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Okdodoo, a cosy musical box studio that looks like where Santa’s elves go to work, is an absolute anomaly in the maze of small businesses in Oxley Tower. Shelves full of little painted wooden ornaments cover the walls, all ready for you to pick to customise your very own musical box.
But more than that, the inviting studio space is also a chance for you to escape into your imagination, recreate a cherished memory, see a favourite Studio Ghibli movie scene come to life, or simply escape from reality for a while.
(Photo: Khoo Bee Khim/CNA)
This mission to delight was what guided co-founders Derrick On, 59, and Koh Chong Hui, 54, to start Okdodoo 10 years ago. The wish to escape the nine-to-five routine was a motivation for the entrepreneurs to pivot their career paths after spending decades in the pharmaceutical and IT industries, respectively.
“While travelling for work, I enjoyed visiting independent businesses to see how people lived differently in other countries,” said Koh. “I had hoped that one day, I could do the same in Singapore by opening a small shop and living a simple life.” And he did – with his friend of 30 years.
JUST DO DOO IT
On recalled that “when we first began, we only offered ready-made musical boxes”. “We also had a few product lines such as ceramic figures and terrariums. We tried a few things and slowly, we realised it was okay to just focus on musical boxes.”
And why not when “musical boxes are such products of joy”, said Koh. “That’s the nice thing about our business. People come for different reasons of joy like anniversaries, birthdays, hen parties or just to make a gift for themselves or for someone.”
Even the name “Okdodoo” (pronounced as "okay-doo-doo") sounds joyful. “The ‘ok’ part comes from combining our surnames,” explained On, “while ‘dodoo’ reminds us of the time we deliberated so much about switching careers. Then, one fine day, we decided, let’s just do it.”
Koh chimed in: “I read The Lean Startup about not waiting for everything to be ready to start doing things. It may be better to tweak and change things as you go along. So the name ‘okdodoo’ really resonates with me in that sense”.
As for the extra “o”, the domain name for "okdodo" was already taken, On explained, “but we like the name so much, we decided to add one more ‘o’ to differentiate ourselves. Customers have also told us that the name is intriguing as it's not immediately about musical boxes.”
GETTING A BOOST DURING THE PANDEMIC
“Actually, the pandemic helped give us the push to start the workshops,” said On. “Before, we didn’t have the confidence because nobody knew who we were, even though we had done a radio interview and had booths in Orchard Road, Clark Quay and East Coast Park”.
The online workshops took off during the pandemic because people couldn’t go anywhere, recalled On. “When the social distancing rules relaxed a little, we were able to fit about five people in our studio.”
That was when the duo realised that people really wanted to make their own musical boxes. “They want theirs to have a story and meaning,” said On. “That gave us the confidence to conduct workshops and offer customisations.”
SEEING BEAUTY WITH THE HEART
The decorations were initially sourced online but a year in, On and Koh realised they had to make their own designs to stand out. So, they started with simple but charming trees and later added little swings.
"We have a lot of tree ornaments inspired by our time in New Zealand," said Koh. "We went on the Milford Sound trek for over five days. The shape of the trees, the form of the greenery, it was wonderful to be in that forest. When I see a musical box made with trees, I feel like I’m in that peaceful scenery again."
On said that "we’re lucky that the tree ornaments sell out quickly". It has motivated them to create other designs such as the tower ornaments that are based on the duo's recent holiday in Europe.
Another of On's popular creations is the balloon house inspired by the 2009 Pixar film Up. “This is 100 per cent made in our studio,” he said, gesturing to the various permutations of the ornament.
You’ll also notice a corner filled with Totoro, Ponyo and popular Sanrio characters. “Studio Ghibli movies indirectly helped motivate us to create our ornaments and designs. The movies are so rich in details and imagination,” said On.
Another source of inspiration for the decorations came from The Little Prince. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye,” said Koh, citing the book. “You’ll have to see the most important, beautiful things in life with your heart. I try to see things this way.”
When asked how many ornament designs Okdodoo offers in total, On and Koh were momentarily stumped. “Our customers tell us we have a few thousand different ones. We’ve never counted them!” said Koh, laughing.
After some deliberation, the two decided that about 40 per cent of Okdodoo’s ornaments are entirely made in-house, while 30 per cent are modified.
“We get both completed and incomplete designs from our suppliers, both overseas and local,” said Koh. “Then, we add our finishing touches”. For instance, the legs of a stool can be removed and used as a tripod for a camera, while the seat can be refurbished into a low table, he explained.
The duo has recently worked with a third party to produce their 3D-printed takes of Singapore icons such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, ArtScience Museum, Toa Payoh’s dragon playground and of course, the Merlion.
“I am proud of the Singapore-themed ones because they’re all made here,” said Koh. Tourists, who want more unique souvenirs, have already sought them out, according to him.
