Page 67 - Demo

Sense & Sound: Five Ways into Taiwanese Pop Music%u201cBy 2023, I felt the timing was right, so I formally invited Liang to join us,%u201d said Huang. %u201cWe already had a clear direction, but we needed someone who could truly make things happen on the ground.%u201d After Liang took office, he not only brought greater consistency to the pace of international outreach, but also became a vital bridge between TMC and the city government thanks to his familiarity with the workings of the public sector. %u201cI%u2019m truly grateful to him, for being willing to leave behind a comfortable and stable life to take on this adventure at TMC.%u201dCEO Liang responded candidly: %u201cBefore joining TMC, our understanding from the outside was like looking through a fog. People seemed to only know that there was a performance venue here. In reality, TMC is a full-fledged complex spanning 8.96 hectares, with spaces for performances, exhibitions, commercial use, and offices. It was only after stepping inside that I realized: all of this had been built step by step by Chairperson Huang.%u201dLetting a Diversity of Visions Take Root: Making TMC a Place for EveryoneWhat ultimately convinced Liang to join was something Huang said to him: %u201cCome build a hundred years of pop music with us.%u201d That sentence made him realize that Taiwanese pop music is more than a momentary sensation, it carries the weight of cultural continuity. %u201cIts history deserves to be documented and passed down, and we have the chance to contribute to that legacy,%u201d he said. %u201cHonestly, at first, I thought TMC was just about running a performance venue. But once I stepped inside, I realized it carries an entire set of public responsibilities. We%u2019re not just here to make music heard, we%u2019re thinking about how to build systems for the whole industry, how to create rhythm and a sense of festivity, and how to deepen the roots of culture.%u201dSince Liang took office, 2023 and 2024 have felt like TMC%u2019s own season of blossoming. In 2023, a wide range of events targeting the general public and local communities were launched: %u201cTMC Happy Island,%u201d themed around family fun; %u201cTMC Golden Voice Contest,%u201d which invited residents of Nangang to participate and celebrate together; and Soffee Days, a city music project centered on releasing body and mind. These events brought music into everyday life, helping turn the idea that %u201cMusic is Life, Live in Music%u201d into something truly tangible.