Asian singer/songwriter gets in tune with individual

Internationally acclaimed artist/songwriter/speaker Magdalen Hsu-Li performed at Grand Hall in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center to support Women’s History Month on Thursday night.

The Asian Culture Center sponsored the event, and director Melanie Castillo-Cullather said she wished Magdalen would further expand the contributions of Asian-American women in the arts, but particularly in the music industry, which lacks a powerful, Asian, female icon.

At the start of the performance, Magdalen stood at the microphone tuning her acoustic guitar, sporadically verbalizing various, “check one two’s.” Magdalen’s vocals were accompanied by a piano and storytelling lyrics, which she explained between songs.

Magdalen’s music stresses various themes from spirituality and diversity, to women’s issues of love, loss and relationships.

Prior to performing in front of numerous audiences and touring through the country, Magdalen told of her life experiences that have shaped her art form and gained recognition not only among an Asian audience, but other individuals as well.

Redefinition of identity, one of the main focuses she stressed to the audience, provided an outline for her lyrics and storytelling.

Growing up in the small town of Martinsville, Va., Magdalen experienced severe racism. Being one among only a handful of other Asian families, the hate she endured only turned out to shape her future. Alongside the racism was an internal battle with Tourette Syndrome, with which she was diagnosed at a very young age.

“As a child, I was an incredible target, a social outcast,” she said. “I was so lonely, I just could not foresee a future with my disorder.”

Determined not to succumb to the prejudice, or the continuous ticks she could not help, Magdalen expressed a talk she had with herself.

“You must change,” she said. “You have yourself and you have your will.”

It was this will that lead her to fight against herself and her disease. Six months later, her persistent ticks stopped.

She said this was the first redefining moment of her identity that stuck with her to lead to her current success. Her identity change took her to Rhode Island School of Design where she studied art, redefining herself again with a move to Seattle and into the world of music.

“I was a painter,” she said. “When I got to Seattle, I felt the Dao (the river of life) controlling my destiny. I met many musicians and I really just wanted the emotional connection they had with their audience.”

Her lyrics conveyed an emotional connection with the audience.

June Park, student assistant to the Asian Culture Center, said the performance was encouraging.

“I just did poorly on one of my midterms recently and was disappointed with the grade,” she said. “Her performance and what she went through in her life made me so encouraged. I just can’t explain it.”

Magdalen said the power to manifest change lies within oneself.

“What you do in life is being your highest self,” Magdalen said. “Seek the souls purpose and consciously do so.”