KEN TOH
The Soldier
For most guys who are undergoing national service, the weekends are precious periods of time. Most would choose to sleep-in while others might spend it with friends.
But 19 year old national serviceman Ken Loh, decided to spend most of his Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays serenading the crowd along Orchard Road.
“Busking is different because there are no barriers for people to listen to you. You just play and there is something raw in their reception towards you. You’ll immediately know whether you’re doing a good job or not,” said Ken.
He first got into busking after a trip to Australia last year, where he was inspired by the various buskers that peppered the entire street.
“They were very good. And I thought to myself maybe I can do this. Might as well do something that I really enjoy when I can,” he recalled.
From covers to his own original songs, Ken enjoys the constant need to reinvent and better himself in order to maintain a certain level of standard and capture the audience's heart.
He said: “It's not that easy, but that’s also the fun part of it.”
"I busk because I really like playing music."
– Ken, 19
But more than just entertaining the crowd, busking also has other perks for this aspiring musician. He has met a lot of interesting people from when he first started busking, all of whom have impacted him in a different way.
“About three months back, I met this talented guitarist Wesley and amazing vocalist Jane, and sometimes we would all just come together and have a mini jam session with the extra shakers and wires to connect their equipment. And we could tell the crowd really enjoyed it because the three of us really enjoyed ourselves as well,” he said.
From fellow musicians, travelling buskers to even naysayers, Ken has dealt with them all through busking.
“I’ve met strange people who will disturb you. They run over and tap you or try to shout things in your microphone or talk you down. You just can’t let them pull you down,” he said.
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It seems Ken have has found the right balance between being resilient while putting his vulnerable self out there when he performs. He might be young, but already he has a worldly view, perhaps owing to all the various people he has interacted with.
Which is why it makes sense that his favourite song to perform is All I Want by Kodaline.
“It's the melancholic, almost heart breaking vibe that everyone can relate to and sing along,” he said.
“You just know it when you get that warm fuzzy feeling when you sing it or hear it.”
Catch Ken along the streets of Orchard during weekend evenings.
Meet The Rest
 The Singing Sisters |  The Wordsmith |  The Jester |
|---|---|---|
 The Unlikely Duo |