Encounter #8: Jazzy Chopin with Erick

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Erick Chang.  Erick is a chemical engineer turned app developer who works in New York City.  Outside of his job, Erick enjoys playing jazz piano.  For his Encounter, Erick has chosen to share his cover of a jazz version of Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2.  If you would like to learn more about Erick and his passion for jazz, please check out his bio on The Characters page of this website.

I Encountered Erick and his musical talents in college.  Erick and I were classmates in the chemical engineering undergraduate program at our university.  When I think back to our college years, I always remember Erick as the Funny Guy in our class.  He would sit in the back of class with a deck of playing cards and always seemed to have the perfect blend of sarcasm, truth, and wit in his one-liners as we got back tests where the highest score was, to our horror, often a 50.  In a major and a university as difficult and competitive as ours, Erick’s humor was much needed. 

For 2 years, I simply knew Erick as the kind and funny card-playing chemical engineering student.  Then, one day, while studying, I heard the most impressively fast piano playing I had ever heard and looked up to discover it was Erick!  He was jamming on the piano in our student lounge and I was mesmerized to see how quickly his fingers glided across the piano keys.  Even though he was playing a classical piece, there was a sense of rhythm and style that he added to it that made his performance unique to me and remained in my memory many years after we graduated.

Erick was one of the first people who opened my eyes to the surprising artistic and creative side that exists in so many people who pursue professions in science and engineering.  Many of the people that I attended university with, including Erick, were the inspiration behind this idea of Encounters as I did not expect to attend an engineering school and come to discover artists, dancers, musicians, and actors.  These people revealed to me how labels do no justice to the depth of human character. 

I encourage you to check out more of Erick’s story in his bio to learn how his art has evolved over the years and how he has found a “home” in the genre of jazz.  Now, without further ado, I introduce to you our Encounter with the jazz pianist, Erick Chang.

P.S. Interested to hear more of Erick's smooth piano tunes?  Check out his YouTube channel: Erick Chang

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Encounter #7: A Collection of Poems by Megan

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Megan Webster.  Megan is a chemical engineering PhD student at a university in New York City.  Outside of her PhD research, Megan is an avid writer who enjoys writing poetry and novels.  Her stories range in genre from fantasy to historical fiction and she has even published one of her novels!  For her Encounter, Megan has chosen to share a selection of poems taken from different points throughout her writing career. If you would like to learn more about Megan and her passion for storytelling, please check out her bio on The Characters page of this website.

Engineering and storytelling are not two things that one would immediately think go hand in hand, like peaches and cream or Mr. and Mrs.  In fact, it is pretty rare, in my book, to find an engineer who can clearly tell the story of their profession, especially if it is to an audience with a non-technical background.  Ironically, though, storytelling is essential to the scientific community.  

As engineers and scientists, we live in a world dictated by equations, numbers, and theorems and we make great discoveries and innovations in our field by understanding our surrounding world through this language.  However, as we become fluent in our numerical and scientific vernacular and begin to analyze our surroundings with a fine tooth comb at the most microscopic level of detail, it seems that we begin to lose our ability to communicate in a universal language; one that makes sense to the world outside of our scientific community.  Our innovative and break-through findings can sometimes be swept aside if we are unable to effectively communicate what we are doing and why it matters to the general public.  

Our stories need to be told because they are the ones preserving and advancing our society but we often struggle to tell them in a greater context that makes them relevant to the storyline of Society.

To the great fortune of the scientific community, Megan is one of those rare engineer storytellers who can translate Engineer into Laymen and can present technical findings as fascinating stories.  Therefore, when Megan told me that she was a writer in her free time, I was not at all surprised.  Megan looks for stories wherever she goes and as a result of that curiosity, I found her own story to be intriguing.  She is a character that, as she describes, wears many hats, whether it is as a chemist turned chemical engineering PhD, as a musician, or as a writer.  Megan's tenacious hunger for knowledge and her adventurous desire to explore is evident in her engineering and, as I have discovered recently, also in her art, reflected in the variety of poetic forms that she has chosen to share with the Encounters community.  Megan is truly a 9 to 5'er artist following both of her passions in science and in art and I am so happy that she will now share her story with you.  

