The Sound of Music

Pianist Melvyn Tan defers public appearance after National Service furore

So I guess he's decided that stirring up a hornets' nest is not the way to go about. He has sympathies from Molly, MP Man, Mr M and KT man. But not mine...

Melvyn let me give you some advise, from one man to another... You make the bed you sleep in. It was you who chose to skip National Service to further your career. You don't have to give some sob story about causing an uproar. I know all three of my godbrothers returned home to serve NS. Despite the fact that they all lived overseas prior to returning and my godparents reside in HK. They all put aside their careers for one moment to do what all us poor Singaporean men must do. Right now my oldest godbro is at Sembawang Music heading purchasing. My second godbro is at the Ministry of Manpower (whom I like to affecitonately call MOM), and my youngest godbro is in HK getting an MBA.

So Melvyn what do you think? I also know some family friends who fled Singapore to avoid NS. He married a Singaporean despite being an Australian, but he also seldom sets foot in Singapore. He and his parents made a choice. You and your parents made that same choice. Don't play the victim. Real men take real responsibility for their actions.

I myself cannot play the piano, because of an accident sustained in the military, but also because I was more of a bookworm-ish nerd than a music nerd. I cannot say I enjoyed my time in the military, but I did what was my responsibility. At 18 I learnt the key to being a man; I had to make a decision and stuck to it. Just like you. We both deal with the consequences. Don't blame anyone else when people don't like you. You made that decision so many years ago, now you live with the consequences of those decisions.

It really didn't bother me that you skipped NS. I mean you made a choice, and I cannot fault you since you became a good pianist (I personally don't really listen to piano music unless its in an orchestra). What bothers me is this childish stunt and "martyrdom" that you try to paint. I seldom get peeved, but that's BULLSHIT. Deal with it man. You want to play your music for Singapore, then do so. Mozart kept at it even though there was a point people didn't like him. Jerry Lee Lewis played to small audiences, to hostile audiences, simply because he believed in his music.

This evading of responsibility, whether NS or a concert, looks to me like a pattern. A pattern of irresponsibility. My mother raised me to be a responsible person and NS drove that home to me. "Do anything you want, just don't get caught," was the first motto I ever learnt in the Army (2nd day of BMT). My mother would add, "and if you get caught, be a man and face the music."

Get this straight, I don't dislike you for skipping NS, I dislike you because you're such a wussy crybaby. A gentleman never goes back on his word. If you agreed to perform a concert, go ahead and perform it. This is Singapore. What are you afraid of? It's not like people are going to be allowed to picket, and if they pay money to go in and jeer you, at least you made their money, and the ushers will see them out soon.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Melvyn why do you let other people's words hurt you? Why are you acting like a petulant child? Be a man and suck it in. Perform. Show Singapore just how good a musician you are. Music does sooth the savage beast. And if the beast is public opinion then let your music flow to sooth it. Stop being the coward and hiding behind the pillar of "victimhood."
Show me that you're as brave as any young Singaporean man serving his time in NS. Our penalty was having to go through 2 (or 2 1/2 in my case) years of mindless tasks and the possibility of getting hurt, yours should be to play before a hostile audience. We all had to carry our burden and crosses, why are you such a coward? A little sign of trouble and you run.

There are many people who want to hear you play. Be a man and play. Stop being a nancy boy.