What happens when a world-class percussionist meets an 8-year-old music game inventor — and brings along his own 5-year-old secret weapon?

You get a MuJong showdown that’s equal parts brilliance, bonding, and bonus tiles.

Today, we were honoured to host Mario Choo, celebrated Percussionist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), at our studio — and it wasn’t just a musical visit. Mario brought his whole family, turning what was meant to be a friendly MuJong session into a masterclass in rhythm, musicianship, and musical parenting.

🎶 About Mario Choo

A familiar face on Singapore’s concert stages, Mario Choo has been with the SSO since 2015, after graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Music with a Master of Music in Percussion under the legendary Prof. Gert Mortensen.

He has performed under the batons of world-renowned conductors such as:

• Sir Simon Rattle (Berlin Philharmonic Karajan Academy)
• James Levine
• Leonard Slatkin
• David Zinman

His extensive international experience includes guest appearances with orchestras across Asia, festivals like the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and collaborations with percussion ensembles like Percurama. His arrangements have been featured in Denmark’s Globo Beats, a multicultural percussion showcase that blends global rhythms into electrifying performances.

In addition to his role in the SSO, Mario also serves as Artist Faculty, Percussion at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, where he mentors Singapore’s next generation of percussionists.

🧩 The Game: Mario vs. Kiki (+ a Plot Twist)

As expected, Mario came in strong during Round 1, scoring a whopping 6 points in a single MuJong game. A record score that’s unprecedented by any of our guest players:

• ✅ 1 point for the win
• ✅ 2 bonus points for Double Accidentals
• ✅ 2 bonus points for identifying Relative Minors
• ✅ 1 bonus for razor-sharp flawless sightreading of his winning tiles using the MuJong Time app keyboard

🎯 Total: 6 points — and it felt effortless.

But in Round 2, Kiki made a comeback — not alone, but with a surprise ally: Mario’s 5-year-old son, who quickly proved himself a prodigious strategist in his own right.

Together, Team Kiki recovered 4 points with a clean win — complete with musical reveals, giggles, and a few strategic whispers from the junior percussionist.

“I didn’t lose,” Kiki said. “I had a secret duet partner.”

Final tally:
Mario: 6
Kiki + Mario Jr.: 4

🎉 Our Takeaway

Watching Mario and Kiki (and Mario Jr.!) play MuJong together was a beautiful, unscripted lesson in what music really is — a shared language.

Whether it was the flawless sightreading, the gentle coaching between father and son, or the friendly competition with Kiki, this session was more than a game. It was a celebration of mentorship, musicianship, and multigenerational magic.

Thank you, Mario, for bringing your world-class artistry — and your wonderful family — into our world of musical play.

It was our great honour and privilege to host one of Singapore’s most respected authorities in musicology and education, Dr. Hideaki Onishi, for a special MuJong™ session. Dr. Onishi’s endorsement means the world to us—not only because of his distinguished academic pedigree, but because of his lifelong commitment to excellence in music education.

About Dr. Hideaki Onishi

Dr. Hideaki Onishi is one of Singapore’s most experienced and decorated music educators, holding two doctoral degrees—a Ph.D. in Music Theory from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in Musicology from Keio University in Tokyo. With over two decades of teaching experience, Dr. Onishi has served as Assistant Professor at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (NUS), and currently lectures at National Institute of Education (NIE) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where he trains future music educators and curriculum designers.

Beyond academia, he is a performer of Philippine kulintang, director of the Sari-Sari Kulintang Ensemble, and founder of Hideaki Onishi Music Pte Ltd, offering ABRSM coaching at advanced levels. His scope spans traditional Asian music, post-tonal analysis, orchestration, and multicultural music education—a rare fusion of scholarship and practice.

MuJong with the Master

During our recent session, we played a full round of MuJong™ with Dr. Onishi. To our delight, he enjoyed the gameplay so much, he requested a second round immediately. For us, that spontaneous rematch request was more than just a compliment—it was confirmation that MuJong could stand up to the scrutiny of a deeply trained music theorist.

