SNYCO got me exposed to the best and brightest youth musicians of my time - people who went on to win in the National Chinese Music Competition, setting up their own ensembles and some who even made it into SCO. Back then, with these peers setting the bar so high, I was really inspired to work hard to catch up with them.
Looking back, the mental training I received from pursuing music has really helped me in other aspects of my life. The process of improving ourselves musically requires us to function like surgeons, practising with precision and hard work, confronting problems with the right insights and discipline. Music also teaches us to be content with the journey rather than the outcome, since there will always be people who are better than us. It has taught me to be comfortable with simply pursuing excellence - making improvements step by step, being at ease with growth and not obsessing about the endpoint.
I’m currently a Mediacorp artiste.
- Ayden Sng (Erhu, member of 2008)