Yuquan Chen

One might say that everyone dreams for a bit of stardom when they grow up. I am no exception. I have a dream. I have always hoped that one day, I could stand on the world’s biggest stage and sing loudly!

However, following the road of life, I passed up my opportunity to become a professional. The feeling of regret becomes stronger as I age. This is a big reason I am still "dreaming"! The passion to sing and perform was my childhood dream and it still lives within me today. I have always believed that opportunities I have missed in the past will come true in the future, if I am willing to chase them.

BEGINNINGS

I recall my humble introduction to singing when I was very young, during the Cultural Revolution period in Lanzhou, Northwest China. During this time, our dictatorship banned all literary and artistic works except for the eight “Revolutionary Operas” - one for every 100 million people in China. They played constantly from our antique radio, along with political propaganda.

I lived with my parents in a two-story complex with two sisters and one brother. I was called the “Little Four”, as I was the youngest. Our neighbors always knew when I was coming home because I would be singing the operas before I even set foot in the building. I would gather my siblings and neighbor’s children to assign roles to and would direct these revolutionary operas in my home. As such, they were my first audience and cast, and my wooden bed, my first “stage”.

Apart from Peking operas, when in Lanzhou I also became obsessed with singing Shaanxi Qin Qiang opera. Qin Qiang is a bold, resounding style of opera popular in my homeland in Northwest China. I am proud to have inherited this style of singing, which captures the power and pride of the region’s people and landscape.

DISCOVERING TERESA TENG & NEW GENRES

I must dedicate a paragraph to talking about Teng Lijun - better known by her stage name Teresa Teng - who was a Taiwanese singer and actress known for her uniquely mellifluous voice and romantic melodies. She is one of my first and biggest inspirations. I first heard her songs in high school and was immediately attracted to it, spending my time during recess learning to imitate her iconic voice and perform for my classmates. Unfortunately, our faculty strongly disapproved of the themes in her music, calling it “anti-red”, “capitalist”, and “corrupt.” I was often scolded for my rebellious behavior, at one point losing a scholarship due to me declaring “I will continue to sing!” during class. But my enthusiasm for singing Teng’s songs has never disappeared, and I still enjoy it to this day.

Just around the time when China began its reform, I was admitted to the University of Science and Technology of China to study chemistry, which gave me the opportunity to hear foreign songs for the first time. I became fascinated by these exotic and pleasant pieces of music. The Carpenters’ American songs were my favorite, and I still like them a lot.

Of course, the social climate of that time made these foreign songs a bit controversial. I remember causing a commotion in the crowd when I sang one of Karen Carpenter’s songs in a campus performance. “Yellow” songs, which openly expressed hedonism and romantic themes, were considered “promiscuous” at the time. To see a singer holding a microphone and projecting such lyrics to a crowd made my performance all the more outrageous. Despite the fuss, I also received a lot of encouragement and praise which cemented my habit of singing English songs. It may have even subtly influenced my decision to emigrate to the United States later on.

Indeed, I was an impassioned and headstrong child, who didn’t like being told what I could or could not sing. I had always felt that music was something to be embraced and shared with everyone.

COMING TO THE UNITED STATES / PRESENT DAY

Eventually, I emigrated to the United States to follow those who were seeking bigger opportunities. Due to limited resources, I was unable to take the risk of attending an arts school to pursue my dream of becoming a professional singer. Instead, I studied IT and started a small online business so that I could support my two children from home.

Whenever possible, I would record my voice and take part in local performances as an actor or singer to keep my passion alive. I’ve performed singing and acting roles at Quincy city for the Chinese Moon Festival, where I sang “My Beloved Hometown” and “The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.” I have participated in the first Grand Chinese Karaoke Competition in Massachusetts, the Yellow River Cantata at Jordan Hall and Yale University, sang solos for the Boston area Chorus and Greater Boston Yellow River Art Society Chorus, and a few other productions.

In the present day, my library of home recordings and music videos is expansive and continues to grow. I have also developed an interest in modeling and fashion, which is captured in my photo gallery. I wanted to create this portfolio website to share my love of music and art with the rest of the world, so that in some way my voice can continue to be heard.

I truly hope that hearing my voice brings you a feeling of happiness!

CREDITS

The modern version of this site was entirely designed and programmed by my daughter Xuan Chau, who is now a professional software engineer and illustrator. She also helped me write this biography and other parts of the site. I could not have done this without her!