The game concluded in the most poetic way possible: as part of the sight-reading finale, Dr. Onishi didn’t use the MuJong mobile app like most players. Instead, he sight-sang the musical bars directly from the tiles, perfectly on pitch—a testament to his perfect pitch and professional-level musicianship.

A Note of Thanks

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Hideaki Onishi for his time, wisdom, and graciousness. His kind words and encouragement meant so much to us and Kiki, who now has the immense honour of being taught by him in his ongoing music theory masterclass.

To have her musical journey shaped by such an esteemed figure is a gift beyond measure, and one we deeply treasure.

Musicians, teachers, and pun-lovers — rejoice. The iconic rectangle you never knew you needed is now available to spice up your chats.

Say hello to Mujong, your music-loving mascot who’s got a joke for every note. Whether you’re Bach-ing out of a convo or apologizing for an accidental sharp, there’s a Mujong for that.

🎵 What’s in the pack?

• Be Right Bach – because you’ll baroque if you don’t return
• Sharp Thinking! – brilliant ideas with a musical twist
• Can-Can! – yes, we’re being extra dramatic 💃
• Sorry, It Was an Accidental – forgive my ♯ choices
• You Rock! – no explanation needed

…and more musical mayhem.

💬 How to Use the Mujong Stickers

Using Mujong is easy — just follow these steps:

1. Download the sticker file
   👉 Click here to download Mujong.wastickers
2. Install Sticker Maker (free app)
   • Sticker Maker App Website
3. Open Sticker Maker → tap “+” → “Import .wastickers file”
4. Select the Mujong file → Add to WhatsApp

And voilà — your WhatsApp chats are now a symphony of fun.

(Disclaimer: We are not affiliated, sponsored, or endorsed by the Sticker Maker app or its developers in any way. We simply recommend it as a free and widely used tool for importing .wastickers files into WhatsApp. All rights to the Sticker Maker app belong to their respective owners.)

Yesterday, something magical happened in our MuJong™ playroom.

Kiki, our 8-year-old founder, welcomed a very special guest: Mr Ong Ting Kai, music educator from Pasir Ris Secondary School. A passionate advocate for music education and innovation, Mr Ong dropped by to experience MuJong™ firsthand… and walked away impressed.

We’re proud to share that Mr Ong sees real potential in MuJong™ as a fun and effective classroom tool, a sentiment that echoes our mission of turning music theory from a daunting subject into an engaging, interactive experience.

Music Meets Mahjong: A Teaching Revolution

Mr Ong sat down with Kiki and the team to try a full round of MuJong™. Within minutes, the table was filled with smiles, laughter, and a growing sense that this was more than just a game. It was an educational tool in disguise, cleverly designed to reinforce music theory concepts like note reading, keys, clefs, time signatures, rhythms, and accidentals.

Mr Ong, who teaches secondary school music students, remarked that MuJong™ has strong potential as a supplementary teaching aid. The game’s structured levels, ranging from beginner-friendly modes to advanced musical challenges, cater to a wide range of learning abilities and make it ideal for both classroom and CCA enrichment use.

A Proud Moment for Team MuJong™

For Kiki, this meeting was more than just a demo. It was a milestone.

Since her invention began as a spark of frustration with dry theory books, MuJong™ has grown into a real-world learning solution—now being seriously considered by secondary school educators for institutional adoption. It’s an encouraging development of our Mujong journey!

💡 Looking Ahead

We’re incredibly thankful to Mr Ong for his time, insights, and openness to innovation. His feedback strengthens our belief that MuJong™ can truly revolutionize how music is taught—and learned.

And to educators out there curious about MuJong™, we say: come play a round. You might just find your next classroom secret weapon hidden inside a turquoise box of tiles.

