Malay student learns to play dizi, erhu, suona from online videos and joins TP Chinese orchestra

Among the members of the Temasek Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra is a unique talent - 18-year-old Muhammad Iman Mohamed Irfan, a Malay student who taught himself to play the dizi, erhu and suona by watching online videos.

Just four months after joining the orchestra, he has honed his skills and is now performing alongside his fellow musicians.

Iman's passion for Chinese music began at the age of 12, when he stumbled upon a video of a Taiwanese Chinese orchestra online.

The melodious tunes left a deep impression on him, and when he was in Secondary 4, he saved enough money to purchase his first Chinese musical instrument.

Determined to pursue his childhood dream, he began teaching himself through online tutorials.

"The melodies in Chinese music are rich in emotion, different from the music I was familiar with, which made them unforgettable," Iman shared.

The former trumpeter in the school band adapted quickly to playing the dizi and other Chinese instruments.

Of course, there are challenges.

Iman found the transition challenging due to the difference in notation - Western music uses staff notation, while Chinese music relies on numbered notation - to be the hardest part of his learning journey.

During rehearsals, the instructors primarily communicate in Mandarin, which poses a challenge for Iman, who understands only basic Mandarin and relies on his peers to translate and guide him.

Next month, Iman will join the orchestra in presenting Dreams, a performance to celebrate the polytechnic's 35th anniversary.

Looking ahead, the Chemical Engineering student hopes to one day join a professional Chinese orchestra.

"Chinese classical music will always be my passion."