Meet PIAO | Artist

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

Hi PIAO, what do you want your legacy to be?
When I was little, I used to tell my mom that I wanted to be a popstar. She would tell me that that would be very hard since there’s no one on MTV or Disney that looked like me – asian. I remember responding to her and saying, “then I must be the first.” I think as nonchalant as that was when I was 6 yrs old, that motivation/mission kind of stuck with me. After graduating Berklee College of Music on a presidential scholarship, and now being signed to a label and doing music full time, I feel like the younger me would be proud that I’m stepping into my life dream. I want people to remember me by my journey. Though there’s still a lot left to be discovered, I think I would love to eventually be a figure for young girls like myself back when I was small and watching Disney, and to be a person who they can see a possibility for themselves in.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an artist, singer/songwriter, creative.

I guess I’m most proud that I am able to fully say that I’m an artist today, and not just say something like, “I like doing music.” For a long time, even while I was at Berklee, I couldn’t be vulnerable or true with myself so I wasn’t able to step into who I really am or my artistry, despite how badly I wanted to. It wasn’t until TPAIN discovered me on instagram where I really started contemplating my musical existence and purpose? A moment that was very pivotal to me was when TPAIN’s manager reached out asking if I had plans on being an artist and whether I wrote my own music, to which I remember replying, “yea…” even though in that moment I hadn’t written a single song. After that phone call was when I sat down with my brain, calmed it down for having just kind of lied, and told myself that this was going to be the beginning of doing music, singing, and writing music for me.

Fast forward to now. I’m signed with Nappy Boy Ent. (TPAIN’s Label), and I am very excited to be releasing music very very soon.

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.
IF MY BEST FRIEND WERE TO VISIT ME RIGHT NOW?!?!?! (Context – my bff recently moved across the world from me so THIS WOULD BE A VERY BIG DEAL AND A NATIONAL EVENT/HOLIDAY)

Location: Toronto, Canada (Yes, I’m Canadian)

Places to go:
Everywhere like….how could you pick…it’s Toronto hellooo.

Places to eat:
Literally anything but definitely dim sum + bubble tea is life.

Things worth mentioning:
All the ethnic neighborhoods (China town, little Italy, little India, etc.)
Yonge and Sheppard
Queen St. W
Yorkdale Mall
St Lawrence market
Kensington market
All the galleries (AGO, Shoe Museum, etc)

Foodies:
九号小院
渔膳房
Sang-Ji Fried Bao
Hooky’s Fish & Chips (Calamari)
honesty though… everything is good here…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my family (especially my mom), my friends, my team, and the lovely animals in my life.

Website: piaomusic.com

Instagram: @omgitspiao

Linkedin: Piao Huang

Twitter: @omgitspiao

Facebook: Piao Huang

Youtube: PIAO

Image Credits
Alexis Yip Allie Hine Luke Lau Jade Che Haley Urbanowski