We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joyie Lai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joyie below.
Joyie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
When I was young, I had many different ambitions. Unlike most Asian households that want their children to grow up to be doctors or engineers, my parents never enforced any career choice on me or my brother when we were young. This allowed me to explore my passions.
The funny thing is that when I was young, my mom enrolled me in piano lessons and I didn’t like it, so I stopped going to the lessons. I hated practicing the sheet music that my piano teacher gave me, but I really enjoy sitting by the piano and just improvising and playing what I like. I think what I enjoy about music is not just the skills of playing an instrument; it’s more the creativity that I’m able to express through it.
Most of my childhood and teenage life revolve around music. I think that was when I realized how important music is to me and how much it means to me, I couldn’t see myself doing anything other than music. Just last week me and my roommate had this conversation, if we have all the money and success in the world, do you still see yourself working hard day and night for music? And our answer is yes! It’s more than a career to me, it’s also a passion.
Joyie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello there! I’m Joyie! I’m a mix engineer, producer, composer and musician! To sum that up, I just enjoy making music and that is what I do for a living! I started music at a very young age of 5 but my musical journey really began when I picked up the guitar at 13. I started playing the guitar because of Taylor Swift. I’m a huge fan of her! I really enjoy playing guitar. Most times I would just listen to my favorite song, look up chords on the internet, and learn the melody by ear. That was when I decided to pursue music as a career. My career as a guitarist has opened me up to many different musical genres.
Ever since I was a kid, I was itching to travel and see the world, and that’s what brought me to the US. Before making the move, I thought I’d be a music composer. But then, during the pandemic, I got hooked on Jacob Collier’s production breakdown videos. I thought to myself, “I wanna do that!”, so I enrolled in the Music Production and Engineering major at Berklee.
I stumbled upon this whole new love for engineering and producing. It hit me that I genuinely enjoy being a studio engineer, getting into the details of making a record sound awesome. I see being a producer and engineer as just as creative as being a composer. Instead of crafting melodies and harmonies, we’re molding sounds and vibes. It altered how I listen to music as well. Going from a performer to a music engineer, I realized my passion goes beyond playing music; it’s making music!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think most people don’t understand the amount of hard work that creatives put into the details of their work. It’s the little things and thoughtful details that people do not realise that builds up to a masterpiece.
The creative industry and lifestyle is very different than normal. And there is no normal! Every creative has their own unique journey and individual lifestyle. There is no one way or “10 steps to be a creative person!”. Everyone works differently and it’s very hard to find a line between the right way and the wrong way.
I also think that most non-creatives struggle to understand the patience and perseverance that is required to be in the industry. Things don’t just pop up, it’s a lot of hard work and effort. People only see you when you’re at your peak, but they don’t see the years of struggles, hardship and failures that you went through to get to where you are. I believe that everyone in this world is equally talented in many different ways, and if you put in the hard work to nurture those talents, success will come.
In a nutshell, I would say that artists and creatives make the impossible and complex work seem easy. The audience only witnesses the final, polished masterpiece without comprehending the decisions, revisions and experiments that led to the final result. Artistry is a journey and not just the destination.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What drives me the most is that at the end of the day, I get to say “I love what I do!” I really enjoy what I do, whether it’s playing guitar, producing, mixing or tracking. I love every part of it! It makes work not feel like working. Yes it’s hard, it’s not easy, it’s tiring, it’s stressful, there’s ups and downs and times when things do go the way you wanted. I remember this one time I was working on a project that required long hours and days in the studio. I drove home one night, really exhausted, and I thought to myself, is this all worth it? Am I making a mistake pursuing a career in the music industry? The next day me and my friends went to catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and when the music played I immediately thought to myself: “this is so beautiful and I cannot imagine a life without music.”
Aside from that, I remember someone once said “music is the glue to society.” It’s culture, it’s history, it’s a voice for the people. Music is very important to me, as it helps me cope with the ups and downs in life. And who knows, it might just be that important for someone else out there too.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyie.lai/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyiexinyuerlai/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyie-lai-121316272/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11345228/
Image Credits
Amir Halevi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amirhalevi_photography/?hl=en Website: https://amirhalevi8.wixsite.com/mysite-1 Name: Kelly Davidson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdstudio/ Name: Krishna Dinata Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krishna_gkd/