I started playing the piano when I was three and a half, back in New York. At first, I just pressed random keys and made sounds. It felt like magic to me.
Later, I began lessons and learned how to read music. It wasn’t always easy, but I liked the feeling when a song finally sounded right.
When we moved to Singapore, I got a new teacher and a new piano. Even though everything else changed, piano stayed the same — something I love.
Now I’m six, and I’ve played in some little recitals. I still get nervous, but when I start playing, I feel happy and proud.
You can find Yunica’s 2024 Spring Music Competition piano performance here.
Watch Yunica Chen perform Chocolate Chip Cookies by Catherine Rollin on the piano for the 2025 World Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.