"StarHub Customer, Ms Lau Geok Moon, Awarded S$50,000 in 'Live Your Passion' Competition to Build Music Playground for Children"

Singapore, 26 September 2007 –

“As a music lover, music teacher and mom to three preschoolers, my passion is to be able to create a ‘music playground’ that is brightly decorated and well-equipped with state-of-the-art keyboards, sound systems, CDs, as well as computer hardware & software for music composition. Children will be free to explore, learn, or simply have fun!”

This is the winning entry for StarHub’s ‘Live Your Passion’ competition which has just been concluded. The writer of the above and the recipient of a cool S$50,000 goes to Ms Lau Geok Moon, a music teacher with a passion for instilling a love for music in children through creative and holistic approach in music education.

Over 7,500 entries were received during the eight-month competition, which is part of StarHub’s ‘I am a Hub’ brand campaign. The campaign speaks of the individual who lives his life richly by playing different roles at any one time, such as a devoted husband, a best friend or a football-crazy fan. In each role, he is a Hub, enjoying different passions and experiences, and interacting with all that is around him. The campaign shows that StarHub is there with him, delivering the services that he demands, to live the life that he loves best.

In Ms Lau’s case, she has demonstrated the three brand pillars of StarHub’s campaign - Inspire, Create and Explore – which she will bring to her dream of creating a music playground for kids. Said Ms Tham Loke Kheng, Senior Vice President, Content and Marketing, StarHub, “her entry was concise, clear and the most unique request amongst all the thousands of entries we’ve seen. We loved the way she wanted to share her passion for music with others, so it was a unanimous choice amongst the panel of judges.”

Ms Lau herself has expressed delight at her award, stating that “it came as a huge surprise to me. I entered the contest with no expectations except a hope to get my idea off the ground somehow. When StarHub informed me of the award, I was at first taken aback, then excited for the opportunity to make my dream real! Now comes the challenge of making the idea a reality!”

Ms Lau will use her prize to purchase instruments - some of them exotic instruments from various cultures such as Oriental, Native American and African - for her music playground which she plans to launch some time early next year. Such instruments include Ocarinas, Gourd Flute, and unique instruments from various parts of Africa.

In the meantime, she has been actively pursuing additional funding for her project with various authorities and groups. Specifically, her idea for a music playground for children has the support of Creative Community Singapore (CCS). 

CCS is a key initiative by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), that aims to empower individuals, teams and organisations to initiate and pilot cutting edge projects that will unleash individual and community creativity, nurture creative ideas and build demand and capabilities for the Creative Industries. It is a unique people-private-public collaborative platform providing various forms of support, including facilitation, marketing and co-funding.

“We are constantly looking for fresh, innovative and creative proposals, and the Music Playground project has an original concept with a possible business spin-off, which could contribute to the creative industries. We are impressed by Geok Moon’s passion in music, and hope to see other Singaporeans inspired to come forth with their creative ideas too!” said Mr Joshua Chan, General Manager, CCS.

Ms Lau will also dedicate some of her time to volunteer work, where she will provide free music appreciation sessions to the less-privileged in Singapore.

Ms Lau has been a StarHub broadband and mobile subscriber for about five years.

About Creative Community Singapore:
Creative Community Singapore (CCS) is a key initiative by the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, in partnership with private, people and public sectors. Launched in July 2005, CCS seeks to position Singapore as a Land of Opportunity by supporting the national drive to develop the Creative Industries (Arts and Heritage, Design and Media sectors), unleash creativity and  promote entrepreneurship, and strengthen community bonding and Singaporean’s sense of identity. For more information on CCS, please visit www.creativecommunity.sg.