On weekends, Join Cheng and Ariana Borromeo fly out to perform at college shows — and by Monday, they’re back in class. 

Cheng, known professionally as hongjoin, and his manager, Ariana Borromeo, juggle school with a growing performance schedule that has taken them across the country. 

Before coming to the United States for college, Cheng, a 2025 music industry and communication studies combined graduate, served in the Singaporean army. It was during that time that he began songwriting as a way to cope. What started as an emotional outlet slowly became something more: a way to connect with listeners and feel understood. 

As an international student from Singapore, Cheng arrived in Boston after publishing his music on YouTube and SoundCloud. 

“Boston is so college town, with the local influence of musicians at Berklee [College of Music],” Cheng said. “It’s so easy to make friends with like-minded people in music. They come from such different backgrounds and cultures, which indirectly influences my music.” 

Cheng did not want to put all of his eggs in one basket by just pursuing music. Instead, he aimed to explore both the creative and business sides of the industry during his time at Northeastern.

“I get to study music business in school — that’s second nature to me. And then in my free time, I’m making music or playing shows,” Cheng said. “You have to enjoy it, like I do, or it’s going to be so hard. I don’t see it as a chore that I have to balance.”

Since her first year, Borromeo, a rising fourth-year music industry major and head of artists and representation at Green Line Records, has managed Boston-based indie student band Main Era. As a person who came into Northeastern with plans of studying political science, the pivot to music was not always easy. 

Borromeo had to teach herself on the fly, reach out to artists herself and trust her instincts. 

“In the early stages, there was a lot of imposter syndrome. Anyone can be a manager if they want to. If it’s something you really want to do, you have to convince yourself that you’re capable,” she said.

Now, she manages Cheng, handling all of his collaborations. This includes being the main point of contact for college shows; Cheng often performs for young, Asian American audiences. 

“[Asian communities] who often have headliners for university shows have been great in accommodating and showing interest in hongjoin’s music,” she said.

Cheng and Borromeo’s first show was in Wichita, Kansas. They both said they could not believe that a school wanted to hire him.

“I got the email and I thought it was a scam. I responded in the most informal way: ‘This shit is so dope! Let’s do it,’” Cheng said. “And then they sent me a professional reply with contracts and I couldn’t believe it was real.”

After that initial gig, the momentum grew. 

“The circuit of college shows is not that big. You play one and it snowballs into the next one,” Cheng said.

Henry Poblete, a third-year environmental engineering major and events coordinator for the Rutgers Association of Philippine Students, or RAPS, at Rutgers University, wanted to spotlight diverse Asian voices while finding a performer willing to engage with his Filipino community for the club’s annual Halloween event. He was able to find that in Cheng. 

Dressed in an Ash Ketchum costume from Pokémon, Cheng performed a set at Rutgers for its Halo-Halloween event, singing songs like his then-unreleased single, “Secret.” 

Months later, Cheng invited Poblete and members of the RAPS executive board to a performance at Mercury Lounge in New York City. 

“Being able to see him thrive and succeed after the event is just so amazing,” Poblete said. “It really warmed my heart to know that he still thinks about RAPS, knowing how much positivity he brought to our community.”

Months later, Cheng opened for the headliner concert during Northeastern’s annual Asian American Heritage Month, or AAHM, co-hosted by the Asian American Center and Council for University Programs. 

AAHM co-chair Patrick Lioanag, a third-year cybersecurity and business administration combined major, loved Cheng’s approachable nature. 

“Working with him [on the concert] is like working with a friend,” Lioanag said. 

By performing at schools all around the country and making friends along the way, Cheng’s music became more than just an outlet.

“To me, I made music because I was coping — the typical cope-with-heartbreak type of artist. I like expressing myself, and I find joy in it because I get to connect with a lot of people through my music,” Cheng said.  

Cheng believes DIY stands for “decide it yourself,” a definition shaped by the student community that supports his music.

“I decide how my music’s going to sound; I creatively direct everything,” Cheng said. “My solo projects are released as my songs, but I have people play on my tracks. I ask people ‘What else should I write on this [song]?’ Being in [Boston’s] musical environment the past three years has really shaped me.”

Cheng and Borromeo’s success has been a testament to the music community at Northeastern. They credit their achievement to their connections — including Cheng’s co-producers Doug Suh, a rising fifth-year music industry major, and Sumant Sagar, a 2025 music technology graduate — who introduced the pair last year.  

“Being a student artist is hard. It was hard for me to open up about my life and my music, because I’ve been doing everything up to this point alone, especially with music,” Cheng said. “[Borromeo’s] always supporting me. I don’t expect people to take care of me, but the team that I’ve built feels almost like a family. I wouldn’t have that if I weren’t in this school and didn’t put myself in this environment.”

Borromeo also looks at her role with appreciation for not just her professional partnership, but also her friendship with Cheng. 

“Ultimately, it’s just helping out someone who’s really passionate about something — music — and connecting on a deeper level through that. [Cheng]’s an incredible, unique type of artist and sincere person. He made this experience so incredible and overall positive for me,” she said.

Upon graduating, Cheng plans to move to New York City to continue writing and releasing new music later this year.

Borromeo’s time managing artists in student music spaces has given her a deeper appreciation for the challenges of pursuing a creative career. 

“When you’re doing something music or music business related, it can be considered too bold to commit your life to an art form,” Borromeo said. “In a way, it’s nice to know that there are people around you who are all trying to do the same thing, so you feel a little less insane.” 

That boldness is something Cheng has learned to fully embrace.

“You have to believe that you are an artist. It’s so easy to put it as a part time thing, but being an artist, it’s your life,” Cheng said. “People won’t know if they like your music unless you put it out.”