Mindy Meng Wang
Produced, edited and transcribed by Chelsea Wilson
This episode was sponsored by Melbourne Recital Centre.
Produced in partnership with Quiet Riot.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
music, Guzheng, instrument, people, play, track, musical instrument, collaboration, feel, china, melbourne, artists, london, album, musicians, shanghai, chinese, thought, traditional, years
TRANSCRIPT
Chelsea
Hi and welcome to Control, the podcast where we speak to incredibly inspiring game changers and change makers in the music and creative industries. I’m Chelsea Wilson your host and in this episode I’m speaking to composer and virtuoso Guzheng musician, Mindy Meng Wang.
At age seven Mindy began her classical training on the traditional Chinese musical instrument Guzheng, and made her performance debut at age 10. Leaving China, she studied western composition and musicology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK touring throughout Europe and performing in venues such as the Barbican and the V&A. Her music transcends genres and her work is part of a significant movement of Chinese musicians redefining and reinvigorating musical traditions.
A born collaborator she has worked with artists such as Gorillaz, Regurgitator, Paul Grabowsky, the Australian Art Orchestra, Claire Edwards and many more.
Her recent release, Nervous Energy, a collaboration with Tim Shiel, fuses traditional chinese sounds with deep electronica.
In this conversation I ask Mindy about the history of the Guzheng; her time in the UK and why she moved to Australia. We also talk about motherhood and music and her latest solo album “Phoenix Rising”.
This is Mindy Meng Wang in Control.
Hi, Mindy, welcome to the control podcast. Great to see you.
Mindy:
Hi, Chelsea. Thanks for having me here.
Chelsea:
Firstly, I would love it if you could tell us about the Guzheng. It's an instrument special to China, can you tell us a little bit about the history of the instrument?
Mindy:
Sure, this instrument is ancient Chinese traditional musical instrument. We know it has 2500 years of a history. For the audience who actually haven't seen one of this before, it looks like an oriental harp. So it has a wooden one that has made a wooden soundbox, you know, the shape of like, like a keyboard, but it's wooden. And then on top of a wooden box it has 21 strings cross some little bridge, usually people sit to play, and they play on the right hand side and they bend the strings aswell to create a pitch bending sound. This instrument, wow, it's probably one of the one of the oldest musical instrument from China. And it has been developed a lot. During Tang Dynasty. So maybe around 500 AD it got really popular in Asia. So actually, when you know, when to another neighbouring countries, that's why now you can see a lot of similar instrument, you know, go Guzheng was the ancestor of all of that. But I actually, you know, I always tell people, if you want to see more, or like, know what it looks like, in the old days, you can actually have a look at the koto, because in Japan, they really preserve everything. So when guzheng went to Japan, it was like that, and then now, they still kept a quite original form of the instrument, whereas in China it's been, you know, developing in the history, I guess, especially, you know, all the dynasty changes, and when the Emperor change that they change everything. So that's why Guzheng now has more strings, and it has the string has changed from steel strings to nylon strings, and metal. So yeah, it's a very interesting and beautiful musical instrument.
Chelsea:
And so is there like set material, traditional repertoire, that kind of if you're going to learn Guzheng you kind of this is the core repertoire that you learn? Yes. Because I mean, it's 2500 years worth of repertoire? I mean, how do you decide what is the kind of the canon?
Mindy:
in older days, the Guzheng music actually, is very close, connected with literature. So a lot of music, actually, especially very famous repertoire actually linked with famous poem as well. And that's one of the important part of the repertoire now. And also, you know, a lot of the music, actually, from the ritual music and a being played it like famous pieces as famous ones play in ceremony, ritual ceremony, or playing in the court, like court music. So all those things combined together became a really rich, traditional music database, let's say like, yeah, they all but all the famous ones are kind of like, you know, a set there, and then everyone has to play them. That's how it works.
Chelsea:
And has it been an instrument that anyone could play regardless of gender?
