Finding Joy in the Day-to-Day – Njo Kong Kie (BMath 1984)

“It came to a point when, if I didn’t quit my day job, I couldn’t expand on my musical career,” said Grebel alum Njo Kong Kie. "I wasn’t liking my corporate job, and the day-to-day lacked joy. I began to think of other skills I possessed to make a living, and music was the obvious one. I told myself ‘If this is what I want, so be it.’”  

Njo Kong Kie has since thrived in the music industry. He is a composer, pianist, and gave nearly 600 performances during his 16-year tenure as Musical Director with the Montreal contemporary dance company, La La La Human Steps (LLLHS). His music theatre creations have explored numerous personal and sensitive topics like same-sex marriage, human organ trafficking, and the brutality of the labour market. In reference to “I swallowed a Moon Made of Iron,” a staged song cycle performance that touched on the harsh working conditions in a factory in Shenzhen, China, Kong Kie said: “Even though my circumstances were different to the protagonist, it was easy to empathize with their situation. These sorts of things aren’t specific to China; they speak to a larger issue.”  

Growing up in Macau, Kong Kie studied piano as a teen but didn’t consider music as a feasible career path. This led him to choose a degree in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo in the early 1980s. Still, music remained imbedded in Kong Kie’s life. “Once I got accepted for computer science, I started looking for music electives I could take. That’s why, for the first two years, I was basically a part-time student at Grebel. By my third year, I had switched to the Grebel residence program and ended up graduating with a double major in Computer Science and Music.”  

Upon graduation, Kong Kie began his professional life working for a bank and subsequently an insurance company. However, he soon realized that he wasn’t enjoying either of his jobs and started treating music as an escape from the monotony of office work. Working as a musical accompanist and teacher, while also playing for local ballet schools and community music theatres, gave Kong Kie temporary relief from corporate life. All the while, he kept his eyes open for any opportunity to render this escapism a permanent reality. "Every Thursday, I would look through the local Now Toronto weekly magazine to see if there were any music-related job opportunities that could replace my day job.”  

Kong Kie was soon asked by the insurance company he worked for to go back to school to get a certification in accountancy, but by this point he had come face-to-face with the truth. “Even if I completed that certification,” he exclaimed, “it still wasn’t something I wanted to be doing!” So, after much consideration, Kong Kie decided to quit his office job and fully commit to his musical aspirations. “Once I quit, I was able to explore different avenues and improve my skills as a ballet accompanist. I saw an audition on the Now magazine for a contemporary dance company in Quebec, which is where I ended up working.” Working at LLLHS gave Kong Kie the opportunity to embrace his desire as a musician.  

Kong Kie described his early years studying piano as restricted to “a narrow path to becoming a concert pianist. The truth was, I never felt gifted enough to think that was my path,” he admitted. However, repeatedly performing allowed Kong Kie to recognize his musical strengths. “I was able to self-affirm my genuine love for performing. When I was a young student, there was always an element of fear that inhibited my performances. I still do get nervous when I perform, but working with LLLHS allowed me to enjoy the music while doing so. As a musician, I must find where I can shine and where I can meet the challenge, rather than being buried by it.”  

Shifting from a corporate work environment into the music industry demanded an acceptance of a sporadic work schedule and routine, uncertainties that Kong Kie has claimed persist to this day. However, his resolve had remained intact from the start. "Those early days in the industry suggested that I had the stamina to withstand this kind of life,” said Kong Kie. “Plus, if I had a full-time office job, I wouldn’t be able to travel as much as I do, something I derive tremendous enjoyment from. I cherish getting the chance to hear different languages and immerse myself in other cultures."

When asked about his favorite memories at Grebel, Kong Kie immediately referred to the people. “Even today, almost all the people I keep in regular contact with from university are Grebel alumni. During my first years in Canada, I wasn’t comfortable with the English language. I was very shy. Within the first couple months of moving into the residence, other students started to pick up on this. Very soon, my neighbors began dragging me out to dinner and even posted a vocabulary list on my door to help me learn English.” He still has the vocabulary list in his possession, as well as a hand-made quilt created by his Grebel friends. “Those kinds of things, they’re hard to forget.”  

Kong Kie’s musical career sprouted from a leap of faith. “Early on in my career, my motivations were of escapism. If there is any wisdom to be gained from that, it is to take that first step.” His music projects keep his hands (and ears) busy. He is currently working on several opera projects and is composing for the Stratford Festival production of Cymbeline this spring.  

By Jiho Mercer

Photo Credits: Ao Leong Weng Fong, Nicholas Yee

A picnic and ping pong enthusiast, Njo Kong Kie is also a collaborative pianist and a composer for dance, drama and music theatre. At Grebel, Kong Kie played for the various choirs and really enjoyed all the square-dancing opportunities.

Read more on Kong Kie's works and follow his socials: @musicpicnicTO

Kong Kie's story is part of Grebel's 60 Stories for 60 Years project. Check out our 60 Stories page for more articles in this series. If you would like to nominate a Grebel alumnus to share about their experiences at Grebel, please submit a nomination form.