K: I have listened through the latest album "Partners", I like it a lot since you played a lot of Diatonic and I had a feeling that the recordings are mostly improvisation? Is that so? P: Actually most everything is composed beforehand, aside from a few little piano notes on the first piece ‘Partners’, and a few little embellishments that are improvised . . . but the core of each song is composed. There are also two cover songs on the album . . . ‘In A Landscape’ was written by John Cage, and ‘Sometimes’ was written by Brigid Mae Power.
K: You have played a lot of instruments, how do you think of the Piano, is there anything special about piano? P: What I love about the piano is that it gives such a big, full spectrum of sound with just one person playing it. So in that sense it is a very rewarding instrument to play on your own. I also love that the piano can sound beautiful even when it is played very, very simply . . . just a few lonely notes.
B: Which movie will you choose if you could be the movie score composer? P: I would have loved to work on ‘Synecdoche, New York’ . . . it’s such a puzzling, beautiful, heart-wrenching film with the most incredible performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman (may he rest in peace!). Although, Jon Brion did such a beautiful job on that score . . . I don’t think I could have done any better…
B: Have you ever seen the movie'The Lobster'? P: Yes I have! I watched it on a plane once. Such a peculiar film!
B: If you have to become an animal in the rest of your life, which kind of animal will you choose? P: I think I’d like to be something that can fly . . . perhaps an eagle or hawk. Or maybe a hummingbird?
B: What kind of a year do you think of this year (2016) P: 2016 has been a year of big change! Lots of challenging times, but lots of very wonderful, rewarding times as well.
B: What's your expectation of your own music? P: I don’t have much expectation for it . . . it is more like I plant the seed and watch how it grows, giving it some water and sunlight from time to time. I try to let it feel open so that it might grow in ways I never would have imagined.
B: What do you think is the most valuable character of humanity? P: I would have to say Compassion. We must care for each other!
B: Have you ever had an experience of playing piano or listening to music in your dream? P: Yes indeed . . . I actually quite recently had a dream that I was listening to my new album ‘Partners’ . . . I think this is because I have never heard the album . . . I made the decision not to listen to it at all during the recording and manufacturing process. So I am quite curious about how it sounds, even in my subconscious ;-)
B: Do you admire any oriental culture? What's the influences on you? P: Probably the oriental culture that I am most familiar with is Japan . . . I have a vinyl record of solo Japanese flute recordings which I find to be incredibly beautiful. I am also very inspired the the farmer/writer from Japan, Masanobu Fukuoka. I am very much looking forward to visit Taiwan for the first time!
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