Today was no ordinary MuJong™ session. It was a momentous encounter between Maestro Lim Ni Ta, principal conductor of the Addo Children and Youth Orchestra, and his long-time student — our young CEO and Mujong inventor, Kiki.

Maestro Lim has mentored Kiki since she was five years old through competitions and her ABRSM Grade 5 violin exams. His baton has shaped many young musicians, and his support for MuJong carries great meaning to us.

But today, it was baton down… and tiles up.

Kiki, ever the playful strategist, decided to open the game with bass clef, a friendly ambush aimed at challenging her treble-clef-trained teacher. Maestro gamely played along and navigated the first round smoothly (apparently Kiki for forgot that conductors are supposed to be fluent in all clefs 😏)

Then came round two.
Kiki flipped it back to treble clef, but this time, she activated the MuJong Time app. Tempo set at Adagio.
Panic set in. The shift in clef, coupled with time pressure (even at adagio… I repeat… adagio 😏), threw everyone off — including both her parents and (allegedly 🫢) Maestro Lim himself.

In the ensuing apocalypse, her father became the first victim of the dreaded Skull-Soul Death™ — all because he couldn’t discard a tile in time.

One clef to rule them all. One timer to doom them all.
(And yes, Daddy got doomed.)

But behind the laughter and light-hearted teasing was a poignant moment: a student challenging her conductor, not out of defiance, but out of admiration and joy using a game she invented.

From a little girl once demoralized by sight-reading to a confident music gamer outwitting her own mentor, the session reminded us just how far Kiki has come.

Of course, her recent speed boost in sight-reading might have something (okay, a lot) to do with weeks of MuJong intensives, much credit goes to Maestro Lim’s unwavering patience and his steadfast encouragement over the years.

Thank you, Maestro Lim, for shaping not just musicians, but minds that dare to create.

Tiny Tiles. Big Brainwaves.

Indeed it was.
🎹💡 Tiny Tiles. Big Brainwaves.

From a struggling 4-year-old to the 8-year-old CEO of MuJong™, this moment is everything.

It’s not every day that a young inventor gets to meet the author who played a pivotal role in shaping their journey. But today, we had one of those rare, full-circle moments — as Kiki, our 8-year-old founder and CEO of MuJong™, finally met Ms Tan Hui Leng, the co-author of Who’s Who: A Treble Clef Story.

📚 A Book That Changed Everything

When Kiki was just 4, she found music theory daunting and dry, as many children do. Notes, symbols, and abstract rules didn’t make much sense to her. But that changed the moment she was introduced to Who’s Who — a beautifully illustrated music theory book that turned dry concepts into vivid characters and engaging stories.

Kiki fell in love with music theory, not through rote learning, but through narrative, colour, and imagination. That book, paired with an online theory course hosted by Teacher Glennis, ignited something in her: the idea that music could be learned through play.

🎲 The Birth of MuJong™

That spark would stay with Kiki for years, quietly shaping her worldview. And earlier this year, she turned that spark into a blazing fire: she sketched out an idea for a game that fuses rhythm, music theory, and the strategic thrill of mahjong, the game we now know as MuJong™.

And today, the little girl who once struggled with note reading, presented her full-fledged, patent-pending musical board game to the very educator whose work helped set her on this path.

🤝 When Paths Cross in the Most Meaningful Way

Ms Tan Hui Leng was warm, gracious, and encouraging. She shared how Who’s Who was created to help children exactly like Kiki, children who might not thrive with traditional theory worksheets, but who could flourish with the right stories, visuals, and context.

Watching Kiki confidently explain the story of MuJong™ to Ms Tan, it was a quiet, powerful reminder of how educators plant seeds they may never see bloom… until one day, they do.

🌱 A Tribute to All Music Educators

This meeting wasn’t just about Kiki and Ms Tan. It was a tribute to every music teacher, author, and mentor who takes the time to make learning joyful, meaningful, and magical for children.

