SINGAPORE – In exam-centric, grades-obsessed Singapore, parents sending their kids to scores of tuition and enrichment classes is par for the course. From early childhood Chinese lessons to preparatory courses for landmark examinations such as the O levels, there is a laser focus on academic excellence.

And while some might see merit in nurturing their children’s interests in well-established arts such as classical music, painting or ballet, or honing their discipline in athletic pursuits, rare is the parent who backs his or her child to chase more amorphous ambitions like pop stardom.