Sound of success! A Canadian's long musical journey in China

I met Canadian musician Ember Swift at the Lincoln Jazz Center. Watching her perform on stage, the first thing that caught my attention was how authentic her repertoire is! It consists of a diverse mix of songs, including her own compositions and popular tunes like "Jardin d'hiver" or "Careless Whisper," all delivered in her unique singing style. If I had to choose just one word to describe her, it would be authenticity. The morning after the performance, she invited me and my crew to visit her at the recording studio. We had the opportunity to discuss completely different topics. Here is our interview:

Arina: What thoughts run through your mind when you're on stage?

Ember: To be honest, when I'm in the middle of performing, I get so absorbed by the joy of playing with such amazing players, that sometimes my thoughts are gone and I'm just in the music. And it doesn't matter who's in the room or if no one is in the room, it's the same feeling. I just feel that music brings me such great joy that I'm not actually analyzing the experience I'm just feeling. So suddenly my thoughts are suspended during the show, they're just gone.

Arina: Is jazz popular in China?

Ember: Well, jazz music, I think, is gaining popularity in China. More and more people are interested in jazz. But I'm not sure I can be a spokesperson for jazz because I am a singer who can sing jazz. But I don't consider myself a jazz singer. I consider myself a musician who does many different styles and I can sing jazz. I have jazz songs that I have written, but I also have rock songs and pop songs. When I enter a jazz environment, I also bring my other styles. I've been welcomed in those environments as a fusion artist. And so I think that it's popular because my jazz music has been received well. But I think jazz can always be promoted more in China. And more and more Chinese people are becoming interested in all of those different styles that come from outside of China. So it's gaining popularity.

Arina: How do you compare the music scene in China to other parts of the world that you have travelled to and worked in?

Ember: The music scene in China is certainly its own. There are many, many amazing Chinese musicians of all sorts, Chinese artists and singers that the world has never heard of, right? At the same time, there is a scene that I'm a part of which is the foreigner music scene, people from all over the world who live in China that make music in China. These two scenes interact, but they are separate in China. And the music scene here is growing, but it grows at its own pace. The live music venues are increasing in number, but they are much fewer as compared to the number of live music venues that exist per capita in New York or Toronto or Berlin. So that's where the market is the most different. I hope that more music venues open and are welcoming to all musicians here.

Sun Chao / SHINE

Arina: Voice is one of your instruments, right? How do you keep it in a good shape? Now I'm also working on my voice. I have some lessons and… it is hard! Especially when you work on your range. What about you?

Ember: So right now I'm speaking in my clear range. If I were speaking down here, you would hear the friction happening in my vocal range. And if I'm speaking too high, it extends the stretch of my vocals. And it would be very difficult for me to maintain this pitch all the time, right? So you must find your perfect range to speak in, and then you don't lose your voice as regularly. That's one tip. When I have any vocal problems, any vocal fatigue, I love TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). I like pangdahai and jinyinhua. These two together with some bingtang (rock sugar) together in hot water. All of these things together helped me preserve my voice.

Arina: I remember when I just came to Shanghai, I went to the Bund and I felt in love with the city. And I realized that I wanted to live here. Do you remember what was your first impression which made you want to stay and live here in China?

Ember: When I first came to Beijing, where I lived, my first impression was that I had been there before. I really felt that there was something about the land that sort of vibrated for me. That it was very familiar. Even though, of course, I had never been to Beijing prior to that. And perhaps it was a past life memory or something. But that really was the magnet I felt, this feeling of, I belong here. I need to stay here. This is, oh, I just got a memory of that feeling, actually. That this was a place that had a deep meaning for me or my spirit. It's because of that magnet that I stayed in Beijing. To try and determine what I was meant to learn in that city. And I'm still there, you know.

Arina: Your children, they've been raised here. That's right? Do you see any difference between you and them?

Ember: For sure, my children are biracial. Their father is Chinese. They're age 12 and 10. And because of their dual culture, they have a different perspective on life. And we'll always have a different perspective because they've been influenced by the Chinese side of their family. And then influenced by the Canadian side, which is my source. So their biracial identity is something I will never understand. But they've taught me a lot about what that means. Additionally, my children have been raised speaking three languages. They also speak French and go to a French international school in Beijing. So those three languages from a young age, that was a privilege I never had. I learned my second language older in life. I also speak those three languages, but not as fluently as they do. And I admire them for that.

Arina: What does success mean to you?

Ember: Success. Success to me is very personal. It's not determined by some sort of societal standard. So for me, my life has been very successful. But many people don't know my music. Many people don't know my name. I'm not famous. But I've had a long career of 25-plus years. That longevity to me, it's a source of success. It tells me that I have continued to follow my dream. And if people can be inspired by my music, if it's only in the dozens, and not the thousands, or not the millions, that's okay. Because to me, success is not determined by numbers. It's determined by personal fulfillment of one's goals.

Sun Chao / SHINE