Your efforts matter. Your tools inspire. And your work creates ripples far beyond the classroom.

Thank you, Ms Tan Hui Leng, for being part of Kiki’s story — and now, for being part of MuJong™’s story too.

With gratitude,
The MuJong™ Team
🎹 Tiny Tiles. Big Dreams.

An idea that started at our dining table… now shortlisted for one of Singapore’s most prestigious innovation awards.

We are beyond thrilled to share that MuJong™, the world’s first modular music theory game inspired by mahjong, has been officially shortlisted for the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award (TKKYIA) 2025! 🎉

This recognition means a great deal to us — not just as a team, but as a family.

🧠 From Curiosity to Invention

The idea for MuJong™ was first sparked by an innocent question from 8-year-old Kiki Boo, our founder and CEO:

“Can music be played like a game?”

What followed was 50 days of whirlwind ideation, design, and development. With nothing more than a sketch on a whiteboard and an obsession with learning through play, our tiny team — led by Kiki, and supported by her family and mentors — transformed that question into a full-fledged, patent-pending educational game system.

MuJong™ combines music theory, rhythm reading, and tactical gameplay in a way that’s never been done before — using tiles, cards, clefs, and keys to make learning not just easier, but irresistibly fun.

💡 Recognizing the Power of Young Minds

The Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award has a long legacy of celebrating innovation from the next generation. To be shortlisted is more than just an honour — it’s a validation of the belief that children aren’t just learners; they can be inventors too.

As a young girl who once struggled with music theory herself, Kiki’s journey represents so many children who learn differently. MuJong™ was created to empower them — through rhythm, through logic, and through play.

🛠️ What’s Next?

We’ve received confirmation of our shortlisting and will be attending the interview round on 26 July 2025. By then, we’ll be bringing more than just a prototype — our first batch of MuJong™ sets will be ready, and so will the accompanying MuJong™ Time app.

This will be our opportunity to showcase not just the idea — but the execution, traction, and most importantly, the impact on real learners and teachers.

🙏 Thank You for Supporting Us

To all our early adopters, educator pilot participants, and supportive friends — this moment belongs to you too.

MuJong™ is no longer just a home project.
It’s a movement.
A spark.
A new language of learning.
And this shortlisting brings us one step closer to sharing it with the world.

Stay tuned as we prepare for the interview and continue to refine the game based on pilot feedback. The journey has just begun — and we’re so glad you’re part of it.

This week marks a very special milestone for us — MuJong’s first international presentation, and Kiki’s debut overseas as a young CEO and inventor.

We were invited to a warm and intimate hi-tea session hosted by Henry Chan, Foreign Trade Director of Hailun Piano, at The Crafting Music Malaysia – Piano Factory Outlet in Kuala Lumpur. The afternoon was filled with music, conversation, and coffee — brewed fresh by their very own in-house barista, KS Tong.

Among the esteemed guests were:

• Assoc. Professor Dr Joanne Yeoh – award-winning violinist and faculty at UPM
• Ms Debbie Choo – founder of Inkfinity Music Distribution
• Mr Daniel Tsan – business consultant
• Ms Laura – Nova Education Group
• and of course, Mr Henry Chan, our generous host

Kiki introduced MuJong™, her educational music game inspired by mahjong mechanics and Western music notation. Despite being just 8 years old, she confidently explained the gameplay and learning philosophy behind MuJong. The response? Heartfelt encouragement and strong interest in collaboration to bring MuJong into the Malaysian market.

“What a wonderful hi-tea gathering we had at our showroom — great company, warm conversations, and unforgettable moments.”
– The Crafting Music Malaysia Team

“By chance I met a young CEO / Creator over a coffee networking session. She’s only 8 years old!! Stay tuned!!”
– Debbie Choo, Inkfinity Music

Kiki also performed a Bach Prelude and Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon《彩雲追月》 on the Hailun VG-180 flagship grand piano, the newest 180cm grand piano in Hailun’s prestigious Vienna series. The moment was unforgettable — her music filled the room with warmth and poise.

