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Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Obediently Anything : Ross Harries Interviewer : Dawn Fung "That were it possible, 'I would be happy playing my clarinet while letting everyone go to hell.' " Ross tries to avoid networking. Great people and seclusion can be at times mutually inclusive. However Ross is extremely extroverted as well given his background in performance and public speaking. CreateLeVoyage.com brings you our end of year actor, dramatist, jazz saxophonist, clarinet addict and family man, Ross Harries. "Could I have a cup of water?" He had his taken away when he turned his back to the counter, even as he reminded the server. "Do you have a bigger cup?" The server asks if the grande transparent cup is alright. Without knowing, you realise that this guy commands respect and is listened to. We sit upstairs at the verandah of Starbucks, even as he admits that after nine years of being in Singapore, he prefers to be an air-conditioned angmoh. Knowing Ross to be a gentleman anyway, we lounge next to traffic and semi-smoky air. I take out my new Elson Digital Audio Player in replacement of the old pink dictaphone. Ross looks mildly disturbed at this new gadget and admits that he prefers to bypass technology in the midst of the new millenium. A lack of computer know how however, has not made our interviewee any less relevant. CV Reality Ross is, in a nutshell, everything. He is a great student, a dedicated artist, an experienced businessman and lovely family man. Ross tells me matter of factly that he had "topped almost everything in school" and had wanted to be a physicist. He enrolled in science at Sydney University but after one year, out of divine inspiration he picked up the clarinet, jumped from grade one to eight within a year and made it into Newcastle, Australia, with a scholarship. In ‘the last place on earth’ that he wanted to go, he met his Hainanese wife Serena and admitted that God is absolutely "sovereign". The clarinet is Ross' first instrument, and the craft is "more than a hobby". He is so dedicated that he reveals that initially his purpose in business was to earn money so that he could retire early and play music full time. "Eight hours in the bedroom practising the clarinet" is more enjoyable than making profits on a rainy day. Apart from the clarinet, he also plays the flute, the saxophone, piano and probably, methinks, more than half the selection in an orchestra. On top of that his two business cards read like a super CV. Learned in all senses of the word, the first card from Results company includes nine degree and diploma titles, including honours in jazz saxophone and public speaking - being a professional speaker, Ross trains speakers and trainers in marketplace arenas like property. At the back of the card which reads SALT Productions, he "pao ka liao"1 with "talent management, exclusive management of Amore, J Jazz, Mostly Mozart, Singapore Sax Quartet and Sword", as well as "Sole Distributor of Powell Flutes". Powell flutes...One extract of Verne Q. Powell flutes said this: Powerful projection. Quick response. Superior intonation and timbral balance. Crisp, clean action. Exquisite detail. The embodiment of a Powell. Another by the name of Ardall Powell wrote the Flute History book. He makes Renaissance to Baroque flutes. Powell is a powerful name. "Powell flutes," explains Ross in his usual eloquent excitement, "Are the most expensive flutes and they cost easily a few thousand dollars and above. But I don't think they will sell many here." What is evident though, is the level of quality behind the slogan, and the tightrope of artistic exclusivity with commercial advantage. Bread and Buttery Dreams Being in business and an artist is too good for a reporter like me not to beg the question, "Can you have bread and butter with dreams? I feel that I had to choose between doing business and arts, and I really disliked giving up one for the other. Actually I find both sectors fascinating." "Yes, definitely," Ross anwers. "You don't necessarily have to give up one for the other. Maybe you are supposed to do ten percent of one thing, ten percent of the other thing and ninety percent of something else. You have to find out what your purpose is. I have a weird personality. You see, I either go extreme left brain or extreme right brain. My dream was to be able to pursue clarinet without worry. In Austalia, I had been playing in heavy rock bands for ten years. Yet I am always and have been, self-employed." "I thought you did chamber music?!" I was reminded of the Ross playing the clarinet at the YMCA chamber music series in his ethnic attire, as well as his list of classical groups on the business cards. There is a knowing grin. It is hard to box Ross in a straight occupation or title. "Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Let me say that again. You can do anything but not anything is your calling. Some people are called to be faith workers while some are called to bring in the resources. When I was giving a small talk at a Sonic Edge cell meeting, I said to them that some of them would not be doing music for the rest of their lives while others would continue to pursue it and change things with their skills through that. You have to know what God has called you to. Some people who should be in business are in music and vice versa." And yet there are people like Ross who does both. Purpose and Freedom I probe a bit deeper, "so what is your purpose?" "You see, God is sovereign. I thought I had it planned. I don't want to sound arrogant but I actually retired at 32 hoping to do that. Unfortunately, the supplier I left in Australia went bust and I was left with no income. I had to sell three houses at a loss, lost two cars and continue to work something out." It meant that he was not purposed to sit back in financial stability and do his clarinet. One perspective that was changed was the reality that were it possible, "I would be happy playing my clarinet while letting everyone go to hell." "But the fact is, the bible says that heaven and hell would pass away but His words would never pass away. In the end, art has to be subservient, to be used as a vehicle to get somewhere. But God showed me that to love people was to love everyone. It was to submit to one another even if they were imperfect." The second was "tearing up my twenty year plans which I assiduously lived by because it was at that time, idolatrous since I was not putting God first". Ross assures me that it does not mean that people should tear up their preparation plans- the incident was one of conviction, not confusion. The plan to create enough wealth so that he could pursue music was significantly altered by a question, "What would I give my life for?" "You know, someone saw a vision for me. They saw me working with wood with the saxophone hanging in the background. The instrument was not a saxophone bag but an ordinary bag hung on the hook. I've got to tell you...I was top in everything in school except woodwork! I hate getting my hands dirty." Ross laughs. There is a rueful pause. "I've met two people who live my dream, having the freedom to play music without any worries." "What would I give my life for? Souls saved." Ross realises that he may not be the one to see all those people saved but he may influence and impact certain people who could make a visible difference. As such, he acknowledges that God has brought him to "church planting". This is a very hard thing to swallow. God has effectively told him to do something that he admits "is worse than death because I do not fear death. But some things are worse than that"...like hardship, persecution and things that people dont necessarily think of in places like Singapore. This time, he has strategically planned way ahead of two decades and sees music as a tool, not an end in itself. God is sovereign. I pose our theme, Freeing Artist(e)s : The Avenue. What does it mean to you? Ross sits there for a while and then bounces back,"Financial freedom for artists, for them to pursue their dreams as well as bread and butter." I tell Ross that he is a true artist because his responsibility extends beyond his craft. It is seen at work and at home. If you observe him in his church in Vineyard Singapore, you will see that spark between him and his wife, and the bond with his children. Few artists would priortise that way. "Everyone fails at some point," Ross begins. However, this is one of the few moments today that I see Ross visibly affected. He admits that this has been a hard interview. After Ross leaves for his next appointment I look again at the Salt Productions business card. Probably the only thing lacking from Ross' card at the moment? A website address. Then again, not anything is our calling.
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