FINDING HER VOICE

How a local musician keeps her dreams and passions alive

- STUART DANKER

MUSIC IS A HARD PATH TO PURSUE, especially when it comes to the local scene. But for Jocelyn Wong Lixian, it’s a skill that’s always come naturally to her. Another contributing factor would be her upbringing, being exposed to the violin at the age of four and all.

But that doesn’t discount the fact that it’s still a tough journey to be on. Today, Wong continues pursuing her musical passions and she’s never wavered despite the hardships that are rife in the industry. She sits down with Augustman Malaysia shares her ups and downs of life as a local musician and entrepreneur.

1. Tell us about your background in music and when you decided to pursue this path. 

It began when I was four years old where I had 12 years of violin and piano lessons, with singing on the side. Then I entered high school and wanted to rock out like Hayley Williams from Paramore. The definite moment of me choosing music as a career path was when I was 13. I learned about Berklee College of Music and decided to be a singersongwriter then.

2. Music is not often seen as a stable career path. What made you want to pursue it still? 

In the beginning, it was purely for the love of music and singing. As a kid, you don’t think about financial responsibilities and stability. Fortunately, my parents never ingrained the notion in me that music was an unstable career choice. But I do remember my mum telling me when I was younger and still taking lessons, “If you’re not going to be better than others, don’t do music, just listen.”