My New Journey is a deeply personal and expressive song composed by Carey Tan shortly after he turned eight, at a significant moment of change in his young life. That year, Carey became a boarding student at Summer Fields School in Oxford, entering a new environment that brought both excitement and emotional challenge. Written from the perspective of a child experiencing this transition firsthand, the song captures the complex feelings of leaving behind the familiar comforts of home and learning to adapt to a more independent life. Its sincerity, clarity, and emotional directness make it an especially remarkable work for such a young composer.

At the heart of the song is a simple but powerful theme: growth through change. The lyrics reflect the emotional journey of a child moving from the security of day-to-day family life into the unfamiliar rhythm of boarding school. Feelings of homesickness, uncertainty, and vulnerability are present, but they are balanced by curiosity, resilience, and a growing sense of confidence. Rather than presenting childhood in an idealised way, Carey writes with honesty about what it means to face a new stage of life. This gives the song an unusual depth, allowing it to speak not only as a childhood reflection, but also as a universal portrait of adaptation and emotional courage.

Musically, My New Journey is shaped with a strong sense of structure and clear expressive purpose. The melodic writing is natural and memorable, supporting the text with directness and lyrical warmth. The phrasing allows the words to unfold clearly, while the musical progression mirrors the emotional arc of the song: from reflection and uncertainty toward acceptance and hope. Even at this early age, Carey shows an instinctive understanding of how melody and text can work together to create character and narrative. The result is a song that feels both immediate and thoughtfully constructed.

What makes this piece particularly striking is the way it combines youthful innocence with genuine compositional control. Carey does not merely describe an experience; he transforms it into music with shape, contrast, and expressive balance. The song demonstrates a natural gift for communicating feeling through melody, as well as an early awareness of dramatic pacing and emotional development. These qualities give the work a freshness and authenticity that are both charming and impressive.

My New Journey also holds an important place in Carey’s early musical development. The song helped him achieve a Distinction in the Composition Grade 4 examination of the University of West London, marking it as a significant milestone in his progress as a young composer. More than an examination piece, however, it stands as an honest artistic response to a life-changing moment. It reveals how personal experience can become the source of meaningful musical expression, even in childhood.

As an early work, My New Journey offers a vivid glimpse into Carey Tan’s imagination, sensitivity, and developing compositional voice. It is a song of transition, courage, and self-discovery — a touching musical record of a young child taking his first steps into a wider world.

My New Journey — Carey Tan

Once was a day boy, school was my day joy

Friends made me laugh or cry, teachers marked me blue or red

Mum made me dinner right

All would end before night, oo la la all end before night

Right after I was eight, I became a boarding boy

School was both my day and night, no more funky cosy bed

No mum to kiss me good night

No one cares if I laugh or cry, oo la la laugh or cry

I've suddenly discovered boarding joy

School's like a live stage for all boys

Friends put on so many funny ploys

O la la I can watch, I can join

World food and bunk bed

New games every day

Teachers try to play parents' role

O la la, not same but I can bear

This is my new journey to grow up

It's time to break out of the egg

Pain or joy and build or tear

O la la I love school, I love school

I love playing games

I love fame

I love sharing lovely smiles

I am happy and I am jolly

O la la I am happy, yes I am