Meet Ho Heng Yee | Composer-Conductor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ho Heng Yee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ho Heng Yee, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
As a composer-conductor, my end goal is to have a jazz ensemble that I perform with for many years, with musicians I love and admire. I saw Maria Schneider and her jazz orchestra at Jazz Standard, NYC, over Thanksgiving in 2019, and was blown away by the energy that was present. Her writing was gorgeous and the players are amazing, and what I have recently begun to see is that the connection between the players and the composer/conductor is vital. This human connection is ubiquitous across all industries and especially important in music as we communicate through sound rather than words, and the overall sound is shaped together as a team. For the magic of the moment to occur during the performance, everyone has to feel comfortable and safe with the music and with one another. The sound of a group that has familiarity and trust in one another brings the music to the next level.

Of course, as a composer-conductor, I will always be selectively searching for knowledge, inspirations and tools to affect my next compositions. The end goal for that individual’s work might be vaguer, as I can only write what is compelling and genuine to myself at any time, so every piece is a truthful chapter in my life. My own writings will always be a lifetime’s self-discovery, and I simply wish that my musical expression of ‘life’ – the wonders and struggles – inspires others to connect with something deeper within themselves. Even better, if it manages to pull listeners to the present moment, producing an emanation of joy, that would be my greatest fulfillment as a composer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To me, it’s all about living consciously in the present moment – that’s the space where I find myself best able to compose (alone) and collaborate with other people. Conversely, if we live in the past or worry about the future, we are helpless, as the Now is the only moment that is real and affectable. That goes for everything that happens in music too.

When I was debuting my first two original pieces for jazz ensemble, one of my Berklee professors, Joe Carrier, reminded me that I have to honor my learning journey. I was feeling down that I could not exude the confidence or capabilities of the level at which Maria Schneider performs, and had put immense pressure on myself because of unreasonably high expectations, despite it being my first workshopping experience. Joe reaffirmed my writing and helped me talk through the nervousness I was feeling so that I could figure out how to piece together my vision for the pieces and the live performance. Having come to terms with this period of growth allowed me to listen better, have humility without the sense of guilt, and create a less tense environment. This became my greatest learning experience thus far, having taken away self-reflection points of my own to communicate better to the musicians on paper, verbally or through my conducting. When I conducted my pieces for other projects thereafter, I felt more at ease standing in front of musicians that I do not know personally, because I have greater confidence in my writing and have done my work in perfecting the musicians’ parts. All that was left is to convey my vision and work through tricker parts with good soft skills. Sometimes, we even get a good laugh over something silly or funny, and it helps lighten the mood in recording scenarios. Boy, before, I would have felt too anxious to laugh, but having good humor is a great skill to release the pressure!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were to visit Boston, I would first check out shows that were going to happen around us! There are many jazz gigs in/around Boston, many great musicians and bands to check out, and I’d say that would be the most interesting activity for my bestie and I. For food and drinks, I would bring my best friend to sweetgreen, Blue Bottle Coffee, Flour Bakery, Pressed Cafe, Tatte Bakery, Saigon Fusion, Pad Thai Cafe. As you can tell, I love cafe hangs. For the once-in-a-while pizza, Dirty Water Dough Company is my favorite pizza place! I would have picnics on grassy areas and hope that geese do not disturb us, and hang out at the docks by Charles River or take walks on the bridge over the river. Boston Public Library is one of my top places to decompress around Boston, and we would probably read books at the McKim Courtyard.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank Kenny Werner and Vivienne Aerts from the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee College of Music. I read Kenny’s book, “Effortless Mastery” during a time when I really struggled with where I was musically. I highly recommend that book for any musician who feels stuck in their musical journey, as that is a sign of a need to work on our dysfunctional relationship with music. I had the privilege of attending Kenny’s forums and took a class with Vivienne. The more I went and the more I tried putting the teachings into practice, the less I worried/was nervous about not being good enough, and the more I was able to live in the present moment.

Instagram: @hengieeee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heng-yee-ho-391828156/

Image Credits
Owen Nathanael