We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lotus Flow a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lotus , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience has been shaped by a combination of my personal background, cultural influences, and the unique journey I’ve taken as a young Chinese female music producer making a mark in the States. Growing up in China, I was immersed in a culture that values hard work, determination, and perseverance. These values, instilled in me by my family and surroundings, have been the foundation of my resilience.
Moving to the United States to study music, and pursue a career as a musician introduced me to a whole new set of challenges. As a female in a predominantly male industry, and as someone from a different cultural background, I faced unique hurdles that I always need to prove my ability extra hard to earn the respect, and protect myself from a lot of “friendly” manipulations. Instead of seeing them as barriers, I’ve viewed them as opportunities to break stereotypes and pave the way for others who might share similar aspirations.
The music production field is incredibly competitive and saturated, requiring adaptability, advanced technical knowledges and a strong sense of self. Every setback has been a chance to refine my skills, learn from experiences, find out who I really am, and come back stronger and more independent.
Being a young Chinese female music producer in the States has also given me a unique perspective. I take pride in embracing my cultural identity, using it not only as a source of inspiration in my music but also as a way to contribute my energy to the diversity and richness of the music industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Lotus Flow, and I am a multi-genre music producer, songwriter, and artist originally from Shenzhen, China, currently based in Los Angeles. I grew up with 10 years of classical piano training, studied film composition for 2 years, and have now become an active versatile musician. During my teenage years, I was influenced by western pop, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music, which led me to pursue my studies abroad in music.
I attended Berklee College of Music at the age of 17, where I began my journey of learning jazz, funk, and electronic music. In college, I performed as a synth bass player in a funk band at jazz clubs and city radio. Additionally, I created an indie band, which motivated me to start releasing original music; Meanwhile, I got a publishing deal with Universal China as a producer and writer. This marked the beginning of my journey in creating music for other artists within the industry. My works started getting exposures by TV shows/festival, Tencent game and commercials in China.
After relocating to LA in 2022, I built my writing team with WD, who is an amazing songwriter that introduced me to the Kpop scene. Together, we collaborated with incredible artists such as AleXa, Gloria Kim, and Lily Pichu, as well as other talented songwriters.
Started from 2023, I have been developing my own music style and creating my artist projects. My first original single ‘Runaway Bride’ is going to be released at December 1st.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Versatility and Adaptability
As a musician in the industry, I think being adaptable to different music genres and having an open minded music sense is very important. Keep listening to new music, exploring new creative artists and absorb nutritions from different kind of good music will refresh your ears.
2. Continuous learning
In an ever-evolving industry, the commitment to continuous learning has been a game-changer for me. I make it a point to stay informed about the latest music technologies, production techniques, new sounds and industry trends. This not only keeps our music fresh and innovative but also make us producer to be someone who can navigate the dynamic landscape of the music industry.
3. Networking
Early in my career, I attended many writing camps through my company in China where I met influential professionals who later became collaborators and mentors. It’s very efficient to team up with the people who share the same passion with you, and contribute different value and strength to the team to become a strong support system for each other’s career.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
Unlike most Asian parents who typically prefer their children to pursue traditional majors leading to stable jobs, I have been fortunate to have unconditionally support from my parents for my music journey since a young age. I made the decision to become a music producer at the age of 16, and when I shared my dream and plan with them, they immediately gave their approval. My mom, in particular, played a pivotal role by assisting me in leaving high school, and moving to Beijing with me to access better music education and resources.
Because I still have to go back and fulfill high school exam requirements, my mom traveled back and forth with me to various cities during my teenage years. After that, my parents went so far as to sell a house to pursue my college education at Berklee. Their genuine desire has always been for me to enjoy the musical journey, experience freedom, and create memorable moments in life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotusflow__/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/prodbylotusflow
Image Credits
Jay Xiao