Mindy:
Well, I want to say yes, but the interesting thing is that this instrument, well, let's go back, say in ancient time, women are generally not encouraged to play musical instrument, especially in the form of orchestra, or in the form of events. So most people like musicians that there are actually men now, actually, that kept up for a long time until I feel like even for three or four generations earlier, most masters they are men, and there may be three generations earlier, like before me, they became a half man, half woman, but from my generations, probably 99% are female, the gender of the instrument actually changed through time, which is very interesting. But recently, we can see the more male would have come back to play this instrument, but it really, you know, like, I actually I was trying to find out why I did some research, but there was not no obvious reason on why the gender shift happened so quick and dramatically on this musical instrument.
Chelsea:
It's always an interesting and very strange kind of thing to look at. You know, whether it happens in education or if it happens from role models, you know, representation. We see it across, you know, a range of different instruments. But you started playing Guzheng around age seven that is so young to, you know, have really committed to, you know, chosen instrument. What led you to wanting to play goes wrong as a seven-year-old? Are you from a musical family?
Mindy:
No, but I want to say it's probably my parents. I mean, like, I do love the instrument. But dedication was not something at seven years old, like I wouldn't have, you know, like, my mother played a very important role in this. In Asian family, we all have kind of a tiger mom type. I mean, like, yeah, it's just a way of education that your parents would always make sure that when you start something you don't give up. So when I was five, they wanted to introduce music to me, my parents, and so they took me to a piano teacher. So I learned a little bit of piano, but it wasn't really my thing. Or maybe I was too young. So we stopped until when I was around seven. And because we live in a university, and this Guzheng master just moved into in our building, and it became our neighbor. So I was listening to this beautiful music all the time. And then I got very drawn to the sound. And I remember, the instrument itself is so beautiful as well. I just asked my mum, if she can take me to learn to the teacher, you know, I can be one of the student, and then my mum said are you sure because we took you to the piano, and, you didn't like it. And I promise this time is real. And I have been, you know, I know what I want. So that's how it started. So yeah, at seven years old, I said, Well, this is gonna be the instrument for my life.
Chelsea:
And so you started performing at age 10. Is that right? Yes. What were those early performances? Like? I mean, could you even carry the instrument?
Mindy:
No, definitely not (laughs). I can barely carry now. I remember first performance at my school, actually, it was the end of year celebration. And I told my teacher that I wanted to play music for everyone that was, you know, like, full, even though it was most of the audience, are students, mainly, but there was like thousands of people. I was very nervous. I remember first time I was performing and my teacher actually came to encourage me, I was worried about am I going to fail because in China, you have to, like as this part of practice, you have to memorise everything rather than you can't read a score and play. So I was worried about that. And she said, don't worry, if you forget about that. Just play repeat something you, you know, you remember anything come it will come back, you just have to come down. So I really remember how nervous I was the one when I did my first performance. But soon, I learned really fast. I think for more reasons, like maybe I have talent, maybe my mum is dedicated to you know, push me and, and also, one of an important reason is my teacher. As I mentioned, it's my neighbour. So if I make mistake practice at home, she can just tell me through the window, she open windows. Mindy that's wrong. And I hear that. So I did have a, well, I call it special care as I was learning and it definitely made like I probably my speed was like a double speed compared with all the other students because she actually she would almost and we're on the ground floor like we're really just share one wall. So even when she go out for a walk after dinner, she can hear me play. And I'm sure knock on the Windows this part is wrong and do that that. So I have a lot free lessons. And it comes from all directions windows, you know, phone call, ‘come over here. I heard you play this. That wasn't right’. You know, like, so I had a special care.
Chelsea:
And are you still in touch?
Mindy:
Yes actually - she became a mother figure to me in a way. You know, in China, we say something like, (speaks Chinese) – one day if someone be your master for one day, they're your father for all your life. So um, in the traditional study, you definitely regard your teacher, like, you know, almost like her parents, you have a lot of respect. So and also we were very close as we're neighbors, it was to stay in touch. Yeah. Beautiful.
Chelsea:
I read that you set up a charity concert for some major floods, which was featured on Gansu. TV.
Mindy:
That's my primary show on TV. Yeah, that was, that was huge. Yeah,
Chelsea:
can you tell us about that?
