Because he loved dabbling in art and music, he began to learn to play the trumpet from a fellow townsman nicknamed "Black India" (whose real name is now forgotten), and joined Chang Chi-pan's amateur band. Chang Lien-cheng never imagined that his Chinese painting skill, and the eye for detail it required, would be a bridge to a career as a musical instrument maker.
學得功夫回鄉之後，喜歡舞文弄墨的張連昌又跟著人稱「黑印度」、真名已經不復記憶的鄉親學吹小喇叭，並加入張基盤所組的業餘性質輕音樂團。沒想到，嚴謹的繪畫訓練竟然只是將他帶向樂器製作的橋樑。