🎹 HAILUN — A World-Class Piano Brand Is Now in Malaysia!
The VG-180 features a powerful wet sand-cast frame, Röslau piano wire, and Hailun’s signature Performance Plus Design Action, delivering balanced touch and rich tone. Its stunning bird’s eye maple inlay and patented HLPS lid system make it one of the most advanced and user-friendly grand pianos in its class. Try it out to believe at the Hailun Malaysia showroom.

To close the trip, Kiki made an unplanned visit to the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas at the Petronas Twin Towers, where she spotted a public piano. Naturally, she sat down and played Silver Clouds once again. A small crowd gathered, with passersby filming the spontaneous performance — a poetic end to an already unforgettable day.

“I love creativity. I love new innovation… Introducing The MuJong. Meet Singapore’s Youngest Inventor and CEO: Kiki Boo.”
– Henry Chan, Hailun Piano Malaysia

✨ Looking Ahead

This trip to KL has been full of heart, music, and possibility. What began as a childhood idea in Singapore has now begun to resonate beyond our borders — and we’re so excited for what lies ahead.

Stay tuned — more music, more milestones, and more magic coming soon.

Where rhythm meets strategy—and every tile sings.

The MuJong Time™ app just got a major upgrade that transforms gameplay into a full-blown music education experience. With the launch of our new Keyboard Sightreading Module, players can now test their musical reflexes and reap extra rewards—whether they win the round or not.

What’s New?

In classic MuJong fashion, each round ends when a player completes a hand with perfect bars using musical tiles. But now, the game doesn’t stop there.

With the new sightreading challenge, the winning combination of tiles is automatically turned into a melodic phrase on our in-app keyboard. The winner is given the first opportunity to sightread the phrase live.

Bonus System:

If they succeed, they earn an extra bonus point.

But here’s the twist:
If the winner fails, the challenge passes on to the next player in line—turning every round into a chance for others to catch up through skill, not just luck.

Why It Matters

MuJong Time™ was already revolutionizing music education by fusing the principles of rhythm, beat values, and bar formation with the strategic thrill of mahjong. Now, the Keyboard Module makes music performance itself a core mechanic—not just a learning outcome.

Key Benefits:

• Reduces overreliance on luck by adding a skill-based bonus
• Encourages real-time music literacy and keyboard fluency
• Keeps all players engaged, even when it’s not their winning round
• Teaches sightreading through gamified repetition

For Learners. For Gamers. For Educators.

This module was developed with students, educators, and music-lovers in mind. Whether you’re preparing for graded music exams, teaching rhythm to young learners, or just jamming with friends, MuJong Time™ now offers an immersive way to play music, not just learn it.

🎹 Play. Learn. Steal the Bonus.
Download the latest update of MuJong Time™ and discover how every tile could be your next musical phrase.

Today, we had the incredible honour of meeting Jonathan Ng, the brilliant mind behind Lord of the Chords—a game that has brought music theory to life for students and educators across the globe.

Jonathan dropped by our office to meet Kiki, try out MuJong™, and share words of encouragement that we’ll never forget. What made the visit even more heartwarming was his generous gift: limited-edition sets of Lord of the Chords—a treasure to any music educator or enthusiast.

A Moment to Remember

Kiki was visibly inspired by Jonathan’s journey, creativity, and kindness. As someone who paved his own path in the world of music education innovation, Jonathan shared his experience with humility and humour—and it resonated deeply with our young inventor.

It’s not every day a child meets a living legend. And it’s even rarer to find one so generous with both time and spirit. Jonathan’s support means the world to us.

From the Heart

We left the meeting not just encouraged, but deeply moved. It reminded us that the music education community thrives not only on talent and innovation—but on generosity, mentorship, and shared dreams.

Thank you, Jonathan. You’ve inspired Kiki more than words can say.