We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesica Yap. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesica below.
Alright, Jesica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I am a proud second-generation Indonesian of Chinese descent. For the first 17 years of my life, from kindergarten until I graduated high school, I lived in a small town in North Sumatra, Indonesia. My family never moved around. I only knew one home until I left for college.
After high school, I moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a vast cosmopolitan city that is worlds different from my hometown. I did my college transfer program there before relocating to Boston. During my stay in Malaysia, my back pain from a previous sports injury put a pause on my studies, as I had to go back home for 9 months to get treatment. Once my pain was manageable, I returned to Malaysia to do my audition for the Asia World Tour Scholarship for Berklee College of Music. When I found out a few months later that I was accepted, I was more than ready to take a leap of faith in the next chapter of my life, and move abroad.
Being so far away in Boston, my parents worried about me, especially because my back still caused problems. My hectic schedule was hard on my back, and there were times when I had to be on bedrest. It was still worth the pain because at Berklee, I was on the Dean’s list, and I went on a sold-out tour across New England with The Berklee Silent Film Orchestra. If I never made the decision to go to Berklee, I would have missed out on so many milestones and life-changing experiences.
After graduating, I took the plunge and risked it all when I moved across the country to Los Angeles where more unknown awaited me. I had to start all over again, which worried my parents and sister even more…Ultimately, they knew that it was the best decision for my career. It was definitely somewhat rough to start all over again — it was a culture shock because people were different here in LA than on the East Coast. Even driving was intimidating for me. Drivers in LA are erratic and very fast. I could barely even manage steering and looking at my GPS while on the freeway. In Malaysia, I used to drive on the highway, which was a way more chill experience than here where the cars are faster, and the traffic denser.
In the first few years, I had some hurdles to get through, and had to take any job I could in my field – composing and teaching piano — all the while still doing my internship. My sleeping hours were all over the place as I tried to juggle life and keep my feet firmly on the ground. While money wasn’t great back then, I really didn’t want to burden my parents; I wanted to assure them that I can make it on my own. Over the years, I learned that life is kind of like traffic – sometimes you might be stuck and barely inching forward, while other times you might have an uninhibited path in front of you.
It was scary at first to live alone, but I was determined to make it work no matter what it took. Most of the time I was in the fight or flight mode; trying to survive in the big city. It took about two years until I was finally able to breathe and relax… My career was advancing, and I had more friends and a nice community. Over time, my dreams have evolved, and my perspective has changed on so many things. I’m realizing now how much I’m enjoying writing songs and teaching music and theory.
This past summer, I got out of my routine and decided to tap into my adventurous side and go on a much-needed vacation. I was able to figure out how to leave work behind without losing momentum, and used some of my savings to treat myself to a relaxing get-away, something I haven’t done before because of my comfort in structure and calculated risks. It was the longest time I’ve ever taken off since coming to the US; however, I felt ready to reward myself for all my hard work.
I booked the trip with a group of like-minded travelers who were strangers in the beginning, but became friends by the end. While I had some apprehension about going to a completely unknown place, with unknown people, I was willing to risk having anxieties, knowing it would all pan out at the end. While away, I learned so much about myself — who I am, what I like, and how to balance work and life. I never thought I’d have so much fun and feel so free! I never even thought about work. It was a very liberating experience.
To prepare for my vacation, I arranged everything on my own on the Internet, which my mom fully supported. She managed to stifle her fears and worries about my solo trip to a far-away place. She was involved in every aspect of my life when I was a child, and always needed to know where I was or what I was doing, mostly to ease her worries. She was somewhat over-protective for the longest time, but over the years, she allowed me to grow up and become “adult Jesica.”
Sometimes it’s good to calculate risk and have a solid plan, which has always been important to me, but over the years, I’ve learned to leave some room for the unknown, and welcome impromptu surprises, which can feel like life’s little gifts.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
About me
I am a composer who loves writing music that tells a story whether it’s for commercials, films, video games, Youtube videos, or podcasts. I’m also a music producer, an accomplished pianist, an educator, and a singer-songwriter.
