SALLY MINGYAN YU
Orchestral Conductor, Pianist, Photographer, and once upon a time, a RFIC Designer
MY MUSICAL STATEMENT
"It is not what you want to do with music, but what music demands of you."
- Lyle Davidson
Like many others, I was once not certain what to do with my life. I was trained for years in the field of engineering and spent a year and a half working in high-speed circuit design. However, although I was excelling at my job, about just a few weeks into the work, I found I was not experiencing any sense of achievement or self-realization. I began to see that I needed a change. As I had also trained for years as a classical pianist , I decided to return to the music field, which had always been kind of a secret passion of mine.
Coming from a highly rigorous academic background, I was able make the transition to music school rather smooth from an outsider's eyes. I am a fast learner navigated my second master's degree at New England Conservatory well. However, there was much struggle and self-doubt from day one. I would ask myself whether I had made the right choice giving up the stable and comfortable life I had earned just to feel incompetent in the actual music-making part of my new life. Learning theoretical things was so much easier compared to my analog circuit classes, but the playing and the conducting part could never catch up with what was needed at the moment. I still question myself everyday.
However, it is my belief that multi-talented musicians like me can really make a difference in the music industry in the future – that is, someone who has studied something different (mostly tech) in the past, but decided to pursue music as a career. There are many such individuals, and I am starting to meet even more in music festivals and workshops all over the world. Our affection for arts is pure, and most of the time we have the means to support themselves since we have already made a living in another much more lucrative field. Of course, in following this path there is the danger at first of not being capable of the professional playing standard. However, most of these multi-talented individuals are extremely intelligent, disciplined, and I believe that through a good brain, diligent work, and true passion for music, one can conquer any difficulties.