Now, without further ado, I present to you a collection of poems by the engineer and poet, Megan Webster.              

If you would like to read more of Megan's work, check out her novel, Mightier Than The Sword

Encounter #6: West Coast Swing with Brian

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Brian Sforzo.  Brian works as an IT professional in California.  Outside of his job, Brian is a competitive West Coast Swing dancer with a background in salsa. For his Encounter, Brian has chosen to share a West Coast Swing routine that he choreographed and performed at the U.S. Open Championships for swing.  If you would like to learn more about Brian and his passion for dance, please check out his bio on The Characters page of this website.

I Encountered Brian’s passion for dance last year at my best friend’s wedding.  As is tradition in most weddings I’ve been to, my friend’s reception was kicked off by a bridal party dance entrance.  Our role was to get the crowd pumped up for the grand entrance of the new Mr. and Mrs.  This tradition is great in concept but I find in reality it usually translates to the bridal party nervously coming onto the dance floor attempting outdated moves like “The Sprinkler” or awkwardly shimmying.  As the Maid of Honor, I had this experience and admittedly was one of those awkward people.  While I was in the middle of calculating how many drinks I would need to forget what I had just done, in steps Brian, the Best Man.  He puts the rest of the bridal party to shame as he glides down the aisle pulling the most suave dance moves I have ever seen.  Brian was the one to pump up the crowd because his euphoric excitement when dancing and performing was contagious.  For the rest of the night, Brian remained on the dance floor busting out his moves, whether it was in a partner dancing style that looked so smooth and effortless or an occasional hard hitting popping and locking solo.   

This was my introduction to Brian and his passion for dance.  Brian is the truest embodiment of passion and dedication to his craft.  Outside of his 9 to 5, Brian spends countless hours dancing - socially, choreographing, and in competition at several events throughout the year in West Coast Swing.  The balancing act is never easy (I can attest to that!) but I admire how Brian’s passion for dance and his determination to improve his craft drive him to continuously pursue his goals no matter how difficult.  I encourage you all to learn more about Brian and his fascinating “double life” as a competitive West Coast Swing dancer by visiting his bio on The Characters page of this website.

I am so happy to have Encountered someone like Brian whose dedication and love for dance I find truly inspiring.  Now, without further ado, I introduce to you our Encounter with the West Coast Swing dancer, Brian Sforzo:

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Encounter #5: Mia's Song

For this week's Encounter, I would like to share with you an original piano composition that I wrote 8 years ago entitled Mia's Song.  

If you like reading, I encourage you to check out the next chapter of my Encounters story below, but if not, I hope you enjoy this week's musical Encounter! :) 

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Where the story begins...

I grew up in a family of mostly engineers and am an engineer by training. 

I have the highest respect for engineering because I believe it is crucial to the preservation and advancement of society and yet, I think it is often overlooked and undervalued as a profession.

Despite my appreciation for engineering, I would be lying if I didn’t say that as a child, being a movie star appealed a lot more to me than being an engineer.  As a movie star, you have glitz and glamour while as an engineer, all the 18- year-old-freshman-engineering-student me could envision was a future of spreadsheets and beige khakis.

My appeal to become an actress did extend beyond the veneer of Hollywood.  My mother is an artist and my father publishes poetry in his free time therefore art has been a pillar in our family.  I have always been drawn to the performing arts because they give me a sense of exhilaration like nothing else I know.  In general, the magic of art, in whatever form it exists, has captivated me since I was young.  

It amazes me how art is born within the walls of an individual’s mind and yet it somehow is able to extend and transcend beyond all boundaries to touch the souls and imaginations of the masses, making them feel and inspiring them.  This ability to connect with humanity and impact it in a meaningful and beautiful way is what always drew me to the arts and what continuously tugged on my heart strings as I proceeded steadily down the road to become an Engineer.

The academic path for me to become an Engineer was paved by my older sister and there wasn’t much questioning of it because of rationale and money.  You attend a specialized science high school in order to get into a good engineering university because an engineering profession offers security and stability.  You trade in the exciting but expensive “college experience” advertised in pamphlets of colleges far away from your parents to attend a university in your parents’ backyard because tuition is free so college loans are a foreign concept.