I started out as a classical pianist, and began lessons at the age of five. By the time I was 12, I was playing at our local church, and the youth pastor at the time asked me to write the retreat song for the middle and high school (the church was connected to the school), which ended up being sung by over 100 students. This was the first song I ever wrote, and was the beginning of my music writing career.
Growing up, I was also an accomplished ballet and contemporary dancer until a back injury forced me to retire. This propelled me to focus solely on my music career, and after graduating from the Berklee School of Music where the film scoring bug bit me, I moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and began an internship at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions, and Henry Jackman’s Sacred Tiger Music Publishing.
Since early 2016, I’ve worked as a full-time visual media composer, and won several awards for my work. Over the last six years, I’ve actually become a sort of jack of all trades – I’m a composer, singer/songwriter, pianist, performer, and a piano teacher and educator. Wearing many hats keeps me busy and keeps me on my toes. Currently, I teach piano, theory and composition to approximately 60 students. In between teaching and composing, I occasionally perform with different bands around the Los Angeles area like the indie band, Walla Band. I’ve also released several songs over the last couple of years – all of which I produced myself.
I’m also active with the Indonesian community in LA, and have performed on piano/keyboard with major artists like Krisdayanti and Regina Ivanova (Indonesian Idol’s 7th season winner). In addition, I lend my piano skills (session pianist) to other composers for their scoring sessions. Performing live is an electrifying feeling unlike anything else, and a refreshing change of pace from working in isolation as I often do as a composer.
I am very excited to announce that on October 20, 2022, I released a new song in Bahasa Indonesia (my native language) called “Peri Kecilku” (“Little Fairy”). I look forward to all the wonderful opportunities life has in store for me. I’m constantly looking for new challenges, and feel incredibly grateful for every bit of success I’ve had over the years.
How I got into your industry/ business/ discipline/ craft etc
Thanks to my mom’s love of classical piano, I started formal piano lessons at the age of 5; however, I really started branching out at around age 12 — I played piano at our local church, and our youth pastor asked me to write a retreat song for the students (the church was connected to school), which was sung by over a 100 kids, and it was my first introduction to songwriting. Around age 14, I started writing songs for the youth church members, which became an album.
What are the main things you want potential clients/ followers/ fans to know about you/ our brand/your work/etc.
When I was in 4th grade, the Internet was a new thing, and I played around on the computer and watched YouTube (which was also new), which is how I exposed myself to music on a much wider spectrum. At one point in my life, I was very into Latin music. Grammy-winning Dominican pianist, Michel Camillo, does amazing work that very much inspired me. I used to listen to church music, too (of course), and also love gospel and R&B, and old school R&B-pop such as Westlife, 98 Degrees, and Backstreet Boys.
My greatest influence was classical music, which is what’s been ingrained in me from early childhood. Because classical music is more “set” and rigid, at one point I realized that I wanted to expand my musical curiosities, and do my own thing and create my own music. So I kept studying and applying myself. In college I learned contemporary music, played in bands, and that snowballed into my learning how to write for visual media.
Truthfully, I never even knew that a career in film scoring existed until I was doing my transfer program in Malaysia, where after seeing one of the Jason Bourne movies, I instantly fell in love with not only the score, but also the idea of composing for the visual arts. I ended up majoring in film scoring.
In writing music today, I combine all the tools I’ve acquired over the years, and utilize my vast range of musical knowledge and influences I’ve exposed myself to throughout my lifetime.
What type of products/ services/ creative works you provide, what problems I solve for my clients and/ or what I think sets you apart from others.
Inspirations – In general, I can find inspiration in anything. Sometimes I get inspired while I’m taking a stroll, or while I’m driving. Other times I might hear someone’s story, and that sparks something inside me. Or I might get ideas while browsing the net, or looking at photos on Pinterest. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and its source is completely random.
