PATTAYA, Thailand – Attendees at the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) meeting on May 6, were treated to an engaging morning of story and song, when Bruce Veld(huisen), delivered a presentation blending personal reflection, practical advice, and live performances that encouraged listeners to rediscover creativity later in life.
Bruce is an American who has lived in Thailand for more than 30 years. He told the audience that although he had sung in high school, he stepped away from music for about four decades while building a career in higher education and international programs. After moving to Pattaya two years ago, he found himself drawn back to performing through the city’s lively music scene and the welcoming atmosphere created by local Filipino bands.
Bruce explained that his return to singing began modestly, with just a handful of songs he felt comfortable performing. Over time, encouragement from local entertainer Jason and several lessons from a professionally trained opera singer, Yves Baron, helped him improve his confidence and technique. He said those experiences showed him that learning to sing is still possible later in life, especially in Pattaya where informal performance opportunities are plentiful and affordable instruction is available.
Throughout the presentation, Bruce punctuated his remarks with live renditions of well-known songs including “Wonderful Tonight,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “You’re My First, My Last, My Everything,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “Stand By Me,” and did an encore performance of “My Way.”
One of the presentation’s most contemporary themes was Bruce’s use of technology to support his singing. He described how AI-based music tools can remove vocals, adjust a song’s key, and create backing tracks suited to a performer’s voice. By demonstrating how these tools opened up songs that might otherwise have been out of reach, he offered a practical example of how technology can help amateur musicians expand their repertoire.
The audience responded warmly, asking questions about where he finds his music, how he creates and stores his backing tracks, and what opportunities exist in Pattaya for people interested in singing or playing instruments. Bruce readily shared suggestions, contacts, and venue ideas, underscoring the community spirit that ran through the morning’s presentation.
After the presentation, MC Ren Lexander brought everyone up to date on upcoming Club events. This was followed by the Open Forum where questions are asked and comments made about Expat living in Thailand. To learn more about the PCEC, visit their website at https:/pcec.club. To view the video, PCEC presentations are uploaded to the PCEC’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@pcecclub6255/videos.
