Story | Connie Li Photography | 覓定攝影工作室 MIDI Photography Studio
Two total strangers, whose paths had never crossed until a singing competition, have ended up becoming close friends and are moving forward hand in hand.
The first season of TVB’s singing contest Midlife, Sing & Shine in 2022-23 was a hit, and the top three contestants became overnight sensations at an unexpected stage of life. The first and second runners-up, Miranda Li and Ramon Lo, held a concert in Toronto recently, and eliteGen had the pleasure of hearing their stories.
Connected over A Duet
In the fifth round of the season, Miranda and Ramon performed a duet of “Bygone Love” and were awarded the top score, with a resounding “bravo!” from judge Kenny Bee, marking a memorable scene of the show. Their harmony and interpretation were perfect.
Miranda is a vocal coach, and Ramon a graphic designer. They didn’t know each other before the contest, but became singing partners only after they picked the same song in this round of the competition.
People who follow Ramon know he had social phobia from a young age. He explains: “ I never dreamt of going on stage as a performer and didn’t take proper singing lessons.”
He was rather “invisible” before the fifth round as he appeared out of touch with managing stage presence, positioning and facial expressions. Preparing for the duet, he got a lot of tips from professional coach Miranda, who helped to refine his performance after noting that something was still amiss when he delivered the line “it doesn’t help even when I forget you.”
The “Bygone Love” duet was stunning, which made Miranda even a bigger favourite, and marked a turning point for Ramon in the competition. He went from strength-to-strength and was named an MVP twice, and became the second runner-up as a dark horse.
Subsequently, the two had more opportunities to work together, and sang the theme song “Forgotten in the Mists” for TV series The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, as well as starring in the song’s MV.
Having joined TVB after the contest, they have had more opportunities to get to know each other better.
“Whenever we attended the same occasion, we had much to talk about, be it food or travel, says Ramon. “When we listened or hummed to a song, we talked about how to perform it. After a stage performance, we shared feedback with each other. We even have sought the other’s opinions when issuing singles.”
Their family members also got to know each other through Midlife, Sing & Shine. Ramon gushes about the closeness between Miranda and her husband, and her two sons’ good manners.
Sharing Unforgettable Moments
Whenever they are in each other’s company, they inevitably reminisce the fun parts of rehearsals and the competition. Many of the scenes are unforgettable. For example, Miranda doubted herself after slipping in scores in the PK round, and asked her students how she should sing the songs in the competition. Her students were flummoxed and enquired “What’s bothering you?” Fortunately, she had her family rally behind her.
“Though my husband doesn’t know Cantonese, he could see that I was down and asked about it. My extended family also cheered me on.”
As a vocal coach, Miranda is normally the one to dish out comments and guidance to students. The roles seemed to have reversed after she joined Midlife, Sing & Shine, as she was the one subjected to critique by the judges and the audience.
“Though I had psychologically prepared myself for being scrutinized when performing on stage, it was still tough to swallow initially,” she says. “Some comments were out of left field, so different from my perception, that I found them odd and hard to comprehend.
“I would then tell myself that the judges had their reasons for their comments, and I should seriously consider how to improve. This adaptation phase was quite short. When I looked back, the judges’ comments were all valid.”
Midlife, Sing & Shine posed greater meaning and impact on Ramon than on Miranda, as he transformed from a graphic designer to a singer, with his own fan club and a large fan base. The starkest changes were in his inner self. As he couldn’t avoid facing the judges, the audience and fellow contestants in the competition, the social phobia that plagued his life slowly faded.
“This was huge. I was timid about people from a young age, and had to see a therapist, go under hypnotism and force myself to meet strangers in alien social settings. All these treatments took me one step forward and two steps back. I felt useless and unable to climb out of the black hole.
“I was very nervous when first joining the show. Once when I was on stage, something fell out of my pocket and I didn’t even notice it. The competition changed me and took me out of that black hole into the world to show what I could do.
“Very often, we are not aware of many of the things we are doing, but every step we take in life is meaningful, and takes us closer to our dreams.”
This realization is played out in his single “Believe in Belief.” Ramon said when he knew he could make a single, he immediately thought about two veterans.
“I took the liberty of reaching out to songwriter and arranger Anthony Lun and asked him to write the music for my single. He was very supportive and gave me a demo in a month. Lyricist Chow Yiu Fai didn’t notice me in the competition. I wrote him a long introduction about myself and asked him to write the lyrics for my song. He was quick to take it on and get it done.”
This experience gave him a huge boost in confidence. As in the lyrics: “Believe in yourself. Feel every day that you can believe in yourself”, Ramon hopes to share his thoughts and help those who feel lost to find motivation and believe in themselves.
Keep Going Forward
Miranda and Ramon are from two different worlds. Miranda was born passionate and outgoing. She became a singer at age 22 and then got married and moved to the UK at the peak of her career, not minding there wasn’t even a proper wedding. She doesn’t feel any difference in habits and cultural background, nor barriers in communication, with her sweetheart husband and two gorgeous kids.
Ramon, on the other hand, is an introvert and quiet. He loves nature, sketching and cooking. He rates himself for his tenacity and inner strength, comparing himself to a water-based South American animal, somewhat similar in appearance to a large guinea pig.
“What animal am I like? A capybara perhaps: sincere and simple, and a perfectionist.”
Ramon feels his phobia cost him opportunities to make friends. Although he remains single, he looks forward to finding someone who shares his interests, saying: “It is a blessing and a joy to enjoy doing the same thing together.”
Despite their vastly different personalities and life journeys, they share the same musical goal. Ramon has had his own single, “Believe in Belief”, and Miranda, who always dreamed of having a song written for her, now has “Narrowed Heart”.
Looking ahead, both would like to stage concerts and star in TV series to continue their growth. Miranda has set a clear target of making a jazz album blending East and West styles. In her earlier career, she performed mainly Latin and Jazz music, which are still her favourites.
“I hope to make a jazz album, but I know it’s niche music,” Miranda says. “If the chance presents itself, I hope to have classic Canto-pop that everyone can sing to, but perform it in a jazz style, which might appeal to a larger audience.”
These two individuals are now on the same path because of music and the friendship that flourished during Midlife, Sing & Shine continues to this day. They got into the groove with “Bygone Love” and “Forgotten in the Mists.” What can the audience expect next from this talented duo? It’s coming very soon and we’re excited to find out.