What sets me apart from others — I think what sets me apart from others are my upbeat and positive personality, my professionalism, passion, and my desire to always be a team player, which are all traits people value in me when they work with me. I still have a lot more to give, and I look forward to aligning myself with fellow talented artists who are successful and ambitious.
What am I most proud of and what are the main things I want potential clients/ followers/ fans to know about me/my brand/my work/etc.
One of my greatest moments of pride was when I first won an award from HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Awards) in 2018, and was in the room with so many talented people whom I’ve always looked up to, and who’ve greatly inspired me. Feeling that moment of recognition was amazing!
I’m very excited about “Peri Kecilku” – my new Indonesian song that I released on October 20, 2022. It has already won a Gold LIT Songwriting award for Story Song. The LIT Commercial Awards recognizes, celebrates and honors excellence in international commercial video and television productions.
My other award this year (2022) includes a Best Inspirational Song Gold LIT Award for my song titled “Holding Strong,” which talks about how hard it is to get back up when we’re feeling like we’re in the gutter. This song resonates with a lot of people because we’ve all gone through rough patches in our lives. This won a Bronze LIT award for Best Singer and Songwriter.
So proud and truly in awe of winning two awards with my beloved sister for our duet named JJDua — a Gold LIT Award for Best Classical Pianist, as well as a Platinum LIT Award for Best Performance. We worked so hard to be a cohesive, streamlined, well-oiled machine, and who better to share the honor with than my own sister!
My Christmas song that I released last year, “Happier This Christmas,” is a whimsical, fun, edgy, and feel-good song for the holidays that everyone can sing along to, and rap to. I’m so thrilled it turned out as good as it did. The video was a blast to shoot, and it’s truly a dream come true to release a Christmas song. It won a Gold LIT Award for Songwriting (for Christmas songs) and I hope it brings cheer to all during this holiday season as well.
To date, I have released: 8 singles on my own, and 1 Christian album with Missio Dei (the youth group from my hometown church).
As a piano teacher and educator for over a decade, I’ve had to navigate a diverse set of goals and needs from my various students. My mission is to help them achieve their goals, whether it be learning piano casually as a hobby, or playing it at an expert level. I’m here to help them learn, create, and have lots of fun. As an educator, I foster a welcoming environment through entertaining and upbeat lessons that cater to their individual goals, skill sets and unique personalities. With lots of encouragement and patience, I help them find courage, confidence and joy in their musical journey.
Whether it’s a very young child, or an adult that used to take lessons and wants to come back after a long hiatus from piano, all ages and skill levels are welcome in my studio. My lesson plans are crafted to accommodate my students’ nuanced needs, and all lessons are elite-level instruction whether they are just starting out or are concert-ready! As a teacher, I don’t just offer a “by the book” method.
My approach is to mentor my students and help them work through challenges, and help them break through whatever barriers they might have. I teach the whole package of music art, and make sure to aid their growth as musicians. I help them develop and perfect their art by giving them the tools they need to broaden their horizons so they can see multiple perspectives.
My vision, mission and brand as an independent artist and visual media composer is to impart my musical “voice” to my clients, and for clients to recognize this “voice,” and feel the Jesica Yap brand in their pores. As an independent artist (composer, music producer, singer-songwriter and pianist), my mission is to create music that is relatable. I strive to anticipate my audience’s needs, and try to reach them with my songs, at the same time expressing myself in the unique voice that is specific to who I am.
I hope that in the near future more people will hear my songs, be it in English or in Indonesian. My first language is not English, but it is a universal language that most of the world understands, so I write most of my songs in English. My goal as a singer-songwriter is to spread joy and touch people’s hearts, and maybe even help them to turn things around when they are having a crummy day. Luckily, with the help of technology, everything is accessible these days, and my songs are only a click away.
