IT is a well-known fact that those who choose classical music as a career choice - whether as a music producer, songwriter, composer, arranger or piano teacher - may not find it a lucrative career path, especially in Malaysia where the Suria KLCC is possibly the only venue that classical music lovers can head to for large-scale musical performances.
However, parents still send their children for music lessons because learning to play an instrument enhances a child's focus and teaches him to cultivate patience.
Music lessons also helps one develop social and cognitive skills, and elevates moods.
And there are rare ones, like Oon Song Chuan, who has his own music studio which houses a Fazioli piano that costs close to RM600,000.
He invested in the piano from Italy as a Fazioli is touted as the absolute "jewel in the crown" among classical pianists - known for its rich tone, feather-like touch and perfect balance.
Oon has also spent RM70,000 to make the music room sound proof and equipped with stage lighting and recording facilities.
He wanted to give his students the experience of recording and creating music in a conducive environment and the chance to experiment with sound engineering.
"It has always been my dream to set up something like Suria KLCC in Johor for classical music lovers to converge and enjoy the creative expressions of musicians. My music studio is like a 'laboratory' of sort, where I hope one day I can find like-minded investors whose dream is to turn Johor from a cultural desert to a cosmopolitan powerhouse.
"China has the platform and opportunities for committed musicians. However, this is not the case in Malaysia. Even musicians in Singapore find it challenging to survive if they embrace music as a full-time career," he said.
For students who are not keen on learning at first, Oon said passion can be cultivated and nurtured.
Oon, who started learning the piano when he was eight years old, was not passionate about music until he attended a concert by the late Ong Lip Tat, one of Singapore's finest pianists - when Oon was 17.
"After the concert, I began to practise four to five hours a day because I wanted to play like Ong. I also started teaching piano at that age to supplement my own education," he said.
"One of the ways to motivate students is to organise competitions as that would encourage them to excel. Some students just lack a sense of direction. If you can instil a love for music in children and teenagers, it may turn their lives around," Oon said.
Today, at age 45, Oon has taught hundreds of students. He also has students who are pursuing the Performance Diplomas offered at two levels - ATCL and LTCL.
There aren't many piano teacher in Malaysia that are qualified to teach diploma students.
However, Oon considers himself a musician more than a businessman.
"Music and business just don't mix. I started out as a classical musician, and I will not turn to pop music even though that genre is more profitable.
"I also don't see myself as a businessman. Art loses its value when business enters the picture," he said.
Oon, whose wife and elder sister are also piano teachers, said although his two sons, aged nine and 11, are musically-inclined he would like for them to focus on music business management rather than becoming musicians.
Asked if Artificial Intelligence will one day replace musicians, Oon replied in the negative.
"A robot may be able to play music better than a human but sometimes it is the little imperfections that give the performance its own unique style. Like when I'm at a concert, I would look out for the mistakes during the performance and see how the musician follows through with the recital. Imperfection is an art.
"A performance need not be flawless to be enjoyed," he said, adding that only a human can play and interpret notes with emotion and sincerity."
*The writer was a journalist with the New Straits Times before joining a Fortune Global 500 real estate company. This article is a collaboration between the New Straits Times and Tradeview, the author of 'Once Upon A Time In Bursa'.