Valerie Liu - Part 4

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 46: Valerie Liu (part 4)

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we talk to Valerie Liu about how music can be a source of healing and her advice for people starting a career in composition, whether it be a career change or not. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Valerie Liu, check her out here: www.valerieliumusic.com . Parts of this episode originally premiered on April 2022, found on Youtube, click here.

This podcast is made possible in part by a grant from the California Arts Council and generous donors, like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano),  as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Interns: Roziht Edwards and Merve Tokar

Don't miss Ensemble for These Times' upcoming concert 'Mujeres Ahora' on May 9 at the Community Music Center, presented as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival. For more information, go to www.E4TT.org.

Chapters

• 0:46 You’ve said that music “has an ability to tap into the inner self and be a healing force in people’s lives.” That’s inspiring! Could you tell us more?
• 3:07 What are your current artistic goals or projects you’re working on?
• 5:07 What has it been like composing during the pandemic? Have you had projects postponed or cancelled?
• 6:33 What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a composer in today’s world and these times, whether as a career change or not?

Transcript

Nanette McGuinness: 0:16

[INTRO MUSIC] Welcome to For Good Measure, an interview series celebrating diverse composers and other creative artists sponsored by grant from the California Arts Council. I'm Nanette McGuinness, artistic executive director of Ensemble For These Times. In this week's episode, we continue our conversation with Valerie Liu, who we spoke to in April 2022[INTRO MUSIC ENDS]. You've said that music has an ability to tap into the inner self and be a healing force in people's lives. That's inspiring! Could you tell

Valerie Liu: 0:55

Yes. Your inner self is who you really are on us more? the inside. Your alter cell is your physical body and how you relate to others. Like you can have many roles like teachers, student, parent, child, husband, wife, friend, etc. But that is just an aspect of you. Your inner self deals with feelings, emotions, intuition, spirituality believes fantasies, desire and purpose. I like composing because music can help me express my inner self. If I work on music for a particular subject, I notice I will need to sort out my own feelings towards that subject. So journeying through working through music is like therapy. For me, it is healing, I often find peace at the end. I'll use Cassandra's piece as an example. In the closing section, music is reflecting living alone with your gift like Cassandra. After going through all the drama, each section, I experienced a closure here. A closure tells me that it is okay to be alone like her. Just me and my voice. Wow. Yeah. So I find that very healing.

Nanette McGuinness: 2:35

Healing for the composer, and then healing for the people who take the journey listening to your music.

Valerie Liu: 2:40

Yes. My hope for that, too, is others can I can provide healing towards others do music somehow? Yeah, different than nursing? Where you're very hands off? Yeah.

Nanette McGuinness: 2:56

That's interesting how it's the flip sides of the same coin. So you were healing the body? And now you're healing the mind and the spirit? Yeah. What are your current artistic goals or projects you're working on?

Valerie Liu: 3:13

It is interesting, though, recently, there is an opportunity that Ashley met one of my artistic goals. Because I want to somehow work with the company that a newly established religious Association in Taiwan approached me and asked me to be their music consultant, as well as composing music for the association. And I just agreed to it. This is a nonprofit organization, they have several objectives to reach out to the community, for instance. I just really love some of the things they have planned to help other community for instance, they sink to provide support for family that lack of resources to lend their kids continue with their education during the pandemic. They seem to provide support to tribal youth. They seem to be a bridge between the government and many small religious groups to solve problems like Temple reservation, or relocation. I'm very excited about this. If they need music advice, we can all meet online. If any youth needs help talking to someone, I can meet with them online as well. For their association pieces, I will be working with the lyricist. They're planning all the things and then they're hoping to start one of their community projects in the upcoming year. Because right now is because of the pandemic. You know, they're just being really careful. But they're planning something that is coming up this year. What has it been

Nanette McGuinness: 5:08

like composing during the pandemic? Have you had projects postponed or canceled?

Valerie Liu: 5:14

Oh, when pandemic first hit. I stopped composing for a few months because I was busy figuring out how to move my teaching studio online and how to teach effectively online. After that, finally settle, I actually found myself having more time to compose. We have to stay home to to stay order, everything is cancel. Everywhere, it's close, there's no place to go, no activities to fail, no driving to work. Therefore, I was able to find more time a lot more time. Um I'm hoping one of my goal is to attend artists residency and apply to more composers, workshops. That was on hold because of pandemic. But nowadays, most organizations have moved everything online. I am considering apply things online. One thing I really like about online is I am able to attend more concerts. Exactly that that is such a amazing thing. Like you can't attend your friends concert losing the end. And this is just amazing.

Nanette McGuinness: 6:33

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a composer in today's world and these times, whether it's a career change or not?

Valerie Liu: 6:43

I say do it. Do it because you feel an urgency calling you to do it. I remember for me, it's like I cannot not do it. I envision a frequently I dream constantly. The calling insight is growing stronger every day that I can't help it but to pursue it. But on the practical side, I feel that it is kind of hard to make a living as a career choice A just as a composer, B because it is often project based and you need a lot of networking. Therefore you pursue it because you're driven by passion, not by money. If you do pursue it, do some research. Check all successful composers career path, read about them, see what they have done in the past. Talk to some of them. seek advice. If this is something you're destined to do, pursue with all your heart. Be fearless.

Nanette McGuinness: 7:51

[OUTRO MUSIC] Thank you for listening to For Good Measure, and a special thank you to our guest, Dawn Norfleet for joining us today. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast by clicking on the subscribe button and support us by sharing it with your friends, posting about it on social media and leaving us a rating and a review. To learn more about E4TT Our concert season online and in the Bay Area where to make a tax deductible donation, please visit us at www.E4TT.org. This podcast is made possible in part by a grant from the California Arts Council and generous donors like you. "For Good Measure" is produced by Nanette McGuinness and Ensemble for These Times, and designed by Brennan Stokes. With special thanks to audio engineer extraordinaire Stephanie Neumann. Remember to keep supporting equity in the arts and tune in next week "for good measure." [OUTRO MUSIC ENDS]