Mindy:
Well, I think I was 11 or 12. And there was a huge flood in southern China. And lots of people died in the lots, you know, family lost their home. And we were home for almost a month or so everyday, like, I remember watching news and all the news about that, and then people cry. And one day I was, you know, I watched the news, ask my mum, and saying, like, oh, wish we could do something. But actually, I said, I'm too embarrassed to go busking. Because there are people like you know, gave money and donate different things to, like a Southern China, so people were in the flood. But I said, I'm too shy to go busking and, you know, get some money and give it to them. But I wish I can do something like, you know, maybe play a concert, and I get asked for people to give money. And then my mum encouraged me to go and talk to my teacher. And my teacher was saying like, Okay, well, ‘that's a really good thoughts, let's, let's do that’. So she helped me and she gathered her all her students. So very soon, like a TV station, really interested in that. So it was a very successful event. Everybody put in so much effort. And yeah, so just I don't know how it happened. I actually went really big, we got a lot of money and donation.
Chelsea:
That's incredible.
Mindy:
It was very successful, was great memory, actually.
Chelsea:
So you lived and studied in the UK and graduated from the University of Newcastle, with a Bachelor in Music, what made you want to study in the UK? And what was that time in your life like?
Mindy:
That was purely an accident in a way. When I was in China, I went to a lot of competition and I got lots of awards, and those competition are national. So before I even finished my high school, I got two offers from two major Conservatoriums in China. Which means I don't have to even take an exam at school. So I have no pressure for the final examination for High School, which is like everybody's huge headache. You know, the high school three years, and the last year, purely everyone just getting ready for the exam. So last year, in the high school, we just do the exam test every week, to get you ready for the real exam. That's the whole year, suddenly, I feel like oh, I don't have to do this anymore. I can go to like the best conservatorium. And at the time, my father, he works in the university and the university, they have an exchange program for people to go there learn English and or, you know, receive some British come in to learn Chinese. My father was saying, like, are you interested to go to England for three months? And you know, like, as a big group, someone will look after you guys and I'm, you know, I'm happy for you to go. And I thought, okay, I could just stay here and do the boring exams, practice until the exam comes or which I don't even need to take or I couldn't go to England. So I was like, Well, you know, I'll go to England for three months. So I thought it was just what English exchange but when I was there, I met people who actually was studying English because they want to get into university. So I thought, okay, well, we're in the same same course you know, like they're applying for university maybe I'll apply too, just for fun. And I got some offers, like, I think I've got offer from Leeds and Newcastle, and I got an offer from Luton as well. So Leeds are pretty good at music and Newcastle's very good was folk music because lots you know, Scottish and Irish would go there like as they have a very super strong folk music department. So I thought maybe I wanted that because I wanted that – I wasn't quite sure where my music would stand in, in the whole British music system. So that's why I chose Newcastle, and it was a very good and difficult time. Because the, obviously my English wasn't that good at all. And the music system I've learned, we're following a very traditional way, which is, you know, by started by listening and, and playing, and later you, when we, you know, have a scores, everything is very different scores from Western notation. And we're in pentatonic. So what I'm used to read is the relationship between notes rather than just to have a set place, you know, like in a western scores, like, C would always be there. And it you know, if it goes somewhere else it is not C right? But, so it's always when you look at that notes in that place, you always know what it is. Whereas in my system, everything was shifting and moving. And I thought, you know, I focus on this, like the relation between each note. So I had to learn western music theory,
Chelsea:
It’s learning musical language as well as spoken language, and that's very steep learning curve.
Mindy:
Yeah, exactly. Oh, God. So the first few years was tough. And I'm glad I you know, I really push it through, and I did really well, when I graduated, I, you know, I had, I went, I did actually did an honours degree. And I got what they call distinction. I told everyone, I was like, probably at the bottom of the whole, you know, class because I, I don't know anything, but at the end, I went onto the top.
Chelsea:
That's amazing. Congratulations. And so when did the composing come into the picture? When did you first start writing?
