My Personal Playlist

 

My name is Kaia and I grew up in a beautiful tourist city in Eastern China. Music has been accompanying me since childhood. I started to play the accordion at age 3 and switched to piano at 10. My passion for classical music led me to take private organ lessons for a year after moving to the United States. I also began to relish contemporary musical genres, from jazz, to Broadway, to folk music and pop. Although work and study have demanded most of my time these years, playing the piano during COVID helped me reconnect with my roots and discover something new about myself. Isn't it the perfect time to take a pause and reflect on my past with a musical playlist? 

Song 1: “The Lonely”, Christina Perri

I fell in love with Christina Perri’s “The Lonely” as it vividly describes how I felt as the only child of my family. Not as popular as “Jar of Hearts” in the same album, this song struck a chord with me with its beautiful melody and Christina’s powerful voice. Whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of every lonely night I spent at home while my parents had to work night shift or attend night school. How I wish I had a sibling or friend to share my secrets with! It was not an easy time for my family and thankfully we powered through.

Song 2: “Am I Wrong”, Nico & Vinz

Dreams, confusions, and longing to explore the world characterize my high-school years. Attending a boarding school with endless exams was quite afflicting to my soul. I wondered when I would be free every time looking beyond the classroom window. And, the best moment I had every day was listening to my favorite songs in the CD player before sleep. Despite all the stuffiness, I chose an upbeat song, “Am I Wrong”, to describe those years. The African rhythms and Norwegian duo’s inspiring voices remind me that even when I got off track and questioned my value, I could still find my world and dream big.

Song 3: “Blackbird”, The Beatles

Saying bye to parents and flying to the US for the first time was one of the greatest adventures in my life. After years of waiting and preparation, I finally started exploring the world by myself - like a juvenile bird! The Beatles’s heartfelt acoustics and singing conveyed my emotions on the plane - a little scared of the adventure, but filled with anticipation of a new beginning in a foreign land. As the lyric goes, “Blackbird fly, blackbird fly, into the light of a dark black night”. I didn’t know what was ahead of me, but was determined to use all my strength to fly.

Song 4: “Bring Me To Life”, Evanescence

I rarely listen to rock music, but Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” makes me picture the time when I just moved to California and was looking for a first job. Not content with what I learnt from college - mostly textbook knowledge - I couldn’t wait for a real-life opportunity that would revive and transform me in some way. This song captures my heart with its catchy lyric, “Wake me up inside, Wake me up inside, Call my name and save me from the inside.” Amy Lee’s dramatic interpretation takes me back to the whirlwind of the application season. Luckily, my persistence paid off with an offer that truly brought me to life.

Song 5: “Change”, Taylor Swift

When the pandemic started this year, it elicited a range of emotions I’d never experienced before: panic, phobia, and powerlessness, as if nothing was in my hands. The moment I discovered the MTV video of Taylor Swift’s early song, “Change”, it brought me back to my early 20s - young, fearless, and ready to embrace the world. Barely 20 back then, Taylor was an unknown singer with the ambition to start her musical career in Tennessee. Her iconic curly hair and cowboy boots not only made me nostalgic about the bygone era, but reminded me that we have the power to reach our dreams no matter how daunting the challenge seems. I’ll always remember what she sings:

It's a revolution, the time will come

For us to finally win

And we'll sing hallelujah, we'll sing hallelujah

I hope you enjoyed learning one thing or two about me through this personal playlist. And don’t forget that we are creators of our own songs - melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that tell about how we feel and what we do. Whether it’s sunny days or stormy weather in life, there’s always an opportunity to make changes and create something new.

What song are you creating - right now?