Letter to the unknown:

Dear Sir, Madam,

Perhaps this may sound like one of those inspirational stories, but I just want to share with you, the process of realising one’s dream. You see, it’s taken me a few years to realise that I was travelling down a wrong career path.

Since I was a girl of four, I have been learning piano tirelessly, and I guess it was always assumed I would end up either performing, teaching or composing- at least, something musically related. Four years ago, vast windows of opportunity reached out, and being a freshman out of high school, curiosity drove me into dentistry, and in hindsight, it was a career I never considered as a part of my life. After trying it out for two semesters, I was not only completely disorientated, but I was unmotivated (if not, more so), however, willing to give it another go, I hurdled through to fourth semester. By that time, music was then, a concentrated calling at the back of my head- yet due to fear of change, fear of failure, I denied myself and went into third year.

To be frank, I was never a struggling student, yet upon entering this course, I was on constant battle to stay focussed, to look ahead. Why was it so hard? There was this voice, telling me to do music, go do music. At the end of fifth semester, I requested the dean to allow me leave of absence, and for one year, I broke myself away from the dentally orientated world, and contemplated my future.

In August 2006, I was once again, a full time dental student and, believing that after a break, my mindset would be stronger, that this little voice would forever, hold silence. But no…it was relentless; and the month since my return, I realised one very important thing. I had to do something before it’s too late. I thought back to the hours of practise at the piano before I became dental, and to the present: how my favourite days now are spent not beside the dental chair, but by the display pianos at Allan’s; I reflected on my struggle as a dental student due to the fact that my hear was, simply put, elsewhere and that place, is with music. I have come to be more aware that I would eventually end up as a musician of some sort, even if I had completed the dental degree and having the option of becoming a dentist, I know, for sure, I will enrol myself into first year, B. Music immediately after graduation.

If that’s the case, it doesn’t make sense if I don’t start that now, and nothing will deter me anymore, from seeing my dream and making it come true.


Thankyou for reading this,

Yours truly,

Linda Lin