My Musical Journey
I started piano when I was 7, but quit after a couple of years thinking I just wasn't good at it. At 13, I decided to try again and started taking lessons. Having a good teacher made all the difference - I actually started enjoying the process and rediscovered my interest in music.
I performed at a few retirement homes, which was nerve-wracking but turned out to be a good experience. It helped me get more comfortable playing in front of people and showed me that sometimes the obstacles we think are there aren't as big as they seem.
Now I play a mix of things - classical pieces, jazz, pop songs, movie soundtracks, and some oriental music. I also like to improvise and come up with my own stuff sometimes. It's become a way for me to relax and express myself.
Looking back, I'm glad I gave it another shot. It taught me that it's okay to walk away from something and come back to it later, and that persistence usually pays off even when things don't start out great.
Piano Performances
Here are some of my piano performances organized by different aspects of my musical journey.
Duet with Friends
Collaborative performances with friends and fellow musicians.
Yellow - Coldplay (Katherine Ho Version)
Performed at the Tufts Chinese Student Association Formal with my housemates Roan and Eric on vocals. We only had two practice sessions before the performance.
Light - Wave to Earth
Performed at the Tufts Vietnamese Student Culture Club Coffee Shop with my friend Gawon on vocals. The theme was "Light" so this song fit well. I also used LED lights that sync with piano keys through Bluetooth MIDI using a GitHub repo I found.
Gurenge - LiSA (Piano & Viola)
Collaborative performance with my friend Justin on viola. We played on the same high school volleyball team and decided to try a music collaboration.
Gotta Catch 'Em All - Pokemon Theme
Collaboration with my friend Kate playing the Pokemon theme song.
Driver's License - Olivia Rodrigo [Piano Duet]
Piano duet with my sister Emai - we don't get to play together often.
Comethru - Jeremy Zucker [Piano Duet]
Piano duet with my friend Rebecca. We practiced during COVID with masks on, which made rehearsals interesting.
Favorite Pieces
Personal favorites that I love to play and perform.
Merry-Go-Round Of Life - Joe Hisaishi
From the Studio Ghibli movie Howl's Moving Castle. This is Kyle Landry's arrangement.
Snow Halation - Love Live! OST
This piece has a nice winter feel to it.
Hacking to the Gate - Ito Kanako
From the Steins;Gate soundtrack. I added some glitch effects to match the show's time travel theme.
Loser - Kenshi Yonezu
Kenshi Yonezu is a well-known Japanese artist. This is a jazzy piano arrangement of his song.
Classical Pieces
Traditional classical repertoire and masterpieces.
Chopin - Revolutionary Etude Op. 10 No. 12
I worked on this piece in spring 2020. It's one of the hardest pieces I've learned and I still have room for improvement, but it's my favorite Chopin piece.
Brahms - Rhapsody in G Minor, Op.79, No.2
I don't normally play Brahms, but this piece has a lot of staccatos which makes it interesting.
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (3rd Movement)
Performed this in a small competition in 2017 - my first competition.
Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C Sharp Minor Op. 3 No. 2
This piece is dramatic and has a gloomy feel to it.