Mindy:
It was actually during my study, at first, I think, to understand, I feel like you know, I have a lot of musical language inside, but I couldn't bring it out. And I needed a tour, I needed skills to be able to speak those music, tell my own story, it was music. So from very beginning, I took composition as one of the major cause i, and then I, in the last two years, I focused on that. But after I graduated, for a lot of time, I was just playing and performing. Until probably like, the last few years, when I was in London, when I after I graduated, I went to London to work, start just focused on performing. And later on, a few years later, I start getting more creative. I guess I'm always creative. I just, I feel like you know, I wanted to play my own music. So I started to write for myself. And then they taught us to compose for others, and then it just get, you know, bigger and bigger. And yeah, and then when I came to Australia, I was very comfortable, was playing my own music. And I could have played for multiple instrument. And chamber and orchestra, all this.
Chelsea:
So you've played in London, you also toured extensively throughout Europe. But I read that you performed with Gorillaz at the O2 in London. Yeah. Can you tell us about that show? I mean, that sounds wild.
Mindy:
it is so much fun. When I was in London, I was in a string quartet. And that's probably like the best Chinese string quartet in Europe. So we get a lot of opportunity to do all that and interesting projects like you know, we toured everywhere in Europe or we'd go to all the festivals and we played in many like a significant venues like in London, we often playing played Tate, Barbican Centre, and it will work with London Symphony Orchestra. And we've collaborated with a lot of work musicians or artists, and most of them are still quite on the classic and, you know, contemporary, Western, contemporary art music world. But occasionally, now some pop stuff coming in aswell. And this is one of the more on the pop side. So well Damon Albarn, he wanted to do you know with an album about the Monkey King, the monkey thing in the Journey to the West. So he actually worked with visual you know, and a Chinese Theatre Company to create a spectacular show of this monkey king story. And he did all the music. And so this show has Acrobat, and dance. And you know, like, it is basically a Gorrilaz musical about the Monkey King. So it was really fun to play in there. And you know, every night, we have a thousands people audience come into all to watch it. And it was really hot in London at a time, like everybody was talking about that. It was a great experience. Yeah.
Chelsea:
So you were doing these amazing gigs and these major collaborations. So what made you want to move to Australia?
Mindy:
Ah, well, I think the decision of moving here and to call Melbourne home has lots multiple reasons. But I think the most important thing for me is, I really love the lifestyle here first, and when I came here, I thought, you know, when I was travelling, and I didn't really like it so much. And I was thinking, compare was London, everything is risk low. People actually just looks like half the time, they're just having fun. Then, I think later when I come back, and I realised Melbourne has a, you know, like I real love to landscape in Australia. Like, I think there's so many beautiful places, I love nature, I don't know, if it's the right word, I want to say original. So just so different and natural. So I thought okay, it'd be great if we could stay in Australia for a little bit. But then I, you know, as I get to know, Melbourne more, and I find in Melbourne is very interesting. And around that time my father passed away in China, and now I feel like it really made me to think about really think about what's important in life, is that just about running around and be super busy, and work and excitement, you know, I felt like it's about time to change my life. Like, I wanted to have space time for myself and, and create something different for myself, you know, like in Europe in London, or Chinese music has already established itself for quite a long time, you will see a lot so for example, British, they're very good with Guzheng, or even more ancient Chinese musical instrument like Ting, and these they have really tries to character scores. And they speak Chinese just because they learn an instrument. So you have a like, a lot of people have, you know, musicians has been there too, and integrated with, you know, their music integrated was live in this society. So it's has a culture there already. Whereas in Australia, when I first came here, I think it hasn't became a culture. There are Chinese musicians here. Like, you know, people interested in Chinese music, but it hasn't became you know, the connection wasn't there yet. So I also felt like, you know, I want to come here and do something and make change. And that's, you know, was my passion. So, I guess we go live, wanting change in lifestyle, and also finding that there's a purpose for me to stay here. All this reason, just led me to move here.
Chelsea:
I read somewhere that you said you thought Australia would be more similar to the UK in terms of culture, but it was different from what you imagined. What do you think some of those differences are in terms of our music culture? And how did you navigate those differences?
