Quote

For most Americans, my Chinese music feels like a novelty, and it's not what it is for me.

It's not that I don't like American pop; I'm a huge admirer of it, but I think my roots came from a very English and Irish base. Is it all sort of totally non-American sounding, do you think?

Pop music has progressed.

I grew up listening to a lot of Malaysian pop music, which is kind of like a mixture of traditional and pop... I was also listening to a lot of English music as well.

I learned that instead of relying on and imitating American music, there is a better chance for an Asian artist to succeed if he or she follows his or her own culture.

I don't think there is much American music.

I wasn't very aware of pop music because I attended an arts school. For me, it was all about jazz.

I used to think that, given enough goodwill, anybody would be able to 'get' any music, no matter how distant the culture from which it came. And then I heard Chinese opera.

I do believe that the Chinese are becoming international leaders in showing the way forward for concert music.

American music is a powerful ingredient in international music, and as much as it comes from within, it also comes from without.