Retiree performs for free to share love of music
Retiree Lin Guohua rekindled his childhood passion for music to share his love for classic songs with other Singaporeans.
After retiring from his job in technical support in 2018, Mr Lin joined Volunteer Guitar Connection and began performing for the elderly in nursing homes.
"When I was younger, I was too shy to perform," the 60-year-old told Lianhe Zaobao. "It wasn't until my 40s that I started playing on stage."
After his retirement, he began volunteering at nursing homes, which helped him build up his confidence and enjoyment in performing.
Mr Lin's passion for music and volunteering led him to form a band with fellow retirees. They call themselves Rapo, the name an acronym of all their first names.
In 2019, Mr Lin decided to apply for a public entertainment licence with the hopes of bringing music to more people.
Despite failing the first time due to a technical problem with his speaker, he was not discouraged and obtained his licence on the second try.
He performs two-hour sessions about two to three times a week, sharing classic English, Cantonese and Fujian songs from the 1970s to 1990s.
"I don't do this for money or fame," Mr Lin said. "I just want to enrich my retirement life and bring joy to others."
He shared that when he sang Casablanca, a man approached him with a coin and told him with tears in his eyes. The man said to Mr Lin: "My father loved this song the most when he was alive, your singing touched me deeply."
Mr Lin said such moments became his motivation to continue performing.
While he has been offered opportunities to perform at bars, Mr Lin prefers to keep his music free for everyone to enjoy.
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