He attended Nanyang Technological University and an acting school in Shanghai, but Lee Teng feels that school is not solely for accumulating knowledge.
The local television host, who was born in Taiwan and moved to Singapore when he was nine years old, spoke at large about education and his career in an interview with Capital 958 radio host Huang Shujun yesterday (Sept 26), which he attended with fellow guest, local lyricist Xiao Han.
The 40-year-old joined radio hosting after participating in Yes 933’s 2003 DJ selection contest, emerging the champion. He then entered television hosting after taking part in Channel U’s Superhost in 2005, clinching second place overall.
Expressing that he studied accountancy to satisfy his parents’ preference for job security, Lee Teng said: “I didn’t know what to do when I was in my twenties… but I found accountancy pretty boring as I dealt with numbers the whole day.”
When asked about whether education is still vital for one’s career these days, he said: “A diploma is after all still a piece of paper. Many times, school is more for friendships and networking, as well as knowing people whom you could collaborate with in the future.
“It doesn’t mean that if I teach you, you can produce something. Art is essentially quite vague… Education just gives you a generic concept and an idea of reality.”
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He elaborated on the ease of accessing knowledge in present times: “Nowadays, kids have access to an abundance of information online, but in the past we had to go through a lot of trouble to be connected to the internet, such as dialling using the landline.
“Whereas kids these days, if they’re interested in NewJeans, they can just type in the group name to find all music, videos and information related to them. We had relatively limited information about celebrities in the past.”
Lee Teng also gave suggestions of how young people can enter the entertainment industry if they are keen, such as taking part in related contests held by radio or television stations. He felt that there is more arts education, so instructors in school may help promote their work to industry players as well.
He added: “There is no barrier to entry (into entertainment) anymore… you can list your own music on Spotify and call yourself a singer, for example.”
However, Lee Teng’s nuanced view of education doesn’t negate its value in his eyes; he in fact joined a film preparatory acting class in Shanghai for a month in 2019. He revealed that he had never signed up for any formal acting classes before that.
He explained: “I acted in theatre way back in my school days and it got me interested in show business. So I told myself that I have to go back to a clean slate and rekindle my passion for acting.”
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Lee Teng summarised that he learnt about enunciation and body language during the course, and there were high expectations of enunciation. “I used to speak with a strong Taiwanese accent, always speaking with a drawl. I already changed it a little (when I went to Shanghai).
“In Shanghai, their expectations were entirely different. They wanted the enunciation of every word to be complete. I almost felt that I couldn’t speak Mandarin anymore!”
He also emphasised the importance of acquiring new stimulation when one is doing creative work.
“As artistes, we are always giving output, so we need input too. People asked if I went overseas to study because Singapore is not good enough, and I told them that is not the case. I get new stimulation whenever I go to a new place, be it China or Taiwan, and see the different types of programmes. Knowing people with similar interests is important.”
Xiao Han, 50, also added that she relied on a few things for recharging herself and getting new inspiration: Sleep, exercise and interacting with different kinds of people.
“I respect my body’s needs. Exercise releases dopamine… Don’t only interact with people who are in your immediate social circles. You can learn something from every person.”
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jolynn.chia@asiaone.com
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