Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya – Proper accreditation to WeirdKaya and consent from the interviewee are required.
When 25-year-old Winson first stepped into Pasar Seni MRT with a guitar and a dream, he didn’t expect a crowd to gather.
From teaching piano full-time after SPM to performing on public pianos and busking around KL malls, Winson has spent the past one year turning his passion into something real.
And through it all, music has always been more than just a job to him.
Making music his own
Winson’s music journey started when he was just six when, like most kids, he was enrolled in classical piano classes, learning the works of Beethoven and Bach.
But when he turned 11, he started to lose interest as the rigid routine and exam-focused lessons drained the joy of playing the piano out of him. At one point, he even wanted to give up entirely.
However, everything changed when he was 14, where he discovered pop music sung by notable singers such as Jay Chou and JJ Lin.
I started to listen, learn, and play purely by ear. I didn’t like reading scores. I just listened, found the notes, and played the whole song out.”
“From there, I began creating original piano instrumentals, which later progressed to writing lyrics and experimenting with arrangements,” he said.
Winson’s secondary school grades were still solid at the time, with him securing top 10 in class from Form 1 to 3. But once his passion for music fully took over in Form 4, his studies took a backseat.
Hustling full-time
Coming from a single-parent household, further education wasn’t an easy option. Winson gave Form 6 a shot in hopes of getting into Universiti Malaya (UM) but he eventually dropped out after just six months.
“I chose the science stream, but without a strong academic foundation, it was overwhelming.
“Instead of feeling defeated, I poured my energy into teaching piano full-time, where I taught kids and adults. Teaching wasn’t easy especially when kids wouldn’t listen to me, but it helped me to save up,” he said.
Today, Winson continues to teach part-time while juggling live performances and songwriting.
He even teaches using the same equipment he uses for busking — a RM3,000+ keyboard and speaker set he bought after his first one broke down.
Drawing his first viral crowd
Winson’s first taste of public performance came at the end of 2023 when a friend invited him to jam at a public piano space in Pasar Seni. Curious, he decided to give it a try.
While playing a cover of JVKE’s ‘Golden Hour’, he was surprised to see people starting to gather around.
It felt like a mini concert at that time,” he added.
At the encouragement of his friends, Winson decided to try busking seriously. He borrowed a guitar and mic from a teacher and began playing 3–4 hour sessions at public spaces with a donation box by his side.
On just his third day, police officers warned him that he needed a permit to perform publicly. That’s when he discovered Buddy App — a platform for booking legal performance spots around KL.
With that, Winson began performing regularly at several locations such as Pasar Seni MRT, 1 Utama, Mid Valley, and Bukit Bintang.
Ups and downs
Winson’s very first public performance gave him a rush like no other, it was the first time he truly felt the magic of the stage.
That moment of connection with the crowd reaffirmed his decision to step out of the classroom and into the spotlight.
Still, not every day was a high note.
There were quieter days when foot traffic was low and he walked away with just enough to cover basics—but the satisfaction of doing what he loved kept him going.
“Booking good locations is competitive. Sometimes I’d book a spot a month in advance, spending hundreds just to secure high-traffic slots. Popular places like 1 Utama charge RM11 per hour, while Mid Valley goes for RM8.
“There was also a time when I was performing at 1 Utama when someone complained that it was inappropriate for ‘a high-class mall’ to host someone who’s begging for money.
I was so angry. I’m performing, not begging. I’m entertaining people and creating a good vibe.
“Eventually, the mall banned me for a month. Still, I returned whenever I could because the music mattered more,” he explained.
Saving up for education
Over time, Winson saved enough money for his education through his teaching and busking income.
He’s now using it to take online courses in music production and arrangement as part of his efforts to further improve his craft.
He’s passionate about creating original music and hopes to publish more of it someday. His long-term dream is to show the world what Malaysian musicians can do with little capital but a lot of heart.
I’ve never been overseas to perform, but I think Malaysia already has a great culture for musicians. Busking is a way to express yourself with the smallest cost.”
Through Xiaohongshu, where he documents his life as a “wandering pianist,” Winson hopes to inspire others to pursue their creative passions.
He says it’s passion, not money, that keeps him going. “If you’re only doing this for money, you won’t last. It’s your love for it that helps you survive the tough days.”
Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya – If you wish to reproduce this story, please ensure that you obtain consent from the interviewee to maintain factual accuracy and avoid the potential spread of misleading information.
If references/information are used from our story, kindly ensure that proper credit is given along with a backlink to WeirdKaya as acknowledgment of the efforts made by our editors in sourcing and conducting interviews.
