A Letter to Myself Podcast: The budding musician who made an academic deal with her parents to pursue her passion
Her cousin's near death experience made Renny Goh reevaluate her life. The LA-based musician realised then that she had to pursue her dreams with no regrets.
Be inspired by the person behind the personality on "A Letter to Myself", as newsmakers, thought leaders, and everyday people reveal the most valuable lessons they've learned through life.
Renny Goh always dreamed of becoming a musician, but her parents had one condition — she had to earn a degree first. While she was in NUS, she continued playing in her band, singing covers on YouTube and getting gigs. But it was a cousin’s near-death which clarified her goals, and she decided to chase her ambition in Los Angeles.
In this episode of A Letter to Myself, Renny tells Joel Chua how she navigated an unusual path for a Singaporean.
Here are some excerpts from the conversation:
On her mentor:
I had a really good mentor ... she bought me my first keyboard. When I didn't have money, she just invested in me.
When I earned my first paycheck, I wanted to return her the money. She said, keep that and do the same to another kid when you're older.
On how her cousin's close brush with death was a wake-up call for her:
I had dreams of going overseas to do music, but I got comfortable. And I think looking at him almost dying was like a moment for me to reevaluate my whole life as well. Because I relooked at my life, and ... now with this reminder, it's time to go, right? I think it just kind of took away all my insecurities and self-doubt. And I'm like, "Okay, I can't waste my time."
Trust the process.
Nobody starts out being good. You're going to suck in the beginning. You're going to do really badly at some point and realise that you're not always good at everything in your discipline.
On the importance of taking breaks:
Renny:
One of my teachers in music school, who sadly passed away, gave us some really good advice. At the end of every school term, he would be like, "Okay, go take a break. Don't play music until you start hearing music in your head. Stop playing music. Go do other things. Go play sports, go on vacation, go do nothing, go do everything that you love. And then the moment you start to hum a tune or the moment you start hearing things, then come back to it."
(This interview was first broadcast on 23 January 2025.)
Listen to Renny's story on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.
If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
