The Happy Pianist

[Nothing about piano or music, but more about guiding youths for the future]

I was recently invited by River Valley High School to speak at a fireside chat, sharing my journey of starting Happy Pianist, and career advice to a group of 16-year-old Secondary 4 students.

Over two evenings, I spoke to about 30 students and here’s some helpful advices which lead me to what I’m doing today.

If you’re a parent with youths, or teacher working with youths, these advices may be helpful to you too.

1. It’s OKAY not to know what to pursue at age 16!

Of the 30+ students I spoke to, almost 50% of them told me they have no idea what career they want to pursue in the future. And I told them, that’s Perfectly Okay!

When I was 16, I’m still playing Magic The Gathering cards, and Counterstrike at LAN shops (now you know which era I was from).

For the youths who already know what they want to pursue, I encouraged them to work hard towards it. But for those who don't know yet, the best strategy is to keep exploring and trying new things. Time is on their side.

2. “Just Try It”
I encourage them to use their school holidays after the O-Levels to get out into the real world through part-time jobs or volunteer work.

If they dream of opening a cafe, they can work as a kitchen assistant first. If they want to be a teacher, they can try by teaching their cousins or coaching juniors in their CCA, whether in academics, music, or sports. You truly won’t know if a career is suitable for you until you have rolled up your sleeves and tried it firsthand.

Side Story: Right after my O-Levels, I worked for two months as a bakery assistant in a 5-star hotel. The best part? I got to taste every delicious cake and pastry the hotel sold. The worst part? I had to stand for 10 hours a day. It was a great experience, but I knew I wasn't cut out to work in a kitchen!

3. Focus on Excellence Now

It’s tough to choose a career path at 16 years old. The best strategy right now is to do your best in whatever you are doing today.

Doing well in your studies now keeps the doors wide open for any diploma or degree choices tomorrow. Likewise, excelling in your current passions, be it music, dance, or sports, ensures that if you do decide to pursue them professionally later on, the opportunities will be waiting for you.

Thinking about this, I’m glad I didn’t stop my music lessons in secondary school when my academic workload got heavy. If I had quit back then, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.

I believe many adults with successful careers today, doesn’t figure it out when they were 16. Most of them may just be like me, try lots of different things to end up what we do today. So for all the youths out there, go out and try!

𝑬𝑽𝑨 𝑮𝑬𝑽𝑶𝑹𝑮𝒀𝑨𝑵
𝑷𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 · 𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑨𝑷𝑶𝑹𝑬 🇸🇬

✦ 𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 · 𝟳 𝗠𝗔𝗬 ✦

She’s 21.
She’s won over 40 international awards.
Now she’s coming to Singapore.

⌇

This is not just another piano recital.

It’s a rare chance to witness
one of the most talked-about young pianists of her generation —
live, up close, and uncompromising.

⌇

📍 2 June 2026 (Tue)
🕢 7:30 PM
🎼 Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore

🔗 Tickets from $59 available from 7 May

—

One night. One pianist. One moment you don’t want to miss.

Recently I was interviewed by Channelnewsasia for my thoughts on the job of a piano teacher, which can be financially rewarding with fulfilment and flexibility.

But after the article is published, it’s flooded with comments that AI is going to take over piano teachers soon (which means teachers are going to lose their jobs to AI!)

No doubt AI has replaced quite a lot of jobs. But will AI replace piano teachers?

Highly unlikely.

Because there are somethings human teachers can do, but AI can’t.

Read on for more 🎹