Back then, Jeremy was producing jingles for companies, ranging from Kentucky Fried Chicken to pimple cream brands. He was also the music director and arranger of National Day songs, including Count On Me Singapore and We Are Singapore. On top of that, he even worked on his own music and jazz gigs.
Unsurprisingly, his schedule extended far beyond a typical nine-to-five.
Jeremy recounted how he would start his day with his administration work in the morning before he’d head down to his studio to record in the afternoon.
“I would then run back, have a quick dinner with my family, pat my son on his head, rush off to my jazz gig, play from 9pm until midnight, and then go back to my studio to mix the jingle I recorded in the afternoon.
“I was just burning the candle at both ends,” he said.
Jeremy’s jam-packed schedule only came to a standstill when he collapsed on stage after drinking from a dirty glass during his gig’s intermission.
He shared that the doctor told him he had exhausted himself to the point he had “zero immunity”.
“I could get really sick from anything, even a glass that was not washed properly,” he said, adding that he was hospitalised for a week.
“(Since then), I promised myself that whenever I see the amber lights of pushing myself too hard, I would just back off – sometimes to the consternation and annoyance of my colleagues.”
KNOWING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN YOUR JOB AND YOUR WORK
Jeremy is no stranger to the media, having done hundreds of interviews throughout his career. Notably, he consistently emphasises one point: There is a difference between our job and work.
While our job is something we do to pay the bills, our work is our life mission, he explained.
