We were lucky to catch up with Mulang Zhu recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mulang, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by consistently sharing my work with my family, friends, and the world. Imposter syndrome is definitely something many creatives, myself included, experience when they first start sharing their craft. I used to feel very vulnerable when releasing work that was so dear to me and something I was proud of, opening it up for the world to see, listen to, and provide feedback on. It’s almost like sharing your favorite candy, worrying that others might not like it. However, as I continued to release more music and develop my sound and skills as a composer, I became incredibly excited to share my work with the world and hear everyone’s reactions to it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My main niche is composing music for visual media, and my friends and colleagues often describe my music as having a very modern and emotional sound. At the same time, I also love and have experience in music directing, music supervising, music editing, and rearranging other artists’ works.
What I find most exciting about what I do is the opportunity to interact with all kinds of talented individuals when working on projects – from filmmakers to producers, event managers, and artists. Every collaboration is an inspirational experience, and I learn so much from experts in other fields. Having the ability and opportunities to experiment with storytelling through sound is something I am forever grateful for.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are persistence, the ability to improvise, and being aware of changes happening outside my field while remaining open to new possibilities.
Persistence is self-explanatory; often, there are struggles at the beginning of new projects, and it is critical to proactively learn and fill the knowledge gaps that cause these struggles.
The ability to improvise refers to making quick decisions and coming up with solutions under pressure. In circumstances like recording sessions or rehearsals, where time is literally money, being well-prepared and ready to address any issues that arise is extremely important.
Lastly, staying aware of trends both within and outside one’s concentrated industry and continuously updating one’s skill set to adapt to these trends is crucial. It can be incredibly inspiring and open up many new opportunities.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes, absolutely! I am always eager to collaborate with creatives from all industries, especially storytellers – photographers, poets, animators, filmmakers, singer-songwriters, or anyone with a vision who might need audio or music to enhance their project. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime!
You can contact me via email at [email protected] or through the “Let’s Connect” box on my website: https://www.mulangmusic.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mulangmusic.com/
- Instagram: @mulang.zhu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mulang-zhu/
Image Credits
Nina Feliciano, Alejandro Quiles, Splicer Films, Pooja Venkatachalam Kumar, Steven Zhu, Ivywxt
