We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hazel Ho. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hazel below.

Hazel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Thanks for having me, CanvasRebel!

As a creative professional, I must say that while it is difficult, I have been really fulfilled and happy.

I visualized myself in the future when I was 18 years old and found that my dream to pursue music would still eagerly await my attention no matter what age I was. Even though I didn’t know a bunch back then, there was already an innate conviction for me to create that I could not ignore, so I seized the opportunity and studied music at Berklee. It felt inevitable – a matter of “when”, not “if”.

Today, it has become food for my soul, a vessel through which I embrace all of life’s tumultuous and tranquil moments.

I do find myself pondering other fields that I could explore in order to provide support for my musical passion. It’s a thought that crosses my mind, but I’m aware that nothing can surpass the sense of satisfaction I derive from being in the music field.

Hazel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello readers! I’m Hazel Ho. I graduated from Berklee College of Music with a major in “Contemporary Writing and Production” and minors in “Video Game Scoring” and “Theory of Jazz and Popular Song”. I love composing, producing and singing, especially free improvisation!

If you’re into something third stream, I invite you to explore my recent orchestral piece, titled “awakening the unconscious mind”.

I’ve also woven traditional instruments like the Erhu, Dizi, and Tabla into my musical tapestry, and you can hear those in “Battle in the Jade City” and “Speak Your Mind!”.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to share two upcoming projects with odd-meter rhythms: “Inner Child” and “Some Words Before We’re Gone”. They offer a truly impactful sonic experience with important messages to share, so do keep an ear out! I perform as the vocalist in both tracks, in addition to serving as the lyricist, mixing engineer, and composer.

As you may glean from the titles, my musical compositions serve as a contemplative reflection of life’s mysteries – it’s just the way I connect to music.

Beyond the realm of music, my heart beats for art, photography, and videography. These artistic passions all contribute to my storytelling, and this multidisciplinary approach is a facet of myself I’m quite proud of! It’s a lens that enables me to see things from a panoramic perspective.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Perfectionism!

The backstory involves a struggle I faced in music school: expecting myself to learn at an unrealistically fast pace without extending grace to myself. I came to realize that I was shackled by the belief that I could only share my work when it met an unattainable standard of “perfection”. One that I have self-imposed, of my own accord.

The turning point came when I accepted a fundamental truth: the present moment is all that matters. No point in life is one too unworthy of sharing their emotions and stories. Consider the tragedy of losing the present (your finite time!) by being consumed with thoughts of an elusive future. The same applies to music — overthink and you’re out of the pocket.

Only the present moment has opened doors to a world of self-expression, creativity, and genuine progress for me. Every incremental step to being a better musician also only happens in the Now.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A recent one is “Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon, which talks about an alternative approach to self-promotion through sharing your process and becoming discoverable. It’s one of the reasons I started sharing more on social media.

As for philosophy/spirituality, I strongly resonated with “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle and videos by Thích Nhất Hạnh. (“awakening the unconscious mind” was inspired by them).

For fellow musicians and all creatives, I highly recommend “Effortless Mastery” by Kenny Werner.

Thanks for having me, CanvasRebel!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hazelho.art/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hengieeee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hengyeeho/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hengieeee
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ZnoNahnHLEXNLmaiH0CJZ?si=WrDquptMTtCxCUFUC45zlg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hazel-ho/641810927 YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-MCFt_c7X8wZgIn_Dboxw