“My dad always said, ‘You have to finish what you’ve started.’ I grew up in Melaka and learned classical piano since I was 7.

“I suffered for years learning to play the piano under the ever-watchful eyes of my parents,” Tay shares, in hindsight describing those gruelling years of regimented piano training as the much-needed foundation for his success today.

“At the age of 15, I was passing a record store and fell in love with the sound of a genre of music I later discovered to be ‘jazz’. That really began my life-long pursuit of this genre.”

See also: Love, Lust And Lessons Learned From The Phantom Of The Opera 

It’s hard to imagine a younger, more vulnerable Tay struggling with the challenges of his craft, especially once you've heard him perform live.

Nevertheless, the art of mastering jazz is no trifle; a journey that took Tay years of hard work balancing his love for jazz with dedication and discipline.  

“The biggest obstacle was finding my own language and voice, and speaking it in a convincing way,” Tay shares.

“The spirit of Jazz is improvisation, among other elements. If music is a language, I had only been learning how to “speak” music written by the great composers without ever learning to speak in my own way.”  

Related: Here’s What Swee Lee Music Looks Like With Meng Ru Kuok In Charge

Formed in 2006, the talented foursome that make up WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble boast an easy closeness and an infectious energy that’s hard to ignore.  

“I for one would love to share the fun of jazz with our audiences,” Tay says. “I’d like our performances to be educational but accessible, without necessarily watering down the substance."

A father of 2 kids, Tay balances family commitments with being on the road regularly with his bandmates.

“Even though touring is really tiring, I can’t wait to prepare for the next tour whenever the opportunity presents itself,” he says.

“The comradeship with my brothers in arm, enjoying the local food, the anticipation before the concert, playing our own music to new audiences – I’ll never get tired of it.”

Must-read: Evelyn Hii, Founder Of No Black Tie, Is All That Jazz

A longtime follower of American jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau, Tay was privileged to hear the jazz star perform live in Japan together with his trio.

“Shai Maestro, an Israeli pianist, is another amazing player with very fresh ideas and a unique sound.”

Though he still counts himself as a life-long student of music and other interests (culinary arts and the written word among them), Tay has indeed learned how to “speak in his own voice musically”, as he puts it, the result of many years of jazz training, touring and cutting his teeth at countless jazz festivals across the region.

“I guess I really loved the music so much that I didn't really care how much time I had to practice, learn and listen to it. My advice to budding jazz musicians? Play with other musicians, make friends in the community of artistes and most importantly: read!”

Follow WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble on Facebook or scroll down to listen to tracks from their album on Spotify!