Kenneth Tan (ChE’14) may be the youngest global category manager at Halliburton, but his true passion is music.

“I have been interested in music since I was 7 years old,” Tan reflects. “I used to watch my uncle Nelson practice violin at my grandmother’s house in Malaysia and one day told my mom that I would like to learn how to play.”

More than a passing fancy, Tan’s interest led to classes and a recital diploma from Trinity College in London. Unable to bring his violin with him to Purdue, Tan began exploring other musical outlets.

“I joined Purdue Musical Organizations and auditioned for the Heart & Soul choir,” Tan shares. “That was a turning point for me because I realized how much I loved singing and how much I connected with gospel and soul music.”

Today, as Tan pursues his career and moves from city to city, he always finds a way to stay connected with music. While living in Singapore, Tan took his music to the streets, busking on nights and weekends. “I went through an application process followed by a workshop to learn the busking etiquette and then auditioned for a panel led by the National Arts Council of Singapore,” he says.

Performing on the street required a unique set of skills and presented an interesting opportunity to interact with passersby. “I needed to continually update my repertoire and work on the delivery of my performance to keep the audience engaged,” Tan says.

As stay-at-home policies went into effect because of COVID-19, Tan took the opportunity to push his music to a new level.

“This was my first time doing a livestream on Facebook, so it was a learning process,” he says. “It’s been so rewarding because it is such a sincere outlet for me to share my love for music, to entertain people during these trying times, and to perhaps be a little of a role model for people who want to pursue music while managing a full-time job.”

Tan also had an chance to reconnect with Purdue friends, including Pam Sari (PhD LA’19), director of the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center (AAARCC).

“We met some time back at Purdue and reconnected when I started my livestream, and now we talk regularly,” he says. “Being able to connect with Pam and the AAARCC allowed me to give back to the community that poured so much into me during my four years at Purdue.”

The lessons Tan has learned through his lifelong love of music have served him well in his professional journey.

“Pursuing music is not for the faint of heart,” he says. “It requires a lot of discipline. It teaches you that there are days of great accomplishment but also long days of hard work with no result. But if you love something, you persevere. Music taught me that in order to succeed, there are no shortcuts.

“In a world where people are so caught up with trying to find shortcuts without first appreciating what exists, applying the skills I learned through my musical journey has allowed me to build a great foundation and confidence.”