Mindy:
I have to say, you know, earlier I mentioned a little bit about like, you know, how the Chinese music was, you know, more integrated to mainstream there. And here, it's quite separate. That's actually one of a huge difference to me as China's player that plays traditional Chinese musical instrument, you know, like I just started in career here wasn't really, as there was no, there was no network to support this and it was no background. And so that's one thing different but also I felt like in London, there are so many people. So no matter what kind of music, you have a lot of audience and any kind of small, small type, small groups, you will find something and the opportunities just blow me all the time. Where else here, Melbourne, obviously, we have much, much less people, and that we're smaller. And we're actually not right next to Europe, we you know, like, imagine London and he mentions the writing, you know, like Paris is an hour away, everywhere, you know, Germany, Belgium, Europe, right there. And so you're in, it's not just London, it's a whole Europe. And here, we're very isolated. And we have a much smaller population. So I feel like it's a lot smaller music, genres, what was not as active, they don't have a lot of opportunity. It feels like the diversity wasn't there either, was that we have a lot of like, the people from different countries. And you know, we have a people into different kind of like music, like experimental or less mainstream music styles. But when you look at the opportunity for those kinds of music, it's small, much smaller. And, you know, as myself is in one over this smaller group, I understand what it means to be a musician, which means your career, would it be very difficult to you can't connect it because there are not so many people does a similar thing. And it's basically, you have to change a way of thinking, to be able to play music here in Australia, whereas in London, you probably don't have to do much, and the things that will come to you. You have to go and you know, finding out things.
Chelsea:
Yeah, make your own opportunities. So in 2015, you returned to China to perform a concert commissioned by the Shanghai International Festival. And you also performed at the landmark Power Station of Arts Shanghai Rockbund Arts Museum. What did it feel like to return to China for these shows?
Oh, I love it. It's now it's a great time. Okay. So what I'm bringing back to China is not traditional music.
Chelsea:
Yeah. Its your take!
Mindy:
Yeah, and then I created so many things that actually, you know, belongs to me, like I invent lots of things and technique on this instrument. And what I bring it back, so show everyone, I, I was excited, but also scared. Many years ago, I had an experience of, you know, back some experimental work on Guzheng and wasn't received. Well, I will say people just doesn't know what to think about it. And then the traditional player, I think that was any change has done understand instrument is a crime. So, but I noticed that things had to change. So when I went back, to play my piece in Shanghai Festival, and it received really well, and especially among young people, they love it. And also, like I entered those, you know, Shanghai, Rockbun and Power Station, those places, I actually did a collaboration with a local artist on experimental music and electronic music. It was just great. And you know, like it was so positive people are really positive about the change and the new adventures style on this instrument, I think, yeah, I was very pleased.
Chelsea:
How do you approach developing new work for a commission? And how do you know it's the right fit when people approach you about writing something for them?
Mindy:
Well, this one was easy, because it they asked me to write something I'm passionate about. I said, I want to write about my hometown, which is in the northwest of China. It's a very important spot on the Silk Road. So it's, that's the trading spot. And therefore around there, we have many cultures. We have, you know, more than 40 ethnic groups living in the same city. They all practice different religions and speak a different language and have a different you know, everything. And so I thought I want to write something about it, the Silk Road and about my hometown and but what I want to bring into it. You know, I want to use the Western Chamber Orchestra format. And I want bringing some jazz elements into there as well. So they just said, Wow, that sounds good, let's do it. That was the work. So I think when people approach me, the most important thing is, I wouldn't say to talk about it, you know, if they want me to do what I want to do, and usually, I think it's easy, you know, because I have so many ideas, and I just have to tell them all the wonderful things about my music background, actually, most of my inspiration came from my upbringing and, and the culture that I know. And the place I grew up. So I believe the oldest things has their own charm. And I just have to let people know.
Chelsea:
It sounds like you just say yes.
Mindy:
If you want me to write some music, yes, I will do it.
Chelsea:
Say yes, first figure it out later. That's a good approach. Last year, you released a new record called Phoenix Rising, can you tell us about the album and what Phoenix Rising means to you?
