The International Wave

“If my introduction to film was for the sake of self-therapy, I’ve now been thinking about how I can make films for others.”

“After all, how many Asian dads — when at church or golfing — can proudly say that their son has won two Grammy Awards?”

“My YouTube channel is essentially my journey to becoming a better person.”

“I felt compelled to play and replicate each of these instruments — Eastern, Western, Hawaiian — with only my voice.”

“As classical musicians, we don’t lip sync. We don’t have fancy smoke machines. We’re delivering it live every single night.”

““Yellow Rose” is a story of perseverance. Rose is almost as old as the film took to make by the time I made it — almost 17 years old.”

“It’s not about what you have. It’s about what you want to say… And drink a lot of water. It’s important to stay hydrated.”

“Find yourself in every story you tell. Any story can be personal.”

“Write for yourself. Be bold, be crazy, forget any rules.”

“My songs point at a glaringly bright object in the distance that we’ve been woefully ignorant of for a long time.”

“I love the materiality that animation can bring… I love that you can see that it feels handmade.”

“Magic, all it is, is piano-playing. It’s the exact same thing except that in magic, you’re hiding all of your skills.”

“As a child, I was always interested in telling stories. It didn’t really matter to me what form my story took.”

“I have this one quick story…”

“I am always portraying an Indonesian heritage. In the way I speak, in what I write, I always incorporate Indonesia.”

“Nothing really happens on its own. You call things to happen to you.”

“Take all of whatever you want to do, and just take everything you can. You should just be unapologetically you.”

“Beautiful music doesn’t crave attention. People will come to it, and it will grow its own tree.”