"People seem to be blown
away when they see a little Asian girl singing with
a big voice and a lot of soul. It's just what I do."
Chicago-based singer/songwriter Cynthia Lin grew up
with a commanding voice and a love for the stage -
her first award-winning performance was at age six,
and included a rendition of "Are you sleeping?" in
Mandarin Chinese - but it was in her college years
that she found her vocal freedom, when she
discovered two very different artists: Ella
Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell. Embracing their range
and agility, Cynthia learned the art of
interpretation from Ella; from Joni, she learned
that pop songs could be bittersweet and poetic and
emotionally complex.
After graduating Princeton University with a degree
in economics and attempting a nine-to-five career in
the Washington DC software industry, Cynthia
returned to the stage with a batch of original songs
written on the acoustic guitar. Her unique blend of
jazz and folk, as well as her heartfelt lyrics and
personable stage presence, began to draw a very
loyal fanbase. The warm reception of these songs,
which included recognition from the
Washingtonpost.com, led to the recording of her
debut EP Blue and Borderlined with Grammy-nominated
engineer Heidi Gerber.
Since the album's release in January of 2005,
Cynthia has become a regular on the regional touring
circuit, performing at respected venues including
DC's IOTA Club, Philly's World Cafe Live, New York's
Rockwood Music Hall, and Chicago's Uncommon Ground.
Cynthia has supported major acts including Vienna
Teng and Emm Gryner, and has been featured on TV,
radio, and at Toronto's NXNE Festival. The music
video for her song "I'm Shy" was selected to
premiere at the 2005 Asian American International
Film Fest. Inspired by Ani DiFranco and other
entrepreneurial artists, Cynthia plans to
self-release her first full-length album in 2006.
(source:
http://www.cynthialin.com/press.htm)
INTERVIEW::
PA: Hi Cynthia and thank you for allowing us
to do this interview.
Cynthia: My pleasure. Thank you for listening to
my music!
PA: I understand that you had your first
award winning performance for your rendition of "Are
you sleeping" in mandaring Chinese at the age of
only 6. Around what time or at what age did
you begin your adventure in the world of music?
Cynthia: Well, I've been singing since i could
talk, and as a kid, my world revolved around
performing - piano lessons, ballet, gymnastics, the
school talent show. my dream was to be madonna. i
loved watching music videos and learning the
choreography, especially Janet Jackson videos. in
college, i continued singing, dancing, and acting,
but i never considered a career in performance. it
just didn't seem realistic. i only began pursuing
music seriously at age 25, after i had quit a job in
software and was acting full-time.
PA: What artists have influenced or still
influence your music today?
Cynthia: The indigo girls were my first
inspiration - great harmonies, songs that were
lyrically and melodically interesting but easy
enough that i could play them! i basically taught
myself guitar by learning lots of indigo girls'
songs. you can write tons of great songs with simple
chords. patty griffin is my favorite example of
that, i love her music and aspire to it. I learned
to improvise and let my voice do what it wants by
listening to all the legendary jazz vocalists,
especially Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. I love
jazz standards, and that classic writing (Cole
Porter, Harold Arlen) has a major influence on my
writing. The most important album of my music
life is joni Mitchell's blue. hearing it completely
freed my mind of musical conventions. all of a
sudden, i was allowed to use my upper register.
there was no glory in pop belting. the lyrics could
be like poetry, give you extremes of emotion, all
true, all personal. i listened to it on repeat for
days.
PA: Do you play any instruments besides the
guitar?
Cynthia: I studied classical piano from
age 6-16 but i never liked practicing. during my
jazz phase, i picked up some jazz piano, just by
hanging around with old jazz guys. only recently
have i returned to piano to write songs - it's
exciting. feels like a brand new instrument.
PA: You graduated from Princeton University
with a degree in Economics, tried to work a regular
job at a software industry, and in the end finally
decided to gave it all up to go pursue a musical
career. How difficult was it for you to make that
decision? Was your family supportive of your
professional musical ambitions?
Cynthia: I think this is the question i get
asked the most, especially by other asian americans,
because they know the kind of expectations that
asian parents have for traditional "success."