Mindy:
Well, this is an album I really love. I am proud of that, because it's a summary of my contemporary practice. In this album, Phoenix Rising, we have seven tracks. And each track is completely different with different collaborators. And we have a vinyl and it has two sides. One side is more, let's see, I call it acoustic side. And another side is the electronic side. So on the acoustic side of the first track is collaboration between me and a Paul Grabowksy. His amazing pianist that we find is so much like our you know, when we stopped playing together, the connection was immediately established. And both of us find it magical to play with each other. And so I just thought, like, you know, well, actually, this album, I went, when I was thinking about it, what the content, I just thought, I want to collect all the music that I like, all the musician, I have a wife that was there, but I don't have opportunity to record anything with them. So Paul was the first one I asked. And then actually, there were many artists like this. And you know, for example, like Claire Edwards, and she's the Artistic director, from ensemble offspring from Sydney, and I was working with her and we put them something but I never got to record it. So I was saying, like, you know, I wanted all the new sound to be recorded. Another track on this side is the collaboration was Brian Ritchie. People probably know him from the band, Violet Femmes but he's a really amazing Shakuhachi player as well. So I invited him to play shakuhachi with me on this album, whereas it the last track of the acoustic side I call it me collaborating with myself, because it's overlapping and we use a loop. So it's just me in different layers in that track. And on the other side of those three amazing electronic artists that I worked with, and I will have three tracks there. One, first one is called Undercurrent is collaboration with Fia Fell. And she does track actually be nominated as the finalist in Australian art, music awards work up a year in electronic and sound art category.
Chelsea:
Brilliant. Congratulations.
Mindy:
Thank you. So Fia Fell, Caroline Scott, Fia is her stage name - and her music is very subtle and bassy very spacious. So it goes really well was my instrument with Guzheng on how it goes the bending of sliding sound. So this whole track is very, you know, you would hear it started quiet, but grows really big. And then when I when I listened to it, I felt like you know, it's quite subtle and suddenly you don't know what happened is just so overwhelmed and the music just took over. And then another track ‘activation’ is a collaboration with a really famous Chinese techno musician Ma Haiping. He's from Shanghai and flat track. It's very futuristic. It's very interesting. Very reason. Make the last track is staring flower is a collaboration with Daniel Jenatsch and his Melbourne based son artist and installation artist. He in this piece, you know, our collaboration where I feel like it's always delicate, but also very powerful, just like the martial art form ‘stirring flower’ which came from like, you know, imagining someone's practice in martial arts. And it's very powerful, but the energy is stirred the wind this road, gotten to the flower pedal around them, and you know, flowing. So hence the term ‘stirring flower’. So I thought like that describes our character like me and Daniel's. So that's the last piece. So the entire album is really featuring all very different kinds of music. And I used all the nontraditional techniques in there. And some of that are my own unique technique like use percussive element on the instrument, which, you know, people doesn't do that at all use a bow, and I use my voice as well. And for me, it's really, it's a big collection of the work I've done. That's why I call it a Phoenix Rising because the Phoenix is, I feel like it's new born of the instrument gorgeous because the Phoenix actually the rise from ash, it's a new life and what I think in this album, The Guzheng is heavy on your life, it writes, from tradition, a became more diverse, and it's stronger. So that's why I call it a Phoenix Rising
Chelsea:
I love it. And it's such a great record. Another incredible release that you've just put out recently is a collaboration with Tim Shiel called nervous energy. And this is such an exciting record. It's combining electronica, and beats with traditional sounds. It's a really stunning series of tracks. I hope there's more to come, I don’t want to sound greedy, you just put out two records during a pandemic, but give us more already.
Mindy:
Yeah, it will be more
Chelsea:
What was what was it like putting this record together? Because you were working across lock downs, right?
