the URBAN LEGEND

Before becoming an entrepreneur of businesses that are deeply rooted in his love for drumming and drummers, Boon also had many wonderful opportunities to be:

• a Drummer and World Percussionist who recorded on Praise Worship CDs/DVDs 

• a Senior Executive at one of the most prominent event companies, TEC (The Event Company) - 2002-2003

• a Production Stage Manager for medium to large-scale musicals - 2000-2002

• a Student Liaison Officer for more than 350 local and foreign art students - 2000-2002

• a Drum Teacher to 60 students - 2003-2005

 

Christian Faith, Love for Music, CHC Music team and part of the church band that recorded the church's first 6 CD albums. 

An ACS boy from junior through to secondary, and was only gloriously saved by the

Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 17.

Having no musical experience during his school days, he got deeply interested in music performance the more he attended church. However, He started out by helping the logistics of the music department. As CHC was renting different premises, week in week out, Boon's ministry was really to make sure every weekend the musicians that were serving have all the right equipment set up properly. A meticulous person by nature, He became so passionate and proficient at it that he eventually became the main logistics in-charge.

 

With regards to his first appearance as a musician, he started playing only 1 cowbell and 1 tambourine for public Christmas performances in 1993. In 1994 he gradually progressed to a few more types of hand percussion for City Harvest Church's first recording but having zero playing experience, he really had a hard time playing the first set on bongos and timbales back then. Putting in effort for the next few years by listening to various jazz, pop and gospel cassette tapes and watching lots of instructional videos, he improved consistently and subsequently recorded in the first 4 CHC worship albums as a percussionist.

 

Through the divine direction of the Lord, the producer of the first 4 albums, Pastor Johan Heystek (South Africa) recommended Boon for an overseas music education scholarship to Pastors Kong Hee and Sun. At the age of 24, he married the love of his life, Angela and they made their way to Sydney Australia on a fully paid scholarship to School of Creative Arts, Sydney. Boon is forever grateful to Jesus Christ, Pastors Kong, Sun and Johan for this scholarship. 
 

School of Creative Arts, (SCA) Sydney Australia 

He began an extensive and intense study of the drum set & music theory at the late age of 25. Boon studied drums with John Waller, a famous rock / pop / gospel drummer performing with a number of bands; CCC, Youth Alive, Avion & The Shy Guys. While in Sydney, Boon recorded as a percussionist on Christian City Church CONTACT and

Dr Bob : Therapy live album. He also had a chance to perform at the Black Stump music festival together with Dr Bob, the principal of SCA Sydney and an amazing keyboardist. Boon also had the honour of performing the song “REACH” for then-prime minister, Sir John Howard when he visited Christian City Church on 8th August 1999.

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School of Creative Arts, Singapore - 2000-2002

In 2000, he was offered the job of production administrator & student liaison officer and part of the pioneer staff team in the opening of the School of Creative Arts, Singapore, a branch school of Sydney’s famed School of Creative Arts where he graduated. Being an arts college, Boon believed that it is only meaningful, when he has the opportunity, to assist and help fuel the dreams of the hundreds of arts students that will come through the school. He has facilitated and helped more than 350 Musicians, Visual Artists, Singers, Dancers, Songwriters, Dramatists from year 2000 through till 2002. He also lectured on music topics and music directing and gave band workshops for the music students of 2002. As a student liaison officer, he coordinated the logistics, welfare and lodgings of more than 100 foreign students.

Boon was also the producer of 3 large scale school shows and musicals, Angel, Majorworks and Megastar.com. Not

forgetting the large scale CHC Easter and Christmas dramas where Boon help produced that were seen by more than 20,000 audience in 2000 and 2001 at Singapore Indoor Stadium. He designed backdrops and stage sets for these shows and another significant milestone was at the 12 anniversary celebrations of CHC where he designed the stage into a replica of the Jurong West Church Building. From 2000 till 2001 Boon had also on numerous occasions showcased and presented his drumming choreography through performances before large audiences in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

 

Chingay 2002 and band leader interview on CNA 2002

After moving on from full-time staff at CHC, in 2002 February, Boon had an

opportunity through South East Community Development Council (SECDC)  to lead a

team of youths to perform in Chingay 2002. 95% of the 33 youths he led were not

trained in any form of percussive performance. It was at this event where performance

with dustbins and recycled items was made popular and seen live on television.
As a drummer and band leader, he led a band of 5 musicians and singer to perform at the

National Arts Council (NAC) Field of Dreams event on June 7, 2002 by East Coast beach.

They were interviewed live via satellite in CNA for the performance.

 

The EVENT COMPANY - 2002-2003

Boon then joined The Event Company (TEC). Voted the number one event

agency in Marketing Magazine’s Agency of the Year Awards for an unprecedented five

years in a row, and boasting a global footprint that was present across 90 locations

Worldwide, The Event Company was the undeniable leader in experiential event marketing

and end-to-end event management in Singapore.  Boon began as a senior executive in

the company and acquired immense experience when he did events for companies & organizations 

such as :

SPRING Singapore National Productivity Rally / Canon Singapore / Vivendi Universal Games /

Enterprise 50 Awards / Seagate Conference Bangkok / Gemplus

Conference /Asian Civilisations Museum Grand Opening to name a few.

 

However, when SARS hit Singapore in 2003 nearly all projected events in Singapore

for the next 3 months were cancelled, Boon decided to move on and pursue

his love for music again.

 

In 2003, the company, Urban Legend was set up by Tan Boon to provide

mainly 3 types of services :

Music Teaching services

Event Talents / Music performance bands hiring services

Music Sound Logistics equipment rental services

A simple and humble beginning from a sole proprietor company.

Urban Legend, in its infancy, has provided logistics support, and marquee set-ups to clients

like Sony and Mustafa. Urban Legend also supplied jazz and rock bands for Nissan Car

launch events, Standard Chartered Bank, and weddings that required music

performances and set-ups. Boon also taught and choreographed creative drum

performances for the staff of P&G and Toyota Borneo Motors.

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Private Drum Instructor 2003-2005 

Boon started teaching the drum set and percussion from his home. The number of all Boon’s

student at one time was 60 students. He had students from different races and he also taught

expats and foreign students from other parts of Asia, Europe, and Australia.

 

CHINGAY 2004

At end 2003, He was invited once again by the People’s Association to perform another

Recycled Percussion item at Chingay 2004.

Boon rallied 50 youths this time, and again, with 95% non drummers, he trained them

into nothing less than a professional drum troupe in 2 months.

They were a hit sensation at the parade. This performance also gave them another

opportunity to be interviewed live via satellite on Ch 8 630pm news.
In June of 2004, Boon also conducted a 2 day recycled drumming workshop for the Swiss Club

and had more than 50 expat children from ages 4-8 in attendance.

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A drummer and a percussionist

As a drummer and percussionist, Boon had also served before as a percussionist together with

the Hillsong worship team and Darlene Zschech in 2001 and again in Festival of Praise 2005.

Boon also played drums for gospel artist evangelist Alma Rivera in 2019.
Not forgetting putting his signature percussive works and drumming on the first 6 music albums

of City Harvest Church from 1994 till 2005.
Boon was the drum department IC of CHC from 2003 till 2012 and he was the trainer of the next generation of music directors of CHC and also the rest of the church drummers from 2000 till 2007.