I didn't hate my job - i worked with fun,
intelligent people, and i enjoyed making a
comfortable living. but it was just a job - i felt
like a cog in a big machine, investing my time and
energy into this corporate entity's goals. sounds
cliché, but i honestly felt some part of me was
being crushed, my creative spirit i guess. i was
trying to figure out how to reconcile this kind of
lifestyle when my company began a series of layoffs.
although my job was saved, i realized that work was
not about people but about bottom lines. as much as
you might think they need you and as much as you may
have contributed to the company's goals, you are
expendable. it's disgusting to me now. i cried when
my friends got laid off. i felt terribly that all
their hard work meant nothing and that they could be
treated that way. i lost all respect for this
concept of job loyalty. I wanted to pursue
something that fed my soul and could inspire me
everyday. and for at least a year, i tried to quit.
i would go to work and try to figure out a new
direction. i was making some money acting on the
side, and i knew some actors who made a living at
it, but i was scared to make the jump. the final
straw - one of my co-workers told me, "at the very
worst, you could come back." which meant that i was
already at the very worst point! that realization
made it really easy to quit. i was literally jumping
for joy when i submitted my resignation letter. Of
course, this isn't easy to explain to immigrant
parents, who worked their whole lives so their kids
could have a better life. i was already financially
independent when i told my parents that i was
quitting my job to pursue an artistic career. they
understood, because I'd been performing all my life,
and also because i was clearly not changing my mind
about this. in terms of support, they said i could
come back and live at home if i needed to. ;)
They eventually came around though, when they saw
that i was working hard and achieving some success.
my brother and sister and cousins, and all my fellow
2nd-generation asian americans, have been extremely
supportive.
PA: What main
obstacles or roadblocks have you possibly
encountered so far as an asian american female
artist trying to make a name for herself and her
music in America?
Cynthia: You know, I'd have to say that being
an asian american female has helped me gain more
attention in the music scene. there are just so few
of us, and i think the American public wants more
representation. the only real roadblock is a lack of
role models and mentors. but that's the way it is,
and i don't mind being one of the first to forge the
road.
PA: When or/and where do you find yourself
writing the most inspiring songs?
Cynthia: That's easy. when I'm in a moving
vehicle. planes, trains, car, bus, subway. i observe
people, i have time to reflect on memories. I also
write a lot of songs from my dreams - i literally
wake up with a song in my head and i record it
immediately.
PA: You seem to be heavily inspired by jazz,
blues and folk music and you have mentioned in an
article that you were still trying to find a fit for
your music. Have you possibly found it or is it
still an ongoing search at this time?
Cynthia: My hope is that i can always give
myself the freedom to write any style of music i
want. the best definition of what I'm currently
writing is pop structure with jazz chords and folky,
confessional lyrics. in a record store, you'd find
me under pop. i think I'll always be searching, or
it won't be any fun for me anymore.
PA: Our first full length album will be
released in 2006. Do you have an exact date?
Cynthia: Nope. it's a mystery to me too! but
hopefully sooner than later, I'm ready for it to be
done!
PA: What was the happiest day of your life?
What about the worst?
Cynthia: Oh man, that's tough. well, like i
said, i was literally jumping for joy the day i quit
my job. I've had many happy days eating and laughing
with family and friends, and when i get home from
touring, i just want to relax with my boyfriend and
my cat, and get in the kitchen. cooking is my
therapy. This is going to sound nerdy, but one of my
worst days was the day i lost a math competition
that i supposed to win, and i completely lost
confidence in myself. my teacher, my family, and my
school had high expectations for me, and i went into
it a little cocky. i was really devastated when i
let myself down. my first taste of hubris.
PA: How did you meet Vienna Teng?
Cynthia: A friend invited Vienna to
play a house concert in DC, and i opened the show.
she was very friendly, and i was really impressed by
how grounded and relaxed she was in her performance.
we played another show in Philly together last
October.
PA: Can you shed some light to our readers as
to what a "Doppelganger" is?
Cynthia: It comes from German for
"double-walker," and is used to mean evil twin. i
wrote the song because i came across the word,
looked up the definition, and was intrigued by its
meaning. cool word, right?
PA: Have you ever visited France or Europe?
Cynthia: Yes, I love France! one summer
during college, i lived in Paris and taught theater
at the american school of Paris. i lived in a 7th
floor walk-up chambre de bonne in the 17th. it was a
miserable little room, but i didn't care, i was so
excited to live in Paris. i love food, especially
cheese, and there's nothing like cheese in France.
didn't like the dog poop on the sidewalks too much
though.
I've been lucky to visit different parts of France
and Europe, but i haven't toured there yet with my
music - but i plan to get there soon!
PA: Merci for the interview and good
continuation in your career Cynthia.