Mindy:
Yes. That's a really fun actually working with Tim because we've been introduced by this. They're unique and special label for the Music in Exile. And that they really support artists from diversity of background and some, like a refugee background as well. I've worked with them for on different projects in the past and during lockdown. They asked me indeed, you know, we have a new project coming up, do you want to start a collaboration with Melbourne artists? And then maybe you can, you know, come in on this, I think its called Building Bridge or something. I was like, Sure, of course, I can do that. So the original plan is just do one song, one track. And then I've been introduced to team, we just get on straightaway. Like I think very soon we feel like we can be mates, you know, you're not like so we didn't just do one some we did like four tracks. And I was like, okay, we love all of them. What can we do? So instead of just release the one track onto that big project, so we decided to release the EP as an individual project. And it just performed really well. And we've been got so much support. And after we released a music and MTV called it one of the best and electronic music came out in 2021. We're both very happy about that. And we're on our way to do our second actually first album, because that last one was an EP. Yeah, and we're having a concert coming up at a Recital Centre at 8th October, which is very exciting.
Chelsea:
So accompanying the tracks from the EP, there's these gorgeous videos. Also, I can't help but say how incredible your photography is as well. So I feel like you've got such an aesthetic when it comes to your visual representation of your music. With your photography in particular, there's such a combination of traditional Chinese design and costume. Can you tell us a little bit about how you curate those photoshoots and how you go about putting together the artwork?
Mindy:
I think it is a collective effort. And but I do think, you know, sometimes when I choose things, I tend to choose something, combine it. First thing like I do not, you know, I don't think it should only have a traditional Chinese look or more contemporary look, I feel like it needs to combine both. So no matter if it was like music video, or like the press shots, I'd like to mix that up. It's hard to say like, when I say something, I'll be like, Oh, that's right. I like that. But generally, I like a Chinese and Western image.
Chelsea:
I just want to see your wardrobe! I remember seeing one performance at Melbourne recital Centre, it might have been for the music Victoria awards, and you had this your crown headpiece, and it was just, it was just absolutely radiant. So I feel like a lot of your creative output, your live shows, your records, your artwork, it's very collaborative. And you've worked with artists, some of the acts that you've named, I mean, the diverse from jazz to pop, you know, you've also worked with Deborah Cheetham and Joelistics, I mean, can you tell us what you think makes a successful collaboration?
Mindy:
Listen. I think the first thing is you have to be a good listener. And then second thing, I think you have to actually understand yourself, what's your voice? And I think if you know those two things, the collaboration is easy, and very enjoyable when you it's like having a deep conversation with someone. And when I play with different genre, people will say, Well, isn't that difficult if your traditional old classic performer in a how can you play was people from a different era does that not make you feel difficult, I actually never felt difficult. I feel the voice was always there. And you just know, when you hear a different kind of music, what kind of a voice you can put in there. So listening is very important.
Chelsea:
Given that your chosen instrument is a traditional Chinese instrument, but you live in Australia. Do you feel a sense of responsibility about representing Chinese culture? How does that impact your creative practice?
Mindy:
Definitely. I feel like it's not only about this, but I feel like I have a broader responsibility of many things like connecting Chinese community to, like, musically to mainstream, because if they don't, well, I want to say Asia. Okay, you know, I think Asian artists are generally they don't come out to play much. They all tend to go into a little cocoon home and play in their community. And I think that's great. But also, I know that they want to reach out, but they just don't know how I felt like, I want to build bridges, I want to create pathways for them. So it will be easier for them to reach out in the future. So that's my number one responsibility. And also, I want to encourage for what I'm doing here. I have already heard this, so many, you know, one of the best the thing I heard is from younger musicians, and they were saying like, how you encouraged us? So a lot, I feel it's possible. You know, in the past, I feel like it's probably not possible to, to have an interesting musical career here. If you play a different instrument but now, I feel it's possible. So that's really beautiful. I feel like I really, you know, I want to encourage more people and especially starting career, female musicians and composers, I want to tell them everything is possible. And Australia is actually the industry is so lovely. And you just have to get to know them.
Chelsea:
The last few years have been incredibly difficult for the music sector. But it sounds like you were really able to focus on composing and recording during this time. But do you have any reflections on how the pandemic impacted you?
