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Meet Mia, a 9-year-old drumming prodigy who has racked up not only a shelf full of awards but also millions of views on TikTok
When asked about her favourite toy during a recent interview with SAYS, she simply replied, "I don't play toys, I play drums."
For Mia, the drum kit is more than a hobby. Since beginning lessons at around 5 years old, she has amassed an impressive list of competition wins, a home studio filled with trophies, and a growing reputation for taking on rock and metal tracks that surprise audiences before she even hits the first beat.
Her father, Kenn, a strategic sourcing manager at a beauty company, says the family first spotted her natural ability just three months after enrolling her in drum classes.
"She picked up things very fast. At that time, she was hitting pillows, hitting boxes. We still did not invest in any drums yet," he recalled.
Soon enough, the family bought her a kit, and Mia's musical world grew from there. Besides the drum kit, she plays the 24 Festive Drums, a type of Chinese drum, and has also picked up the ukulele.
At home, Kenn helps teach her, although Mia is not entirely convinced by his drumming credentials
When asked if her dad is a good drummer, she simply joked, "Not really."
Kenn admits that he does not play drums at all. He plays electric guitar for fun. But after Mia began drumming, he and his wife learned alongside her by watching tutorials and YouTube videos.
These days, he jokingly considers himself part of a family band with Mia and her younger sister, 5-year-old Mikayla.
Mikayla currently plays a toy keyboard and is learning a little drumming from her big sister. "For now, Mia is the teacher," Kenn said with a grin.
Behind Mia's progress is a carefully managed family routine.
Her mum is the household timekeeper, ensuring that schoolwork, meals, and practice all fit into the day.
"Normally, her routine is right after school. She'll do her homework, then makan. After that, she starts drum practice in the evening," Kenn shared.
"She practises every day for about two hours, supervised by her mummy. And if I'm home, then I'll assist her and mummy as well."
That consistency has taken Mia from lighter rock songs to more demanding material. Her current favourite song is Avenged Sevenfold's A Little Piece of Heaven, while Travis Barker and Groove Father are among her drumming idols.
Her initial favourite band was Blink-182, but there is one small issue: "Their songs are too fast, so I cannot play them yet."
Her dad said her taste evolved naturally as her hands got quicker
"She listens to a lot of metal rock songs. She started off very light, playing Oasis and Avril Lavigne.
"Then we saw that her hands were fast. She was picking things up fast, so that's where she started playing metal songs. And she practised really hard for it."
Mia's interest in drums might also stem from Kenn and her mum's love for alternative rock and nu metal.
The family soundtrack has evolved quickly from Cocomelon or Baby Shark. Instead, car rides came with rock playlists.
Mia listens to some K-pop now, though she still prefers rock. She also confesses to secretly liking KATSEYE's Gnarly.
Mia's commitment has already earned medals and trophies
In her practice room at home, there is a TV stand filled with awards.
Mia won bronze at Rockfest, one of her earliest competitions, and later became a Rock Award finalist.
She also participated in and won Kids Got Talent in 2025 and 2026, and took home the V-Drums Championship 2026 title recently. She has also competed in regional events involving contestants from countries including Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
One of Kenn's favourite memories remains Mia's early Rockfest appearance
"During the competition, all you could see was her hands. You couldn't even see her head.
"She was trying to stretch and hit the drums, and all the audience could see were her hands moving. Then she managed to win bronze. Me and Mummy were so happy," he shared.
Kenn said drumming is an expensive passion, saying that Mia goes through about three or four sets of drumsticks a year, and has broken cymbals and even a snare drum. Still, her parents see it as a commitment worth making.
At performances, Kenn said audiences are often sceptical when they see a young child scheduled to play System Of A Down's Toxicity.
"People will doubt when they see the song title: 'Are you sure? You're playing Toxicity?' Kenn said.
"When she starts playing, the crowd goes wild."
Parents often approach the family after her sets, asking where she learned, how long she practises and which drums she uses.
For now, Mia is focusing on upcoming drum exams. Whether she becomes a professional drummer will be entirely her choice, but she already has another dream: becoming a doctor.
Even after her mum warned her that the job could be stressful, Mia said that whenever saving lives gets a little bit overwhelming, she will come home and drum the stress away.
You can follow Mia's drumming journey on Instagram and TikTok. Watch our video interview with the family below:
