Harmonising Passion: Balancing Music and Career

Last month, we hosted an illuminating panel discussion on “Harmonising Passion: Balancing Music and Career.”

Featuring two remarkable individuals — Professor Roy Goh (Justice of the Peace, UK) and Tay Kewei (singer/songwriter, Cross Ratio Artiste) — and moderated by our co-founder James Quan, the conversation delved into each of their motivations for pursuing music, pivotal moments that prompted their career transition, and invaluable lessons learned in the process. It was a discussion that opened our minds to the power of passion, resilience and personal growth.

For both Professor Roy and Kewei, music has always been more than just a hobby. Music has offered them a way of self-expression, shown them new depths of their identity and permeated in them a sense of purpose.

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Professor Roy: A Harmony of Law and Music

From published author and a dispute resolution lawyer by training with over 18 years of commercial business experience to co-founder of P.U.S.H Music with a decade’s experience and participation in the music industry, Professor Roy’s path is one that’s made of resilience and perseverance.

His journey saw its beginnings when he was four years old, when his parents noticed his natural talent for music. With their encouragement, he went on to study music, was introduced to a variety of musical instruments — keyboard at 11, drums at 12, guitar at 14, and electric guitar at 16, deepening his love of music.



Although he later made a decision to pursue an education in law in the UK instead, the music in him could not be silenced. On his return to Singapore, he co-founded a music school, dedicating over a decade to teaching music in government schools before eventually returning to practising law, for pragmatic reasons. This career transition in his 30s presented a significant challenge that required immense strength of character and perseverance. Working his way up from scratch in a field where many of his peers had already achieved success was no easy feat, but it stands as a testament to his determination and commitment.

Currently, Professor Roy is a Strategic Negotiator and Regional Contracts Counsel, overseeing the JAPAC and LATAM regions for one of the big five US tech companies. He specialises in International Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and serves as an international arbitrator and mediator for leading arbitral centres in China, India and Thailand. Outside his profession, he is an accredited mediator with Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and a Visiting Professor of Law at EIU-Paris. In 2019, Roy became a member of the European Court of Arbitration and was recently appointed to the panel of the Hainan International Arbitration Court.

Tay Kewei: A Balancing Act of Music and Responsibility

Kewei’s journey has been a constant balancing act between her passion for music and her responsibilities. Growing up in a musical family, she was surrounded by instruments such as the piano, violin and erhu, which she attributed to paving the way towards her career as a singer/songwriter. From singing as a backup vocalist and touring with renowned artistes including David Tao, A-Mei, JJ Lin and Wang Leehom, to taking a leap of faith into a full-time music career, Kewei spoke about the resilience and self-belief it has taken to overcome challenges along the way.

When her family grew, she found herself having to juggle her career aspirations and the needs of her loved ones. Despite the demands of both worlds, Kewei never gave up on music. If you really want something, you will find a way no matter the obstacles. And so she did.

James Quan: Rekindling a Lifelong Passion for Music

For James, music has always been a quiet yet persistent passion. Which makes moderating this conversation all the more meaningful for him. Although he discovered his love for singing since he was little, this love was later superseded by his other loves: His family and his work. It wasn’t until 2020, in the midst of the pandemic that James finally found the space and time to return to his first love. Better yet, this time, with the support of his family.

With vocal training under the renowned Lee Wei Song at the Lee Wei Song School of Music, James reignited his passion and came in 5th at MediaCorp's “Golden Age Talentime 2021”. Determined to deepen his connection with music, he ventured into songwriting, releasing two Mandarin ballads, “不懂放弃” (“There’s No Giving Up”) and “不一样的男人” (“A Different Kind of Man”), drawing inspiration from the timeless melodies of the pre-2000s era. While balancing his role as the co-founder of Bynd Artisan, James continues to pursue his musical journey, recently competing in the “Golden Age Talentime Elite Challenge”, proving that it’s never too late to live your dream.

Inspired by the trio’s stories, the audience shared their own experiences of making that transition from a corporate career to making music. What an uplifting chorus of voices filled with passion and conviction, supporting and affirming one another in their individual efforts to find sweet balance between their dreams and the practical demands of life.


We’d like to thank Professor Roy and Kewei for the beautiful reminder that balancing our creative passion and our career is possible with resilience and adaptability, that as long as we stay true to our purpose, there our reward lies, whatever shape and form it takes.

Our heartfelt thanks also to all our attendees for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to the chat, making this event truly unforgettable.