It may seem at first that I reluctantly became an engineer and that my heart wasn't in it.  To be honest, there were times during my challenging chemical engineering undergraduate experience, that I wondered that myself.  Was I doing the engineering only because I was too scared to take on the unpredictable and challenging life of a professional artist?  (The term starving artist usually came to mind).  However, after 2 engineering degrees and a few years of work experience under my belt, I have come to realize that I ultimately made the decision to become an engineer, not out of robotic obligation to my parents’ desire for my security but instead, out of the obligation I feel I have to society.  The world desperately needs engineers and scientists therefore I strongly believe that if you have the capabilities to become one, it is one of the best ways to give back to society.

Fortunately, I have found a career in engineering that truly excites me.  From my job, I have come to realize that engineering is not so different from the arts that I love.  Despite what I used to think, engineering is not technically dry and stuffy.  There is a humanity to its purpose and a drama to its accomplishments.

Nonetheless, stoichiometry doesn’t quite soothe the soul like music or dance.  There has always been a part of me that needs to create and perform.  In my early 20s, I decided to stop telling myself that my identity was limited to one mold – that of the Engineer - and instead allowed myself to explore my identity in the arts.

With this decision to break my mold, the biggest question for me was how I could allow the dichotomy of the Artist and Engineer to harmoniously co-exist.

At first, I thought I had to choose so that is why after engineering graduate school, I decided to pursue acting full time.  I took classes, got headshots, took part in student films, and was in an off-Broadway play.  It was a fun experience and it exposed me to both the good and bad of being a working actor.  Although I loved the acting world and the Encounters that I had in it, I did not feel like all of who I was fit into that mold.  I missed the engineering world where I got to be the serious and nerdy problem solver so I returned to engineering and found my calling in the field of garbage (literally).

Although returning to engineering closed the curtain on the performer side of me for the past 2 years, I knew in the back of my mind that I would extend a hand to the performer once again, the only question was: How? 

Encounter #4: A Monologue in Sign by John

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, John McGinty.  John works as a professional actor in New York City.  For his Encounter, John has chosen to share a monologue from the play Tribes by Nina Raine, which was put on by Steppenwolf Theatre in 2013 .  If you would like to learn more about John, please check out his bio on The Characters page of this website.

I Encountered John and his passion for acting about 2 years ago.  John is the fiance of my friend and from several  get-togethers, I got to know John and became fascinated with his story and his accomplishments as an actor in New York City who also happens to be deaf.  

Having briefly pursued acting after graduate school, I can attest to the fact that life as a working actor in New York City is not as easy or glamorous as one may think.  This is largely because working is a difficult term to apply to actor.  While in pursuit of the elusive big break, many actors have to balance auditions, rehearsals, and performances with multiple non-acting jobs just to make ends meet.  Waitressing was a common job amongst my actor friends because it was the most conducive to the sporadic nature of auditions and call-backs.  Top exhausting jobs with constant rejection and scrutiny of your headshots (which to me is literally a resume of your face) in the competitive and grueling audition process and that is the tough life of an actor.  

Despite how tough the performing arts industry can be, I have Encountered people who are so brave, so resilient, and above all, so passionate about their art form that they choose to take the road less traveled, no matter how difficult, in pursuit of their dreams.  In my book, John is one of those fearless people and that is why I wanted to share his story and his talent with the Encounters community.

When I first saw John's monologue in Tribes, I was amazed.  John's acting transcends the boundaries of spoken word.  Through his signing, he blends the beauty of movement with the beauty of expression and as a result, his performance is both aesthetically captivating and emotional.  John opened my eyes to the world of sign acting.  The passion with which he tells his stories requires no captions or knowledge of sign language; John tells it all with just a look.  

