Woman shares first busking experience in Singapore on TikTok
Performing in public can be a nerve-racking endeavour, but one woman in Singapore recently took the plunge and shared her first-ever busking experience on TikTok.
On Monday (26 May), user @rongtinn posted a montage documenting the entire process, from setting up her equipment to counting her earnings at the end of the day.
@rongtinn Will be busking again this wed (28/5, from ard 7:30-9:30pm) in front of The Cathay! Come find me if you are free ❤️ #sg #busking
She also reflected on the emotional rollercoaster of being a first-time busker, describing the experience as both thrilling and anxiety-inducing.
Since its upload, the video has amassed over 17,000 views and attracted dozens of comments from supportive viewers.
‘Everything was actually not going very well’
The TikToker shared that their initial setup didn’t go as planned, as they ran into several logistical hiccups.
Source: @rongtinn on TikTok
While she and her partner were setting up outside 313@Somerset mall, she confessed to feeling nervous about how their performance would turn out.
The situation only got more challenging once she began singing — she quickly realised she had to project her voice over loud background noise.
“Now I know why nobody picked this location,” she remarked.
Source: @rongtinn on TikTok
Just as the duo were on the verge of giving up, they spotted a girl filming them.
Moments later, a woman approached and unexpectedly dropped a generous S$50 note into their tip bag, leaving them stunned.
Source: @rongtinn on TikTok
Duo earns over S$125 within 40 minutes of busking
Things began to look up as the pair gradually attracted a small crowd.
The TikToker described the thrill of performing in public and being in the spotlight as “amazing”.
After 40 minutes of pouring their hearts into their performance, the duo wrapped up for the night and tallied their earnings — a total of S$125.20 collected via both cash and PayNow.
Source: @rongtinn on TikTok
“Enough to get a nice supper for us,” she quipped.
Duo plans to continue busking across Singapore
The 26-year-old TikToker, Rong Tin, shared that she and her partner, 27-year-old Ming Yong, are united by a deep passion for music.
Both were members of Voices, a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
In an interview with MS News, Ms Rong Tin revealed that the duo initially explored doing gigs.
While Mr Ming Yong still performs at events, she eventually stepped back, finding the experience “pretty stressful”.
“It made me enjoy singing less, and I seldom got to sing the songs I liked,” she explained. “Plus, I started working, so I didn’t really have time for that.”
Still eager to perform, the pair turned to busking, which she described as a “free, easy, and completely stress-free” alternative.
With a one-year busking licence in hand, the duo now plans to perform at various locations across Singapore.
They are also considering donating their tips to charity as a way to “give back to society”.
If you’d like to catch the pair in action, they’ll be busking tonight (28 May) from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in front of The Cathay.
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Featured image adapted from @rongtinn on TikTok.