I’d love to have a recognizable style and voice, just like, let’s say… Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift has, or even Beethoven. When you hear them, you know instantly who you’re listening to. That’s what I hope to achieve in the future – my music to be commercial yet stand out from a crowd, but still recognized by all.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
We are all artists in our own way. Be it a chef, be it a business person, be it a home builder. An “artist” for me is someone who puts their heart and soul into something they create, build or craft.
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to bring to life whatever idea that might have lived and festered in my creative soul, and to convert that idea dream into reality.
As an independent music producer, composer and singer-songwriter, I get to put the idea of the melodies, lyrics and production into motion, and see it come to life. I also love tapping into other areas of my visual artistry, and thoroughly enjoy planning how the music video will look. I love the balance of both collaborating and working alone.
When composing music for someone else’s project, it is very rewarding when everything comes together, and when the client loves the final product. Helping someone else’s vision come to life is more challenging in a sense that I have to work within certain parameters, but with communication and being on the same page, bringing a multi-layered project (such as film scoring) together, is truly very exciting.
When I am my own independent artist – singer-songwriter/ music producer – it’s rewarding in a different way, because the songs come from deep within me, and they are a projection of my essence — the Jesica that I want people to know. I love to create music that resonates with people, and music that people can feel because they relate to it. I love telling stories that are approachable and relatable. We all have ups and downs, we all have challenges, and we all want to be happy at the end of the day. These are themes that unite us as human beings. Whenever I get feedback that my songs resonate with my audience, I am truly thrilled.
As far as who I am as an educator and entrepreneur (owner of Jesica Yap Music Academy or “JYMA”), I love helping my students grow musically, which is truly super rewarding for me! My students have 2 recitals every year where they get to show off their talents and hard work in front of an audience. I am extremely proud of my students who have won awards through JYMA:
– First Prize Winner of the 2020 “Golden Classical Music Awards” International Competition and performed at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall (New York)
– First Place Winner (Junior Category) of the Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2020
Jesica Yap Music Academy also coaches and prepares students for competitions and festivals such as:
– Kirov Academy Washington D.C – Young Artist Division Junior E-Piano Competition 2020 in Washington D.C.
– Colburn Performing Arts school for the intensive Summer program 2019 in Thayer hall
– Steinway Virtual Piano Competition
– American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) International Young Musicians Festival
– Getting distinctions in their piano exams
– Annual school piano auditions and talent show
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Living in one of the most expensive and busy cities in the world, and relentlessly chasing my dreams has taught me to be resilient and learn how to overcome all sorts of challenges. Whether it’s working for someone and not feeling 100% appreciated or rewarded, to building a business from the ground up, I’ve had to overcome a lot. Bringing your dreams to fruition is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. There are no shortcuts. It takes several years and requires discipline, both mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and usually with the collective support of a community.
Coming to a new city without family or friends, community was all I had. Life in the big city can get lonely and isolating, especially when everyone has different work-hours and schedules that makes get-togethers harder to coordinate. It’s natural for us to want to share the good times with our friends, or have someone to hear us out and be there during the lows, but at the end of the day, we really only have ourselves to count on. Making sacrifices reminds us that everything we do is to get closer to our dreams and goals.
Immigrating to the US has its own set of challenges, as it is not an easy feat to become a permanent resident. I’ve had to apply for an artist visa 3 times already, and each cost more than the next. It is an extremely long wait that’s coupled with a serious financial burden. My achievements as an artist have helped me to assure that eventually I’ll be a Green Card holder, but the cumulative cost to get there is somewhere in the 30K ballpark.
Over the years, I’ve had to build up immunity and be resilient to any challenges I might’ve had to face. However, it does get easier over time. There’s always more room to grow as an artist and as a human being, and I can say that I am finally in a place where I have more experience to successfully navigate the different parts of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jesicayap.com
- Instagram: @jesicayap
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesica.jap
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesicayap/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jazz_yap
- Youtube: @JesicaYap
Image Credits
Joanna Leung Photography Roland Wiryawan Richi Tandean