I am so grateful to have Encountered someone like John who is truly inspirational and I am happy that he will now share his unique artistic voice with the Encounters community.  With that said, without further ado, I introduce to you our Encounter with the actor, John McGinty:    

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Encounter #3: Lindy Hop with Wei

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Wei Dai.  Wei works as a mechanical engineer in the wind turbine industry in Texas.  Outside of his job, Wei is an avid swing dancer. For his Encounter, Wei has chosen to share a group piece to his favorite swing dance, the Lindy Hop.  If you would like to learn more about Wei and his passion for dance, please check out his bio on The Characters page of this website.

I Encountered Wei’s passion for dance in college.  When Wei discovered swing dance, I could tell it was love at first sight.  He would always excitedly talk about it and in just a short period of time, it seemed he learned everything there was to know about swing, from the dance to the music to even the fashion (he knows how to rock the 1920s look!).  Wei’s enthusiasm for swing dance is contagious and the joy he exudes when he dances is captivating. 

Wei is one of those people whose passion for what he does inspires those around him and that is why he was one of the first 9 to 5’er artists I reached out to when I began developing Encounters.  You could be the most apathetic person in the world and I bet that after a conversation with Wei, you would suddenly realize that you developed a strong interest in swing dance, accordions, and renewable energy (just to name a few of Wei’s many interests!).  I am so lucky to have Encountered someone like Wei and I am happy that he will now share his story with all of you.  Encounters community, meet Wei:    

Now, without further ado, Encounters presents Lindy Hop with Wei Dai.  Take it away, Wei!

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Encounter #2: The Road to the Bridge

This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Ellen.  Ellen works as a professor of art at a college in New York City.  Outside of her job, Ellen enjoys cultivating her personal artistic voice through various visual arts media which include drawing, painting, and animation. For her Encounter, Ellen has chosen to share her animation The Road to the Bridge.  If you would like to learn more about Ellen and her work, please check out her bio on The Characters page of this website.  

My Encounter with Ellen has actually been a longstanding one and her unique quirky artistic voice has left an imprint on my own. In her art, Ellen captures emotion in the nuances of the ordinary and everyday and, as a result, she has shown me how art can push the boundaries of perception of ourselves and the world around us.  I admire Ellen's endless curiosity as an artist which has led her to recently venture from her formal training background as a painter into the world of animation.  Ellen brings together the beauty of movement in drawing and music in her animations and tells her stories with a perspective that is simultaneously humorous and reflective.  

With that said, without further ado, I introduce to you our Encounter with the artist, Ellen: 

P.S.  I encourage you to check out more of Ellen's animations on her Vimeo page

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Encounter #1: The Prelude

Last February, I sat down at my piano and wrote a song. At the time, this song was meant only for me. Its sole purpose was to help me heal and overcome. Ironically, though, from this personal endeavor sprang an idea for a project that, I hope, will embrace and celebrate the Encounters that we have with the characters that exist beyond the walls of our personal lives.

My song is entitled Waiting and being that it feels like I have been waiting forever to launch this project, I think it is a fitting title for the first Encounter that I will share.  If you like reading, I invite you to read the narrative that follows, but if not, I hope you enjoy our first official Encounter!  Hopefully this will be the start of many more to come from myself and all of you! :)  

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Have you ever felt like you’ve been forced into a mold where not all of you fits? 

Regardless of whether you are a proud self-proclaimed outsider or someone who doesn’t like to go against the grain, I wonder to what extent we all become compartmentalized by Society; being bounded and defined primarily by our occupation, education, ethnicity, and appearance. 

In our day to day, we are often referred to by our job: we are the engineer, the teacher, the nurse, the construction worker, the actress, and in the eyes of Society, it seems that defines 90% of what we know about you and who we think you are.

This concept of Society’s mold never sat well with me and for the longest time I struggled with the decision of which mold I would choose to fall into and which character in Society I would choose to play: The Artist or The Engineer?

When I was 18 and starting down my path to a professional career, this question stared me down like a forked road – the arts and engineering were opposing directions and I could only choose one.  Little did I know at the time that my future Encounters with the different characters of life would reveal that this was never actually a choice to be made, that the dichotomy that exists within all of us can harmoniously co-exist as long as we are willing to redefine the mold that confines who we really are.

And so with this prelude, I now set the stage for Encounters.