-up rendition of "You Raised Me Up" on stage at the National Stadium during Act 4 of the Opening Ceremony.
The act was to commemorate Singapore sporting legends and mentors for their influence on the current generation of athletes.
"The coaches are the unsung heroes for the athletes, so it's saluting the coaches for nurturing the Team Singapore and the various teams across the region," she said.
While Siow isn't an athlete herself, she knows all too well the hurdles athletes must overcome.
In 2012, she was involved in a car accident that left her with a broken left arm - the one she uses to hold the violin.
"The recovery (I went through) is very similar to what athletes go through, the striving back and picking up yourself, so when they invited me it resonated a lot with me," she said, stroking the scar on her left arm.
The 48-year-old is now a violin teacher and is based in both China and the United States.
Before entertaining the media in her changing room, she was busy sharing her excitement with her friends on Facebook.
EXCITED
She said: "I am totally excited. It's been 22 years since we last hosted the SEA Games and it's the 50th anniversary (of Singapore's independence). The timing couldn't be any better.
"This will be a historical moment for me, so I've been telling everyone and posting on Facebook."
Despite having performed in some of the world's biggest stages such as Carnegie Hall in New York and Japan's Osaka Symphony Hall, the multi-award winning violinist believes this was her biggest show yet.
"It's ranked way up there. It's not every day that I play on home ground with 40,000 people watching me.
"It's our 50th anniversary and this is to celebrate the young people," she said. "It's a great spirit and I'm very honoured."
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