Meet Bethanie Liu | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethanie Liu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethanie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

I started piano and recorder lessons when I was 3, later adding flute and organ lessons as well. Despite getting into music at an early age, the expectation from those around me was that music would remain an extracurricular that I excel at, rather than a potential career. As a result, I had actually never envisioned pursuing an artistic path until later in my teenage years. I think over time, music has just gradually become an integral part of my life.

I discovered my passion for performance along the way too, especially when I had the opportunity to perform internationally as a recorder player.(In case you are wondering what it means to be a recorder player, here’s a link to one of my performances – https://youtu.be/O73pLHj6Qt0). I really enjoy being on stage and connecting with the audience.

During high school, I volunteered as a recorder tutor at a school for children with visual impairments. Witnessing their transformation from being hesitant to play an instrument to finding joy and confidence in expressing themselves through music was incredibly fulfilling. Nothing beats their smiles after they perform beautifully. I formed very close bonds with the students and we started writing songs together. This experience exemplified the power of music and instilled in me the idea that I could possibly use my passion for music to make a difference. It was during this time that I began to realize I wanted to pursue a career in music.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I think my art is more inclined towards the music technology side. Live electronic performance is a significant part of my artistic vision. The boundless creative possibilities within this realm captivates me. I have the freedom to design my own performance setup and program the knobs, faders or pads of my controllers to integrate with all kinds of elements I want to include in my performances. You will often find me singing or playing the recorder in my sets too!

Currently, I am also involved in research projects across several institutions. These involve a lot of coding, knowledge in cognitive sciences and audio programming, which were initially challenging for me to grasp. However, I am now deeply absorbed in these projects as they connect me with the core reason behind my pursuit of a career in music: using music to empower others. One of the research projects I am currently involved in centers around the development of an adaptive musical interface catering to people with developmental disabilities, incorporating machine learning algorithms, haptic interfaces and multi-modal sensor technologies. These projects hold great significance to me because performing music brings me joy and I find it very meaningful to empower others to express themselves through music as well.

I also write songs, arrange and produce. I have an exciting project coming up so stay tuned!  I am also interested in playback engineering and live sound, and I am eager to delve deeper into these areas.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced along the way is navigating the music industry as an Asian female. I’ve faced multiple instances of sexual misconduct during an internship. When I shared this with someone I trusted, they told me to either remain silent or just take it as a funny incident, making additional lewd comments pointing at my gender and race. It was a huge struggle to grapple with how to react to the harassment. Fortunately, I gathered the courage to stand up for myself and this experience served as a crucial life lesson for me. There are indeed challenging moments along the way, but they have all taught me to become a stronger person.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I’m currently living in Boston and the first thing that comes to mind is the cannoli from Mike’s Pastry in North End! It would also be nice to grab a meal together near the Waterfront to taste some signature New England seafood dishes.

If they’re down for a walk or run, my favorite route loops around Charles River. It begins on the Boston side, crosses Harvard Bridge, follows Memorial Drive in Cambridge up to Longfellow Bridge, crosses it and loops back to Charles River Esplanade, passing by the Museum of Science along the way. The scenery along this route is wonderful, especially during the autumn and spring seasons.

Oh, and perhaps we could catch a concert too?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

There are so many people I have to thank! I have a few music teachers that taught me since I was 3 all the way up until college – for more than 10 years! They’ve definitely played a crucial role in shaping my path. Reflecting back, I realize how much I took their efforts for granted so I would like to sincerely thank them now for their guidance, dedication and patience in coaching me.

Another person I must thank is Professor Claire Marie Lim. Prior to college, I had no clue about live electronic performance and wasn’t very interested in electronic music either. It was during my freshman year when I stumbled upon Claire’s artist project, dolltr!ck, on YouTube and her performances immediately captivated me. It was a pivotal moment as I told myself right away that I want to be able to do what she is doing.

I began studying with Claire and electronic performance has since then become an important part of my artistic vision. Claire has shown me so many things that I didn’t know were possible and as I continue to learn from her, the realm of what is achievable just keeps expanding and I am very thankful for her guidance.

Last and most importantly, I must thank my mum! She raised me single-handedly, and my musical journey would not have happened at all if she had not taken me to music lessons in the first place. Despite initial hesitation and concerns, she eventually granted me the freedom to pursue music out of her love for me, and I am very grateful for that. I hope I can make her proud one day!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanie.lny/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bethanie_lny