Meet Shio (Sio) Tepper | Music Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shio (Sio) Tepper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shio (Sio), how do you think about risk?
I have come to understand myself to be a courageously afraid person. What I mean by this is that I fundamentally walk through life with an immense amount of fear. My closest family and friends will be the first to tell you that I am a panicker. I’ve had many a harrowing experience on an outdoor adventure for example, where I’ll be the first to cry in a sticky situation. Those same people will tell you, however, that I am also a person that does not give up. Despite the tears and the nearly debilitating fear that I experience on a daily basis, rarely do I let that fear keep me from moving ahead. Risk taking and overcoming my many fears, has absolutely been the backbone that motivates me towards my next horizons.
The first time I remember this in relation to being a musician was when I was 12. I found out about a piano competition where the winners get to play with a professional symphony orchestra, only one month away from the audition deadline. The thought of learning a piece of that level in only one month was a horrifying prospect. But I was this fear that made me realize how much I wanted it. My fear was an indicator of how badly I yearned to be on that stage with the orchestra. Despite knowing that it was crazy to learn a piece in that amount of time, I set out to try for it, and ended up being one of the winners.
In more recent years I’ve had many moments where I push past fears to meet the next level of my creative and professional development. I quit all of my non-music related jobs when I was 21, despite having no prospects, as a way to force myself to figure it out and push myself towards finding more music-related work. Creatively, I am constantly taking on projects in which I am using methods or mediums that are completely new or foreign to me, so that I can grow to meet the new challenges.
Risk-taking and fear is my deepest motivator. If I were to let fear win and not have taken any risks, I would simply not be a musician. Risk-taking is absolutely inherent in the creative process to me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Life is music, expression, and as humans, it is our birthright. It is this feeling of humanity that is the pulse of all of my work. I often find myself seeking through expression, how can I better connect with myself, my ancestry, the earth, so that I can better connect with my community?

My creative journey began at a young age with classical piano. I attended a music and arts program that emphasized multi-disciplinary arts education where I studied chamber music, poetry, visual art, theatre, dance, and more. This allowed me to understand how all of the arts inform one another, and where I discovered my passion for creative collaboration.

Music has always been the focal point of my passion, but my curiosity around mixing genres and mediums is one of the things that sets me apart as an artist. I grew up a naturally curious person about the world around me, and part of this curiosity stems from growing up between Japan and Southern California. While it has presented its challenges, it also has allowed me to see multiple perspectives and to feel comfortable holding multiple truths at once. Similarly, in my work, I love blurring lines between genres and modes of expression. Ultimately, this is how I feel most comfortable expressing myself, in the blurred space of the in between.

Whether through creative collaboration in a theatrical piece that blurs genre lines, performing my own songs, composing for contemporary dance, or telling my own story of integration, it is my purpose to create a more equitable society by connecting to my own humanity, and cultivating the opportunity for others to do so as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a local to Santa Barbara, I am not too familiar with places in LA! But, one of my favorite spots was the Blue Whale until it closed. Because I am half Japanese, I spent a lot of time in Torrance and surrounding areas growing up, shopping at all of the Japanese markets and eating at the restaurants down there. Rakkan Ramen, for one. I’ve recently become aware of a community of really top notch musicians that are doing music sound baths in their studio spaces throughout the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people, groups, etc. that I would like to shoutout. This is a tough question! Definitely my Mom and Dad, who gave me their great taste in music and their relentless support in my pursuit of musicianship. I’d also like to shoutout my friends who’ve encouraged me along the way. In particular, Mendeleyev, who I consider my musical big brother. He’s constantly passing opportunities my way, letting me borrow instruments, teaching me about music software, encouraging me to listen to podcasts, helping me with my album recordings, listening to my gripes every time I “quit” music, and always talking me back into it, pushing me where I need to be pushed, calling me out on things I need to be called out on, believing in me. I have a handful of others like this in my life who are so dear to me, but I’ll shout out Lev (Mendeleyev).

Website: https://sioteppermusic.com

Instagram: @siobear

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sio-tepper-bb8780264

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sio.tepper.music/

Youtube: @siotepper8478

Image Credits
Ryan Nava
Stephen Cummings