Hometown: Greenwich, CT
What's something on your bucket list?
When my dad was in his late 20s, he quit his job in finance and traveled across Europe for six months, where he took cooking classes, learned a new language, and experienced slices of history that are no longer around today. This is also on my bucket list. I want to travel to Europe with no responsibilities except to explore and immerse myself in a new culture, learn a new language, and gain new skills.
What actor would you cast to play yourself in a movie about yourself and why?
As a musician and his biggest fan, I would be honored to have Bruno Mars play me in a movie about my life. I’ve often been told my positive, energetic, and charismatic personality resembles his. My life has been full of adversity, success, failure, and adventure, but at the core of it all has always been music, so I see it fitting to have a half-Filipino (which I often get mistaken for) musician play me.
What's your favorite place you've traveled to and why?
It’s so hard to say because I’ve traveled to over 30 different countries and 37 U.S States. If I had to pick one though, it would be Vietnam. I was adopted from Vietnam when I was 17 months old. I’ve been back twice, first when I was 18 years old for two months, where I volunteered and traveled independently, and then again, when I was 21 years old with my family. It is a beautiful country with rich culture and delicious food, and it is obviously close to my heart, as I was born there and feel a deep connection to the country.
Favorite family tradition:
I was raised half Jewish on my dad’s side in the Northeast, and half Christian on my mom’s side in Belgium. Every year we would go up to Poughkeepsie to my uncle’s beautiful, historic Victorian house and celebrate Passover. All my cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles would join for a magnificent feast, the story of Passover, and an unforgettable time.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
It was an amazing experience working in the music industry for the past four years, and I am most proud that I was a part of several incredible artists’ careers. One of the first projects I worked on was for “Latto”, previously known as “Mulatto”, and that project went Gold two years into my career, and then Platinum shortly after. It was an honor and privilege to be a leader on the team that has worked with Latto, Saucy Santana, Gunna, Trinidad Cardona, Ann Marie, Baby Tate, and several other incredible Urban artists out of Atlanta.
What did you want to be when you were small?
A musician. My dad plays classical piano and I grew up singing next to him at the piano in our living room. I always carried around a little guitar with me everywhere I went and would sing nonstop. I wanted to be just like Raffi, Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan.
What is your latest book recommendation?
Donald Passman’s “All You Need to Know About the Music Business”. Working in the music industry for four years, this book was our go-to literature for anyone who wanted to dive into independent music. It is a thorough crash course explaining how the music industry works, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand what I did for a living.
Your life story in one sentence:
A dramatic and delicious musical around the world with never a dull moment, always full of music, traveling, and great food.
My favorite restaurant in Atlanta:
Buttermilk Kitchen. Coming down to the south, I was introduced to Southern Brunch. Buttermilk Kitchen is my go-to spot for an undeniably delectable brunch.
My favorite comfort food or family recipe:
My mom’s lasagna. My mom is an incredible cook, and one of my favorite recipes of hers is her lasagna. She’ll make a dozen trays of lasagna at a time, and nothing reminds me of home and my family more than that dish.
