It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a New TCP Board Member!

Keong Kam, Board Member

Why are music and the arts important to you?

My career and expertise are in engineering and science which are quite different from music and art. However, I find so much overlap and synergy from music and art. The creativity is important in problem solving, and I feel that music and art allow you to think differently. Sometimes the most creative ideas come while being fond of beautiful music!

And as a parent with young kids, I find that keeping music and art in children’s learning is so important. I wish my kids and every generation stayed engaged in the arts and experience the positive effect of music and art throughout their life even if it's not their main path.

What music or arts programming are you most excited to experience in person as the Bay Area and the world starts to open up again?

A TCP concert of course! It would be exciting to see a live concert finally! And I also love jazz music so I would love to attend San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest and the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco.

Who are some of your favorite musicians?

I have too many! But John Coltrane and Oscar Peterson immediately come to mind. I am also a huge Marvel superhero fan, so I love The Avengers movie soundtrack which gets me pumped up every time!

What is your earliest childhood music memory?

As long as I can remember, I have always loved superhero movies and cartoon soundtracks. Playing John Williams’ “Theme from Superman” and dreaming that I was Superman, flying in the air, is one of my fondest childhood memories. Hearing the music from the movie brings you back to that scene in the movie and I love that.

As a techie living and working in Silicon Valley, have you experienced or observed any interesting and fun ways in which music and technology intersect?

My personal hero, Steve Jobs, once said “technology alone is not enough — it's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.” This inspires me so much.

I take great pride in working for Apple, which develops tools to help people create amazing music and art.

Photos © 2021 Nada Marriott