BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Acting? Writing? Making music?
No problem.
Cellist Nana Ou-Yang is just 16 but takes it all in her stride. The multi-talented artist started her musical training at 4 years old, and became the youngest ever cellist to give a solo recital in the National Concert Hall in Taiwan, 2012. The following year she was the youngest ever student accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music.
Nana navigates her way through more than a million social media followers yet still takes plenty of time out for family, connecting with her mother to write books about art. She’s also a star on the silver screen, which has brought her to Australia to star alongside Jackie Chan in new film Bleeding Steel.
We think she’s rocking it – so we ask her how she does it all.
Hi Nana, wonderful to hear you’re visiting Australia to film Bleeding Steel. How are you liking it here so far?
I really love Sydney so far. I enjoy the weather, and the food here; there are really good dining options. I am really happy to go on set everyday. I think Sydney is a really good place to live and a nice vacation destination. So far, I have been to the zoo, Bondi beach, University of Sydney, and Sydney Opera House – we have been filming there this week. I get to watch the sunrise and sunset every day because we go on set when the sky is still dark, and finish the day at night. I think Sydney is a really nice city, I will definitely come back one day.
It is my first time filming outside of Asia, so it’s my first time working with Australian crew. I find people are really nice and generous. Like our driver, her name is Emily, she is really friendly to us. I found that there are a lot of people in the crew who have similar dreams to become actors or musician when they were little. It was really nice to know that. I think Australian guys are cute and they have their own sense of style, and girls are all really pretty.
What’s it been like to work alongside Jackie Chan?
This is my first time working with Uncle Jackie. Jackie is a legend, and an idol for everyone. I am very honored to have this opportunity and very thankful for this learning experience, that I can learn a lot alongside Uncle Jackie. I think I’m very lucky that I have this opportunity to film a movie with him at the age of 16. I once watched a documentary about Uncle Jackie, and I remember a director said: ‘You gain more working experiences from filming with Jackie for a movie than going to film school for four years’. Uncle Jackie is a really genuine person, he takes care of everyone on the set. He does not only teach us about his Kung Fu technique and acting, but also teach us about life, and how to be a good person inside-out. So like the director said, you can really learn a lot from him.
Outside of acting, you’ve been recognised for your incredibly advanced talent in classical music. How do you balance your music with the practical side of your life – things like school and study, hanging out with your friends, and even writing books with your mum?
I think it’s important to plan a schedule everyday and have goals to work on it. Time is always valuable so I have to use my time very seriously. Of course I will sacrifice some rest time or hanging out time with friends because I have more work to do like acting and cello practice. And writing the book is a journey about my music career. My mother and I want to use this book to share our stories about music.
How much do you practise cello, and what is your routine?
In music world, there is never a guideline for it; there is no perfect score, you can always do better and better so whenever I have time I will practice. My practice routines are open strings and scales. These are something I will try to do every day, even if I have a whole day of work scheduled.
You’ve worked across so many different art forms and been picked up for heavy media coverage across the world. What do you think is needed for a young musician to have that ‘edge’ and cut through the incredibly competitive entertainment industry?
I was born in the year of 2000; I’m a kid who grows up in the 21st Century. I am really lucky to have the opportunity to know the 15th, 16th, and older centuries of art through music. Both my parents were born in 20th Century, their generation and my generation are quite different. When my parents were growing up, they didn’t have the internet as we do right now. Back in the days, it was harder to receive this much information about music, but now we are able to get any information as fast as we want through social media. We are able to research anything from the old century to modern day through the internet world. It is amazing to see how social media has changed everything.
Where I was little, I only listen to classical music, but slowly I fell in love with pop music and different style of music when I moved to the states for the Curtis Institute of Music. I meet different age groups of friends; different ethnicity and cultural groups of friends introduced me to a different world of music rather than only classical music alone. I am [grateful] for such opportunity to learn about different types of music. As well, I have cello concert tours every year. I not only want my audiences to grow up with my music but also to learn about different styles of music. I hope my audiences will not just learn about classical music, but also knowing how classical music can also embrace modern pop music through different ways of presenting. I hope they can also appreciate how classical music embraces contemporary music as new innovation, and they will learn to love different kinds of classical music. I hope my concerts can be different every year; I will be able to perform new things each year. And my audiences can anticipate the next concert each time I finish one concert.
I always told myself to put hard work and effort to the things I love and am passionate about, and to enjoy the fruits of labor. I hope my music can share happiness, joy and hope to everyone who listens. And I know to inspire other people, I have to inspire myself first. Once a person said: ‘There is no limit when you are young, the destination is not the end, but the most important thing is to enjoy every moment of the journey’. Process is more important than the end result. Enjoy every present moment. It has always been my motto of life.
I loved your film clip, One Day! Would you like to see classical music embrace modern technologies and a new image like you have done with this film clip?
Thank you, I am glad you love the music video One Day. Actually, I was hoping this music video can embrace the daily life routine into classical music. It started from the ideas of film music, and we just use my music to write out a story. It is true that there are less people who appreciate classical music; they often think that to become a classical musician, you need to have higher stands. It is true to play classical music well needs some kinds of efforts and periods of time. You need long hours of practice and hard work in order to have a perfection in music technique and playing the music piece well. It also take lots of determination and creativity to well present a music piece.
In terms of demographic of audiences, there are less people who understand or appreciate classical music the way they love pop music, therefore you might loose some audiences if they don’t like classical music. It will hurt a lot for musicians who just focus on performing. I am really thankful I have the opportunity to be an actress, that I can use this opportunity to share my passions for music and cello through movies and TV shows. There are more people who know me through entertainment world. Through that, they will know that it is not hard to understand classical music, and they can also learn to appreciate it. A lot of my fans who bought the album will listen again and again, repeatedly – listening to classical music becomes a habit. They might play my music whilst studying, eating, working, getting ready and before going to bed, etc.
So you don’t think the home of classical music is in the concert hall?
I think classical music does not just belong in concert hall, it should embrace daily life and the time we are living in. At my music concerts, I usually play a combination of Western and Eastern music pieces at the first part of the concert, and they are only classical because that is the way to bring out the spirit of classical music. For the second part of the concert, I often play the music pieces that have influence of pop music, and contemporary music. New creation of music can bring surprise to audience. I believe music should not be kept in a box. There is no structure or time limits about music. Music is universal. One thing I most hope for is that my music can inspire others and touch people’s hearts.
Any advice for young musicians looking to make it ‘big’?
I, myself, am still figuring out this path. It is still a journey for me. I work hard to achieve my goals and dreams. Whether you can be a ‘big and famous’ performer or musician is not important. The most important thing is to have expectations for yourself, and to enjoy performing music on the stage. And always have the passion and love for music. There are a lot of uncertainties in life, so I told myself to live my life to the fullest every day. I am really grateful that I am able to do the things I love every day, and share my music with people who appreciate it. There is a motto I live by, and I hope to share with everyone: ‘When you work hard, you might not be success. But if you don’t work hard, you will never succeed’.
Check out Nana’s new album 15.
Image supplied. Credit Village Roadshow/Heyi Pictures
