As part of SG60 celebrations, the Music Society, Singapore (SGMUSO), and The Rice Company Limited (TRCL) have launched the Gift a Guitar Initiative to provide 600 under-served youths aged 13 to 19 with new guitars and music lessons. To fund the program, 60 guitars will be auctioned in August 2025, donated by artists, public figures, and corporate sponsors.
Among the contributors, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has donated a signed guitar, which will be auctioned to support The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF). PM Wong also featured in the 2023 launch video for the initiative. The auction will be open globally, with the guitars on display for a month before bidding.
Applications for youths to join the program will open in July this year. Selected participants will receive guitars and lessons to help them develop musical skills.
Danny Loong, Chairman of SGMUSO, shared that his own passion for music began when he received his first guitar at 16. He hopes the initiative will offer similar life-changing experiences to youths through music. “Music shapes lives, providing an outlet for self-expression,” Loong said.