Other than offering purportedly the largest selection of musical box ornaments in Singapore, understanding the customers’ needs is just as important to them. “We ask a lot of questions to see if they need to modify anything,” said On. “We do everything on the spot, including laser engraving. This kind of freedom suits us better.”
That freedom to create and collaborate would have been amiss if they took up a franchise, On continued, as they wouldn’t be allowed to tweak anything. “We are independent and I think creativity is correlated to the freedom to design.”
MAKING MUSIC ONE NOTE AT A TIME
The tinkling heart of a musical box is, of course, the music-playing mechanism. Generally, a mechanism with a bigger note size will create a longer playing time, more varied notes, richer melody, and of course, a more expensive price. At Okdodoo, they offer two mechanical movements: 18 and 30 notes.
Just as you can customise the look of your musical box, you too, can have a bespoke tune by submitting the musical score, MP3 sample, or a YouTube or Spotify link.
Or pick from their list of readily available music. “Studio Ghibli theme songs, such as Spirited Away’s Always With Me, are all-time favourites,” said On. Tunes inspired by pop culture such as Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, Moonlight Densetsu from Sailor Moon, and Melodies Of Life from Final Fantasy IX are also hits.
“A classic that everybody’s suddenly into is Fly Me To The Moon. You are My Sunshine is popular with parents,” said Koh, who also lists evergreens such as Love Story, Canon D and La Vie En Rose on their list.
TELLING MEANINGFUL STORIES
Storytelling is why On and Koh always get their participants, especially corporate ones, to talk about their designs. “It serves the purpose of team bonding and everyone knows their colleagues a bit better,” said On. “The musical box always seems so different after hearing the maker’s story.”
Koh added: “You'll be surprised that the musical boxes that I remember were not only because they were beautiful. There was one lady who put eight ladybugs in a row. She said they represented her family members and she liked the simple design of the ladybugs”.
And sometimes, it is a way to process grief, said On. "There was a man, a psychiatrist, who wanted to come in and make a musical box. It was during our busy period and our slots were full. But he persisted and even waited till midnight," he recalled. "We found out that he had lost his wife to suicide and felt lost because although he helps people in his work, he couldn't help himself."
It doesn’t take much to tell your story. In fact, keeping things simple is the key. “When we first started, we didn’t set a limit to the number of ornaments and some musical boxes ended up looking messy,” said Koh.
“We always tell customers not to use the number of ornaments as a basis for their designs. It’s about your storyline and how the combination of ornaments best tells your story,” said On.
How do you tell if a design works? “The overall effect shouldn’t look crowded,” said On. And like a good movie plot, it should have a good backdrop, a main character and enhancement materials like small details.
“If you like the design and feel like you can pass it down to the next generation, that's good,” said On. “You don't have to care about what other people think because you know the story behind the musical box.”
PROJECT RESTORATION
Whether the musical box is from Okdodoo or a competitor, or is an actual heirloom, On and Koh recognise that they all have sentimental values. “Some of the ones we see are more than 30 years old,” said On, “and have been passed down from generation to generation.”
Especially the vintage ones with ballerina figures, said Koh, who recounted a customer who showed up at their studio with one. “She was told by her grandmother that this was the only thing the older woman had received from her parents when she got married. The grandmother wanted to hear the music again but it no longer played.
“Derrick managed to revive it. We weren’t there when the granddaughter opened the box but I could feel the smile on the grandmother’s face,” Koh beamed.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Go with a friend, a maximum group of nine or make it a solo activity. Just contact Okdodoo beforehand to enquire about the availability of slots. Each session is about two to three hours. Starting from S$40, you'll receive a base, ornaments, musical box mechanism – and all the guidance you want from On and Koh. No time to make one? Select from their ready-made musical boxes from also S$40 a piece.
"We’ve done workshops for kindergarteners as young as four years old," said Koh, "although it was the parents who were more excited than their toddlers! You'll be surprised that some four-year-olds are able to focus on and enjoy the building process under supervision."
On and Koh are accustomed to hosting small corporate groups in their studio as well as taking it to their customers' offices for bigger engagements. Despite just the two of them running the show, they have punched above their weight.
"For example, the Yellow Ribbon Project last year for their 20th anniversary," recalled On. "We hand-painted a family of three for each musical box and there were nearly 50 boxes in total. We started one month in advance."
The other big project was with Catholic High School, remembered Koh. "They had about 100 teachers make musical boxes to sell for charity. The principal was very happy and shared that they’d exceeded expectations."
The pair has also fulfilled orders for retiring bigwigs, including a certain minister. "We had no idea, until we saw a social media post of him with the musical box," said Koh.
How have their lives changed since starting Okdodoo? "The hours are a lot longer than in the corporate world," admitted On. "And we paint tree ornaments till past 11pm." But both of them have the right mindset and spirit.
“Here, our KPIs are benchmarked against our own index of happiness and our customers’ satisfaction with their musical boxes," said Koh, laughing at his ironic use of corporate lingo.
