Filmmaker Statement

First Movement (Sonata) I was four years old when my Chinese grandfather ordered the VHS tape that would change the course of my life. He’d seen an infomercial for Andre Rieu, a famous Dutch violinist, performing Méditation from Thaïs – his favorite piece – and one week later, I was enrolled in private violin lessons. At my first recital, I squeaked out a rusty, anemic version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and my fate was sealed. Second Movement (In Two Parts) Too weak to play sports and too shy to talk to girls, I was blessed to spend the next twelve years practicing the violin, which landed me at the top magnet high school in the U.S.: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Once there, I firmly believed I would overwhelm the school orchestra with my God-given talent. Instead, I was immediately surpassed by virtuosos who more resembled machines than humans. Thoroughly outdone, I settled for the noble way out: I quit. Fifteen years later, I couldn’t have en