‘Learning violin before learning toilet’: 3-year-old violin prodigy in S’pore captivates hearts on TikTok

3-year-old violin prodigy in Singapore goes viral on TikTok

When most toddlers are just learning how to use the toilet, little Tomi is already mastering the violin.

The three-year-old musical prodigy from Singapore has captured the hearts of TikTokers with a series of videos posted by his mother showcasing his impressive skills.

Tomi’s repertoire ranges from nursery rhymes like ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ to classical masterpieces such as Dvorak’s ‘Humoresque’.

One standout video, featuring Tomi playing ‘Happy Birthday’ to his uncle at a restaurant, has amassed nearly 14 million views at the time of writing.

3-year-old violin prodigy started learning at age 2

Speaking to MS News, Tomi’s mother, Lai Yi Xuan, revealed that her son started formal violin training at just two years and seven months old.

“He has not skipped a day of practice ever since then,” she added.

Now at three years and two months, Tomi has been consistently practising daily for about six months, with sessions lasting around an hour each day.

“He practises for about 15 to 20 minutes before he goes to nursery, and another 30 to 45 minutes after school,” his mum shared.

Ms Lai also noted that Tomi plays everything by ear and from memory.

She described him as having an impressive “ability to focus”, which has allowed him to perform 20 pieces entirely from memory.

Baby violinist captures hearts of netizens

Three of Ms Lai’s videos featuring Tomi playing the violin have surpassed the million-view mark, with netizens marvelling at the child’s musical talent.

“Learning violin before learning toilet is insane,” one user quipped.

Many found Tomi’s performances, complete with his tiny violin, absolutely adorable.

Some even joked that he came with the instrument, given how effortlessly he plays it.

Overall, netizens are thoroughly impressed by this pint-sized violin prodigy.

Mother is also a violinist

Ms Lai, a graduate of NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory with a major in violin performance, has been teaching music for nearly 15 years, specialising in young children.

Driven by her passion for early childhood development and a belief in the limitless potential of young learners, she began teaching Tomi the violin using the Suzuki method.

This approach immerses children in musical repertoire and concepts from birth.

“I had never taught a two-year-old before, so I thought it would be a good challenge for me as a teacher,” she said, highlighting the unique difficulty of teaching a child whose fine motor skills are still developing.

“I believe every child is born a genius — they have the capacity to learn absolutely anything,” she continued.

Ms Lai emphasised that her goal in teaching music is not to win competitions or produce professional musicians.

Instead, she aims to instil the values of daily practice, perseverance, and discipline — skills that will benefit her son and students in all their future endeavours.

“I hope that through music, children learn the power of daily consistent practice, overcoming difficult struggles, perseverance, and discipline.”

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Featured image adapted from @violinyixuan on TikTok.