Badminton star a hit singer, too

This isn’t the first time we’ve written about Noelle Cassandra (Casey) Ang-Siy, an extremely talented young lady who’s a whiz on the badminton court and a hitmaker in the music charts.

Four years ago, we were tipped off by good friend Robin Tong about Noelle’s emergence and it led to a column titled “Casey at the harp,” a reference to her mastery of the string instrument and a take-off from the 1888 baseball poem “Casey at the bat” by Ernest Thayer.

Noelle, 27, was born and raised in Vancouver, one of two children. Her father Conrad and mother Roxanne are Filipinos. In 2005, she decided to move to the Philippines for good. Her aunt Ronith Ang, who now lives in Vancouver, was a popular TV courtside reporter for the PBA and a TV newscaster here.

When Noelle was a kid, her parents set up a “jungle gym” in their backyard instead of a swing set. “This way, she developed athletically at an early age and sports became natural for her,” explained her mother.

Noelle was also introduced to music as a young girl. At three, she was supposed to begin harp lessons but settled for the violin because she was too small to pluck the lower range strings. A year later, she switched to harp, beginning an enduring love affair with the instrument.

At 11, Noelle was taught the basics of basketball by her father who’s a die-hard aficionado. In 1997, she was named Athlete of the Year for basketball at Crofton House School and Rookie of the Year in the Filipino-Canadian Sports Association. 

“She can shoot the ball,” said Roxanne. “Ever since she was a little girl, her father trained her to shoot using his special technique and it hasn’t failed either of them. Now in his mid-50s, Conrad plays basketball three or four times a week and is still a deadly shooter. From 1993 to 2000, Noelle played basketball passionately. When she wasn’t in school or at her harp music lessons, she was at the community center playing basketball with boys because there weren’t many girls playing the game. This experience taught her to play tough and stand up for herself.” 

At 17, Noelle was encouraged by her parents to focus on badminton because of the danger of injuring her hands and fingers in basketball.  “As she got more involved in playing higher-level basketball tournaments, I saw the risk of her getting hurt which she couldn’t afford because of her harp playing,” related Roxanne. “She was enrolled in group lessons at the Vancouver Racquets Club and during her first class, the head coach Calvin asked if she would like to take individual lessons because he saw a lot of potential in her game. This opened the door to Noelle’s badminton life which went from being a pure newbie to being provincially ranked No. 1 in singles, doubles and mixed doubles for under-19 in a single year.”

Noelle blossomed to represent British Columbia in several national tournaments, including the 2003 Canada Winter Games playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

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To this day, Noelle plays competitive badminton, a sport she loves and excels in. She won the championship in ladies doubles at the 2006 Yonex-Sunrise Philippine Open and the mixed doubles title in the 2007 edition. Noelle played on The Philippine Star squad that won the Sportshouse crown in 2006.

“Sports is really something I would recommend to all parents for their children,” said Noelle. “It instills discipline and hard work, teaches them goal setting and helps build confidence. I love sports and like working hard to reach my goals.”

Roxanne said although Noelle thoroughly enjoys badminton, her music has taken precedence lately. She has established a musical career that is highly-acclaimed. “But she finds it exciting when people she comes across in badminton can connect her with her music side,” continued the proud mother. “Truly, it is starting to come full circle for Noelle in connecting her athletic and artistic sides.”

Her passion for sports and music has led to appearances as a guest performer in the PBA. She was the featured artist at the PBA Hall of Fame Awards Night and the halftime shows of the PBA championship game last season and the PBA opening game this conference. Noelle is due for another appearance during the Fiesta Conference semifinals.

What keeps Noelle busy these days is fulfilling commitments in engagements for live shows, TV appearances, studio recordings and promotional work. Last night, she performed at the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hills. And on June 13, she’ll star in her own show at The Block.

“Noelle’s been busy actively promoting her new album under Viva Records through mall shows and radio tours,” said her “momager” Roxanne. “She hopes to do campus tours, too. She’s also busy with corporate events and in the first half of June, she’ll be shooting a music video. She always makes time for her volunteer work, teaching music to kids at Marillac Hills in Muntinlupa, trying to be an influence in the girls’ lives. She raises funds for the Beijing International Committee for Chinese Orphans which sends Filipino trainers to China ’s orphanages to teach physiotherapy and occupational therapy. To put a direction to her social activities, she set up Noelle Cassandra’s Reach-Out Club which provides community service and organizes outreach programs. And there’s her badminton. She’s competing in the coming FDG Cup and the Yonex-Sunrise annual tournament.”

Noelle’s latest album “Noelle Cassandra” has 14 tracks, including four originals. Her composition “Amazing” is a beautiful song reflecting on the life of a woman strengthened by her father’s faith, her mother’s care and her husband’s love. In the end, the song restarts the cycle with the woman encouraging her daughter with the same faith, care and love. The mellow pop album showcases Noelle’s versions of such unforgettable melodies as Michael Buble’s “Home,” David Cook’s “Come Back To Me” and The Corrs’ “Runaway.” 

It’s a wonderful album that touches the heart. Noelle’s interpretation and voice are magnificent. The harp accompaniment is icing on the cake. 

A music degree holder from the University of British Columbia as a Bornstead scholar, Noelle is clearly making her mark in the music industry. She’s known as Asia ’s only harpist-singer-songwriter and critics are amazed by her incredible talent. Her voice quality is impeccable, her harp-playing is haunting and her songwriting is mystical. To top it all, Noelle – whose fans are called Noellians – has the drop-dead looks of a movie star.  

Noelle’s sports background, however, is what makes her different from the rest. The discipline and work ethic she developed through sports are what drive her to excellence as a musician. Listen to her latest album and you’ll know what we mean.

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