Creative people are everywhere. An old schoolmate of mine studied music from an early age and at university, but started a career in the financial services field.However, she has now become a composer and musician - a surprisingly versatile one at that.
She has recorded and performed some of her own orchestral pieces - notably Happy Diamond - with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
She won a TVB song-writing award for her song Hope, and has been working on a film score. She has even composed pieces for ballet and modern dance.
She has also enjoyed success with an indie rock band - called So What - she formed with two other women. Among the group's Mandarin songs is a big hit called War Monkey, which appeared in a local independent film, Fog.
I'm not plugging her because she's an old friend, or even because I enjoy her music. But I think she's worth mentioning because of her attitude that her work should be available for all to hear.
It's available free online, and you can see her performances on YouTube.
She's open to requests to perform for - or allow her work to be used by - charities and other good causes, which I think is a great thing to do with creative talent.
So, if you want to know more, check out Shirley Choi's website, shirleychoimusic.com. Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, sees culture from all perspectives.
