When many of us hear of the musical instrument saxophone, the first name which comes to our mind is the American smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G.
Now we have our very own talented and home grown saxophonist – Keyin Tay. She is the first female freestyle saxophonist in Malaysia.
Tay has also won several competitions in Talent Search shows and also the Asia Got Talent competitions.
The self-taught musician hails from Taiping, Perak and migrated to Johor Bahru when she was 12 to pursue her studies.
This is when she got into her school musical band and her passion for the saxophone.
Now she is a fulltime saxophone player at corporate events, product launches, dinners, fashion runways and also weddings in Johor Bahru.
“Actually I was a marcom manager at a hotel but my interest for music and travelling made me go full time into music. Now, I get a lot of invites for events and shows.
“I like to do a freestyle performance and also interact with the guests and the audience wherever I play,” said Tay to Penang Hyperlocal.
Tay also emcees for shows and private events in between her busy schedule. In the near future she is planning to launch her solo album in collaboration with a Singapore based company. One of her current gigs is at the Amari Johor Bahru during breakfast every Sundays.
“It has been almost 12 years in this industry and I also help other musicians to excel in their career. I also intend to organise a concert to feature deejays, dancers, musicians and even moms who are talented in music.
“There are many mothers who were active in the music industry so this concert will offer them a platform for them to take to the stage again,” added Tay who is also a savvy social media influencer.
She also had the honour of meeting the Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Iskandar Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah Afifullah who presented her with a saxophone.
Among the celebrities she had shared the stage are Dato Siti Nurhaliza, Joe Flizzow, Yazmin Aziz Big Stage, Sazzy Falak, Hazama, rapper Altimet, Janna Nick among others.
She is also looking forward to connect with like minded musicians in Thailand and the Philippines to help further her musical career.
“I think in future I will go into talent management so that I can be in the music industry which is my passion. This is because many musicians do not know how to market themselves and their scope is limited,” adds Tay.
Penang Hyperlocal wishes Keyin Tay all the best and good fortune in her musical travels.