We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yuhan (Hanni) Wang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Yuhan (Hanni), appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I recently began writing songs but often find myself at a loss for ideas — I always want for my work to be perfect, or at least a captivating concept. One day on the subway in New York at 23rd Street, a group of teenage girls got on the train. They started singing together. The train is usually silent, people staring into phones, faces lit by the pale screen glow, but their voices were loud but very bright, playful, and spirited, with melodies that rose and fell naturally. They transformed the entire train — I was propelled to join them if I knew the song. I’ve just learned how human bodies vibrate in resonance through voice and music despite having been singing for years — voice is like a wind that opens one’s heart, flowing along breaths and creating ripples of resonance among others. That’s how people really feel voice — when we are emotionally resonating, our bodies are too.
NYC subway is truly a magical place to foster resonance. I’m so easily moved by these spontaneous, lively moments in mundane life. I think what we lack the most is their unselfconscious joy and the carefree release in moments like this. With the exhausting rumble of the NYC subway, they created this unique chemistry. I recorded a short memo of their voices, and it became my favorite recording sample: the rumbling life, the unstoppable train, the girls’ joyful singing, and this passionate, transient youth. So I learned from their joy, by capturing this spontaneity in the mundane, adding into my work as a piece of gold.
So, what keeps creativity alive? Definitely not waiting for your piece to be perfect, but to actively see, care, and feel life itself, usually the smallest, the most mundane; grasp the joy and wonder; and release it like a breath.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a student researcher and artist pursuing a path in voice, narrative, and cultural expression. My work explores how personal and collective stories are shaped, transmitted, and preserved through both language and music, exploring the ways sound carries cultural identity and memory.
I have received research awards for two consecutive years, with the second year’s honor being the NYU Gallatin Dean’s Award for Summer Research. I am currently conducting a study on 闽南语 Hokkien, examining how its tonal structure influences musical expression and contributes to the transmission of Hokkien culture and identity. When I was in my high school choir, the teacher once said that Chinese speakers tend to sing beautifully — since speaking Chinese itself is like a little melody. That made me wonder how a tonal language might possess a kind of natural musicality. My goal is to develop insights that discuss the ways language itself can shape Hokkien cultural heritage, through both my academic research and my creative practice. I am currently preparing my work to be presented in forums and for future publication.
I am the co-President of NYU Guitar Fingerstyle Club, a Mandopop-focused but genre-inclusive community. Besides being a frequent performer, I organize 2 concerts every semester with my team members. We are planning to host a musician mixers & jam session in mid-November, in collaboration with an NYC local studio. We are always looking for new performance and collaboration opportunities, both on campus and beyond, to bring fresh voices together and expand the music community.
As an emerging songwriter, I’ve been writing and producing my debut song, which draws lyrics directly from my poems. The track is set to drop in early 2026. Stay tuned!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Listen to your heart – I took a long route to explore business for an entire academic year. Though I met great people along the way, it wasn’t my true passion. So I decided on songwriting as a junior. It may feel late to make such a decision, but it’s the rest of your college life — and maybe your career — that you are shaping. Early on, it’s easy to get distracted by trends or what others are doing, but following your genuine curiosity ensures your work is authentic. In Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, the poet writes to the sender, that when writing poetry, the first to ask is: would you die if you couldn’t write for the rest of your life? To me, it’s the same when you try to decide what you wanna do. Stay connected to what makes you feel alive and right.
Follow your own path – My favorite RuPaul quote: “What other people think of me is not my business.” I struggle a lot with external validation and peer pressure; it’s hard not to compete and doubt yourself when what you are working on makes you stand out from others, whether it’s an uncommon major or a seemingly slow or unestablished path. But I have personally been an “outsider” since very young, which makes me somewhat oblivious to outside voices telling me what to do. I listened, and tried music business last year, and it didn’t work out (it was a fun experience though). Comparing yourself to peers or worrying about outside opinions only slows growth. My advice: embrace your own process, experiment, and trust that your trajectory is valid, even if it looks different from others.
Be patient and persevere – I’m a self-critical perfectionist whose endless procrastination and anxiety can drastically slow my progress. So I tell this to myself every day: progress is small, oftentimes unnoticeable, not linear, and transforms from quantitative to qualitative. Don’t expect your first or second work will make you famous. Even when progress is slow or recognition hasn’t come yet, staying committed to your craft builds depth and resilience.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes! As someone working at the intersection of creative and cultural academic research, literature, singing, and songwriting, I welcome organizations or employers looking for a performer or cultural researcher to reach out to me via Instagram or LinkedIn.
I’m also looking to collaborate with musicians, composers, and producers — let’s make music together! My main genres are indie pop and alternative pop, with some rock influences, as well as unique ethno-inspired styles. I primarily work in Mandarin and English, but I’m exploring other languages and dialects.
Feel free to contact me:
Ins: @hanni_wang0823
Gmail: [email protected]
WeChat: hann1wang
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @hanni_wang0823, https://www.instagram.com/hanni_wang0823?igsh=bThrZml4YWFmd2dm&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/hanni-wang-6bab21286
Image Credits
Aaron Wang; Cecilia Yang; Tommy Tian
