Singapore’s youngest buskers: School’s in, but show goes on for these 10-year-old boys

SINGAPORE - For most primary school students, the weekend is the perfect opportunity for some much needed rest and relaxation.

But the end of a school week signals something far more exciting for 10-year-old Shayne Ko.

Every weekend, the Primary 5 pupil from West View Primary School can be found outside MRT stations and shopping malls, entertaining passers-by with his live performances.

Of the more than 400 buskers under the National Arts Council’s Busking Scheme aged between 10 and 89, Shayne is among the youngest.

He alternates between a smart guitar or keyboard, powering through sets that run anywhere from two to four hours.

The hard work pays off - literally. He makes between $100 to $200 per session, with the most generous tip he has received amounting to $100, and his earnings are kept in a savings account.

With school having reopened in January, the frequency of his sessions has decreased, from up to three times a week in December 2025 to just the weekends now.

However, it is clear the boy has no intention of putting his passion on pause. He tells The Straits Times: “I get my revision done during the week, and make sure to plan my schedule well.”

Shayne’s love for music began when he was around five, when his parents — Mr Kian We Ko, 51, and Madam Tiana Yap, 53 — signed him up for piano lessons at a music school.

They soon discovered he had perfect pitch and could play by ear. It took Shayne about a month to learn his first song, Ode To Joy. And just six months after his first piano lesson, he added drums to his repertoire. 

At age seven, he watched YouTube tutorials to learn pop songs on the keyboard. He gravitated towards music acts like Ed Sheeran and ABBA and developed a deep love for the genre.

This led to him enrolling in another music school, which focused on pop music and stage performance.

At the same time, Shayne began playing the public pianos scattered across the island and received praise from passers-by.

Realising that he could manage public performances well, his parents floated the idea of busking, which he started in August 2024.

The naturally shy Shayne says: “I was nervous, but thought it was a good opportunity for me to challenge myself.”

A year later, he joined his school band as a trombone player as part of his co-curricular activity and picked up the smart guitar — a model with interchangeable strumming and keyboard modules.

Taking centre stage

To date, the young talent has mastered over 90 songs on the smart guitar and keyboard.

His busking setlists have grown more ambitious as well — numbering up to 20 songs, not including song requests. 

His usual rotation includes chart-topping crowd favourites like Bruno Mars and Rose’s single Apt. and his favourite track, ABBA’s Dancing Queen.

Shayne also takes on gigs and event bookings. His portfolio spans corporate events to heartland celebrations, and even a jamming session at local nightclub Zouk in September.

The multi-instrumentalist dreams of becoming a successful songwriter and composer, and even touring the world.

With a prodigy on their hands, Shayne’s parents have risen to the occasion.

Mr Ko, a manager in a manufacturing plant, oversees the hardware and equipment set-up, while Madam Yap, a homemaker, fields enquiries and manages their child’s social media accounts. They also have an 18-year-old son.

Beyond the logistics, they also focus on instilling good values. 

“Since young, we’ve been reminding him that no matter how good he is, there will always be people better than him,” Madam Yap says.

New kid on the block

While Shayne is quite the busking pro, another 10-year-old boy is just beginning to find his footing on the scene.

In October 2025, upon encouragement from his guitar teacher - also a busker himself - Elijah Seah went for a busking audition held by the National Arts Council. By the time November rolled around, he was ready to hit the streets. 

The St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Primary 5 student currently busks once a month and performs English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien pop-rock songs over one to two hours, earning more than $900 so far.

He tells ST: “Getting to see other people’s smiles when they watch me is the best part.”

When Elijah was five, he was inspired by his domestic helper’s singing and began attending vocal classes. 

He memorised his first song, Viva La Vida by British pop-rock group Coldplay, in a month. When he was in Primary 3, he staged his first-ever public performance at a Teachers’ Day celebration with that same track.

“The whole school was singing with me,” Elijah recalls. “It boosted my confidence.”

From vocals to strings

His first instrument, a ukulele, was a gift from his singing instructor. He took up ukulele lessons afterwards, and began to master it. He then “upgraded” to the guitar.

Elijah plans to continue busking through the school term, with plans to take on more sets when the school holidays come around.

His mother, Madam Chee Yen Ting, a deputy director at a government agency, hopes that his side hustle will help him with his confidence and people skills. The 44-year-old, who also has a 13-year-old son, says: “These are things you can’t learn in the classroom.”