Was strolling along Orchard Road today, when I heard this melodious tune at the Junction of Cineleisure and H&M. Gotta say, it is my first time seeing or hearing a dulcimer, and I'm mesmerized by the notes it produces. As Daniel puts it, it is very much like those tavern BGMs in RPGs.

Speaking with Ivan, I learnt that it was a native American instrument. Looks-wise, it is a cross between a zither and a ukelele, and its neck was thin enough for a capo to be used.

Apologies on the first video, I was so absorbed into it all, that I only noticed later that my finger was in the way... and video quality is a tad down due to smudging.. and it only halfway as I was listening to him, and decided dang, this is too good not to be recorded. The second video, on the other hand, is a complete song. Enjoy!





It also appears that he performed live earlier at the Esplanade Concourse for free, so you might have caught him there.

" The Appalachian Dulcimer is an instrument native to the south-east region of the United States surrounding the Appalachian Mountains (Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia). This sweet sounding plucked instrument has a history of about 200 years and is most commonly heard in bluegrass and old-time music, also known as mountain music.

Ivan Ng, 19, is self-taught on the Appalachian dulcimer. With humble beginnings busking at Read Bridge, Ivan has since made appearances in Sentosa’s Lights of Spring and National Day Celebration together with Dulcet Project & MIG respectively. Apart from exploring the American folk tunes, Ivan also has great interest in trying out other genres of music on his instrument. "