By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, April 9: Sixty-year-old retired banker Jason Chambers never expected to turn to a life of singing and entertainment. What began as a casual ‘main-main’ karaoke session with friends over the weekends eventually crescendoed into a 25-year side gig, one that outlasted his decades of crunching numbers and sifting through accounts in the banking world.
These days, you can find Jason belting out his velvety country-western twang on the stage, mesmerising audiences.
This unexpected encore of his life path started when he decided to tiptoe into the local entertainment scene 25 years ago after he bought a set of karaoke systems for his personal use.
During a weekend party at his home, Jason and his friends tested their vocals on the new machine.
“It was ‘main-main’ to try our voices on my new karaoke set. That evening, the fun entertainment gigs started it all, and before I knew it, there were many more small weekend parties and events where my voices and audio equipment were in demand to enlighten the guests and the hosts.
“It was an ‘all system’ go for me despite my 9-to-5 job. Without hesitation, I render my singing services,” he shared with DayakDaily.
Jason gets the best of both worlds as inventing a new career for himself in the local entertainment and events scene did not clash with his job in the bank.
Weekdays meant suits and loan approvals, while weekends brought him mics and cheering crowds that helped him with all the stresses in his banking job.
“It just became a routine for me. I could divide my time between my job and providing entertainment and audio services to my clients.
“I had the best of both worlds. I continued to hone my voice, and at the same time, my banking career was doing well,” he enthused.
His job as a banker also provided him with a steady and stable income on top of his singing gig, which helped him fund better equipment for his entertainment services.
“I was no more a novice and just provided entertainment. Over the years, with the investment, I expanded my services and supplied good equipment to my clients hosting the event,” he said.
Self-discipline is also a key factor in where he is today in the entertainment scene.
“I am not a professional singer, and I was in a church choir while still in school. It probably helps my voice and my interest in singing.
“In my banking career, I was committed to my job, and holding a managerial position speaks for itself.
“So if I could instil discipline in myself, then it should be the same in all I do. Thus both careers went concurrently and I enjoyed it,” he mused, with a smile on his face.
On stage, Jason revealed he has to focus on his job and ensure that his audiences are on their ‘feet’ and entertained with songs that they are familiar with.
“Nowadays, I will be singing at the opening of the events, and later, guests of the hosts will participate with their choices of songs,” he said.
These days, digital tools have made it much easier for him to find songs that are ‘in’ and which he could use to entertain his audience.
He elaborated that while his genre is country and western, he also performs ‘easy listening’ songs from trending pop songs and singers.
Aside from that, Jason shared that part and parcel of being an entertainer is to enliven the atmosphere at any event he is hired to entertain at.
Jason also formed a band called The Wrangler to support his entertainment gigs.
“The band helped me a lot. We played music suitable for events. The band was created to perform country and western music. We played in many gigs and renowned local festivals. The band is brilliant, and the members are great and talented musicians. We are very closely bonded.”
Stomach butterflies and stage fright used to be something Jason faced in his initial days as an entertainer. However, over the years, he shared that with the help of his trademark ‘cowboy hat’ and strengthening confidence on stage, these challenges ‘fizzled’ away.
“Maybe my communication and presentation skills in my profession help a lot in entertaining my audience.
“I am also competent in setting up my audio equipment. It is not just about singing but providing my clients with an audio system for an event,” he said.
Since retiring in 2021 after 36 years in the banking industry, Jason said he felt like his career as an entertainer had hit its stride, and his life is ‘flawless’ as he enjoys what he is doing.
“As long as I am needed, I will continue strumming my guitar with my band or alone, sing a great song and render my services with my audio systems that make people happy,” he laughed, his whole face lighting up. – DayakDaily