Mindy:
Well, I think it just like everybody else, I went darker. As you can, I feel like you know, especially Phoenix Rising there's a lot music that quite reflect a lot about my mind during that time, which is, you know, deep and possibly a bit sad. And you know, like in the album I have a song with Claire Edwards. It's called Mother River and really inspired by how much I miss my hometown. And there we were Yellow River, you know, cross my hometown like Yarra River across Melbourne. So, whenever I was walking past there I was, you know, for a second, I felt like I'm in my hometown and walk cross that bridge that, you know, all the memories comes back to me and it also because of locked down, I haven't seen my mum for many, many years. Like it's almost three years at that point. So that music reflects a lot about of what I was thinking and the music I did with Paul. Also, i
Chelsea:
It's a very dark track, its epic
Mindy:
Yeah, it's, it's called Night Storm. So I was saying like, you know, my region is like, as watching, you know, as if I was watching a storm in the middle of the ocean, and from the house, you know, it's huge, and then later on how cit an become like a more calming, so I think that's how I feel. There were so many emotions that bottled up, and then I learned how to deal with myself and settling that that's also a process of that track as well.
Chelsea:
You're currently the artist in residence at Melbourne Recital Centre. Can you tell us about your year so far? And what that experience has been like?
Mindy:
It's been really good. And also, we have to say, like, uh, you know, we have lots of very interesting plans, and a performance schedule, but, you know, one of the major one that me and Paul we're gonna be doing concert, and it was, along with some other program, like an audience for one, and as a result centre, but that week, there was so many things was that happened that week, but I got COVID. So it doesn't happen. But we are rescheduling everything so it was going to be pushed into early next year. There was other things, actually, because I had a child earlier this year as well. So many things got a bit slow. But uh, we have many, like a we actually have a very exciting projects coming up, we are talking about a collaboration with Fringe and Melbourne Recital Centre, and Melbourne University. So this project is a project that involves music and artificial intelligence. Basically, there is a program imagined by Melbourne Uni that is designed to read people, read your personality, emotion, read everything. So we're using this and motion detect system to enable audience mind control to work with live music
Chelsea:
What? (laughs)
Mindy:
So that's a something like a we're doing together like the Fringe and recital centre and also, okay, yeah, we have some international collaboration, opportunity coming up as well just hope that, you know, the China travelling, everything will easy a bit so we can get on with the many interesting things then. And, you know, concert will be programmed in later this year and early next year.
Chelsea:
It's great. And it's I think we're so fortunate to have a venue like that in Melbourne that is championing and fostering new music and collaborations also. And a huge congrats on your new family member.
Mindy:
Thank you.
Chelsea:
I'm about to have my second baby.
Mindy:
Congratulations.
Chelsea Thank you. Yeah, it's gonna be gonna be crazy. Do you feel like becoming a mother has impacted your creative practice?
Mindy:
It hasn't impacted my career side, but it definitely impacts on my time. It's a great experience I was in I'll be honest, before I had had a child and I was really worried about you know, I understand what it's like, how important it is. And I understand that it will be a huge shift in my life, but my identity will change. And I was a worried that would have a negative impact on my career. And but I think it didn't actually, the only thing is, I have less time, but it's temporarily and I believe things will get better. It's already being much better. I'm actually having some sleep all the time now. Yeah, so I told people it add on, it doesn't take anything away from me.
Chelsea:
I feel exactly the same. I feel like the joy of having my son and the interactions that we have and what he brings to the party is you know, it's a huge life bonus you know, it's life's even better now than what it was. And I think it makes me appreciate my music even more when I do get the chance to create I mean I just have to be a bit more ruthless with time management I guess you know, certainly I'm not mucking around as much. But I think as you said, it's temporary you know, and it comes in seasons, you know, you talk to people with older kids and once they go to school the routine changes yet again and then when they're teenagers and they want to spend their weekends with their mates, you will have more time back but then you miss them when they're not around.
Mindy:
All the moments are precious. So we should always enjoy life this time. Like, you know, when she now she's young, and later on, you know, every stage I think I would just enjoy that different way.
Chelsea:
Mindy, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me on the control podcast.
Mindy:
Thank you for having me is so lovely to talk about it and have a lovely, you know, conversation in the middle of the afternoon.
