Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wen Wu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Wen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

In 2010, I got an opportunity to come to America as an exchange student. I barely spoken English at that time, couldn’t even order food at a fast food restaurant. I arrived in Aberdeen, South Dakota, not knowing anyone. It was tough to go through daily life because I didn’t understand a thing, and didn’t have the English skill to even have a conversation with anyone. A couple of months later, while I was at the edge of giving up my exchange program and go home, all of sudden, everyone started to talk to me and tried to be my friend. I thought I must did something right to make people like me or being curious about me. I became more out going and made lots of friends. Until three years later at a friend’s party, someone told me that my professor, Dr. Alan LaFave, sent everyone an email, asking people to help me and try to talk to me. And that was why people all of sudden came to me and tried to have conversations with me or invited me to parties and events. If not became of that, I probably would’ve given up my exchange program and went back to China.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a freelancing musician and a music educator. It really is a fun, exciting, but also unpredictable life! I play in many different groups. I’m a baritone saxophonist in a Cuban band (MambAZ), a flutist and clarinetist in a Brazilian band (Bossa Brazil), a bandleader and clarinetist of a Dixieland jazz band (Lava Hot Jass band), and a woodwind musician of several local theatres including Arizona Broadway Theatre. I perform for private events, music festivals, weddings, funerals, musicals…. ect.
I also teach clarinet lessons, ensembles, and a history class at Chandler- Gilbert Community College.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect… That’s a hard question. When audience are cheering and clapping for the band I’m in, when audience peek their heads into the pit and say “wow there are real musicians?!” when a student has sparkles in their eyes because they just learned something new from you…. All of those moments are very rewarding.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I guess this probably happened to many artists. Sometimes people ask us for our creative ideas or services for free, or for a low price. That’s the thing that I think many non-creatives fail to understand: we do art for a living.
Being a performer is my job, behind the stage, performers, like me, have to spend hours to practice, spend money to take care of our instruments and to get the right equipment, etc. Asking us to perform for free or for a lower price is like asking the lawyer to take a case for free or give a discount.
I think people should understand that artist are doing a job that needs to be treated just like any other jobs.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wenwenwendawu/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Gwengymen/featured