Seth Tan, founder of Lock In and Play Piano Academy

But I was never some genius or prodigy.

Heck, I didn't even think about pursuing music

In fact, my piano journey only started because a doctor noticed a delay in my motor skills development, when I was 5 years old. Playing the piano was merely meant as a cognitive activity to address it! 

But eventually, the stage beckoned

Musical pursuit eventually ended up becoming my life because I was privileged to have wonderful teachers, who provided an environment that kept me continually immersed in the wonderful world of music and music-making.

Prior to studying at the conservatory, from ages 6 to 14, I studied piano in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' intensive School of Young Talents programme. As a youth, I continued studying piano with Montenegrin pianist Boris Kraljevic and studied 'A' Level H2 Music in the MEP at Raffles Institution (JC).

Finally, when I was 17, developing as a young, passionate and hot-blooded youth, the idea of pursuing piano longer term started to sunk in. One evening, in the midst of researching piano concerto structure for schoolwork at the Esplanade library, I chanced upon a CD of Ashkenazy's recording of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2. It was my first hearing of the concerto and Ashkenazy's emotionally-charged rendition of the monumental work. 

Moved by each sweeping run, every heart-wrenching chord and the climaxes of each orchestral soar, it was from this evening where a burning purpose started to rise from the ashes. It all started with a dream that felt so distant and unrealised - a dream of wanting to learn and perform the concerto. I eventually accomplished it about 6 years later:

After graduating from school, I forsook performance in favour of teaching. 

Here is how I teach:

Fast-forward to after graduating, I made a pivotal decision to not continue my piano study through a Master's Degree, despite getting offers from prestigious schools like Carnegie-Mellon University and Peabody Conservatory of Music. 

Instead, I turned my attention toward teaching full-time. It was a shift that immediately felt more profound and rewarding. 

As a pianist, performing on stage allows me to fulfill my own aspirations and inspire an audience from afar. Teaching, however, is personal. I get to personally support each and every one of my students, as they write their individual piano stories. I get to make piano rewarding for each and every student.

Out of my desire to solve common problems faced by students so that they wouldn't hold themselves back, I warped my lessons around addressing three pain points: 

• Unproductive, directionless practice that felt draining, which decreases the desire to learn over time
• Slow, painful and unstructured learning of new pieces of music, which prolongs the pain of reading notes
• Performance anxiety

Over time, I also developed an extensive suite of curriculum materials to support the "back end" of piano mastery: 

• A structured three-phase approach to master a piece of music quicker and in a way that sticks
• A methodology for grinding chords, scales and technical exercises which provides rock solid fundamentals
• Specialised courses for all levels of music theory and aural.

So what type of music do I teach exactly?

About what type of music will be learnt: your canvas is completely unrestricted What students learn should never be limited by a syllabus, or worse still, a teacher's own preference (unless asked for). 

I've taught Classical students everything from beginner Can-Can, to Chopin's Grande Polonaise. I know the history of Classical music repertoire inside out, and know exactly how to manage your growth and development through a balance of repertoire.

On the Pop side, whether it's English, Mandarin, Japanese, K-Pop, or even Indian, I have composed and taught countless customised arrangements for my students, and have coached them how to make their own too. 

I operate on a simple guarantee: If you can dream it, you can play it; if you have a goal, I will get you there. Together, we will bridge the gap between where you are and where you dream of being. Because I will craft the exact roadmap you need to get there, and I will support you every step of the way.