Think back to when you were a kid. What did you want to be when you grow up? Everyone has dreams of doing something great, but how many of us can say we’re actually pursuing our idealistic childhood dreams? Dawen can.

Dawen, a Taiwanese-American singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, has garnered a fair amount of Youtube fame with his smooth and soulful covers of pop hits. While he covers everything from Beyonce to Coldplay, perhaps he’s best known for his version of that catchy tune about everyone’s favorite day of the week. Dawen posted his Chinese version of Rebecca Black’s viral Internet hit “Friday”a little over two months ago and the video has already gotten over 600k views. The cover even got a mention from Carson Daly, who posted it on his AMP Radio blog.

Taiwan543 got the opportunity to sit down with Dawen recently to find out more about how he’s become the rising star he is today. We’re at S&W Country Diner in Culver City, one of Dawen’s go-to brunch spots, and ready to get to know this talented singer.

Dawen’s Mini Bio
Astrological Signs: Rooster, Scorpio
Hometown: Boston, Hong Kong, Chicago, & Los Angeles
Current City: Los Angeles
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, & Spanish
Favorite Quote: “Hone your craft.” PK, Founder of Kollaboration

3 Interesting facts about Dawen:
-  He practices Chinese by reading Doraemon comic books
-  He is into Zombies…last book he read was “World War Z” by Max Brooks
-  His favorite Taiwanese singer is Chen-Yue, Chang aka A-Yue

TW543: What were your first encounters with music? Did your parents make you learn any music instrument?
Dawen:  My parents never forced me to play any instruments. I actually asked my parents to sign me up for piano lessons when I was 6. I had my first lesson even before I owned a piano. I would place my fingers across the mantle above the fireplace and mimic the motions of pressing down on the keys.

Other than that, I also played a little bit of violin and clarinet here and there, and guitar in high school. Growing up there was always this crazy mix of different music playing in our house. My dad listened to classical music while my brother listened to a lot of jazz and rock. I was really into Disney movies and their songs.

TW543: Usher is Justin Bieber’s mentor. Who is your Usher; the most influential person in your music career?
Dawen: Growing up, my brother was always introducing me to new kinds of music. He got me hooked on jazz, reggae, and then R&B. Now that I pursue music professionally, my brother has been my #1 supporter. He’s also not afraid to lay down criticism, as harsh as it might be. I can always improve my game, knowing he is willing to tell me things I may not want to hear. Because of that, I’m always striving to be better.

TW543: When was your first appearance on YouTube? How did it happen?
Dawen: My first cover song on YouTube was “Real Love” by John Lennon. It wasn’t until the day I met David Choi, a Korean American musician and YouTube video producer, when I started taking YouTube seriously.

Back in Fall 09, David and I got a chance to hang out at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. While we were chatting, he asked me if I had a YouTube channel. I said I did, but that I wasn’t really doing anything with it. It was then that he made me realize the importance of utilizing YouTube and how it can be helpful in reaching listeners. The very next day, I released a cover of Jay Sean’s “Down”. That marked the day I began to really use YouTube as a platform to share my music.

TW543: YouTube provides more opportunities for the independent artists to get more exposure. What do you find challenging being a Youtube artist?
Dawen: Because everyone is saturated with links, it gets harder to reach people that want to hear you. Sometimes it seems like there are too many options out there. Everyone has a channel. Because of that, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that YouTube is the end-all-be-all. It’s not. Nonetheless, it can be a great addition to everything else in your music career. For example, I maintain my YouTube channel and at the same time, I plan for my college tour and work on my new album. YouTube should complement your music career not overtake it.

TW543: What’s your audience/fan base like?
Dawen: They are mostly R&B lovers, and recently more Chinese speaking fans because of the “Friday” song and the Chinese cover of “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys.

TW543: When did you decide to work full time as a musician? Did you ever work on a 9-5 schedule?
Dawen: I’ve been a full time musician since 2007. It’s tough and unstable, but it’s a tradeoff.  I absolutely love what I do, and wouldn’t choose anything else. I used to work at Starbucks in Chicago, opening the store at 4:45AM. Yeah, I don’t miss those days one bit. I decided to turn full time as a musician the minute I made sure I could pay my rent with it.

TW543: What was the last album you bought?
Dawen: Beyonce’s “4”

TW543: Who do you look up to?
Dawen: Far East Movement, because 1) They are proud of their Asian American identity. 2) They are some of the hardest working guys in the business. 3) Their music is all about having a good time. With the world being the way it is, with a weak economy and global strife everywhere, having a good time is more important than ever.

TW543: Have you ever been criticized? How do you handle criticism?
Dawen: I get criticized all the time. Some of it is valid, but a lot of it is just from trolls [online haters]. I try to stay positive without getting distracted. There are always going to be people who tell you “NO”, but don’t get distracted. Keep doing it!

TW543: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Dawen: Don’t wait for the chance to come to you. You have to create your own opportunities. Be prepared; review, practice and persist. Don’t just give up after a few attempts. Often times, the people who make it are simply the ones who never dropped out.

TW543: When was last time you went back to Taiwan? How was it?
Dawen:  2009. I ended my tour with a show at the Riverside Café (河岸留言) in Taipei. I had a great time there, except I fainted right after the show because I was so exhausted from all the traveling I did that month. In fact, I ended up going to the hospital right afterward. It was an experience for sure. Since then, I really learned how to manage my health, live a healthier lifestyle, and keep up a good endurance while touring.

TW543: Who is one Taiwanese singer you would like to work with?
Dawen: Jay Chou. He introduced a new sound to Taiwan in 2000 and continues shaping the music industry there as well as all of Asia.

TW543: Did you get influenced by any Taiwanese singers?
Dawen: David Tao and Cheng-Yue Chang. Cheng-Yue Chang especially. His lyrics are very humorous, casual and easy to understand in Chinese.

TW543: What was your high school life in Hong Kong like?
Dawen: It was crazy. I was an American who attended a British school. We didn’t have GPAs. Instead, we took exams called GCSEs and A-Levels. It was kind of like Hogwarts from Harry Potter except without the magic and castles. But instead of Gryffindor, my house name was Tasman and instead of Quidditch, I played rugby, ran track and swam.

On top of that, I spoke Mandarin, not Cantonese. I felt so removed from the local Chinese culture. It was a new experience learning bits of Cantonese outside of school while simultaneously adapting to British culture in class. A lot of my new friends were British, whereas the rest were from all over the world like New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden.

I firmly believe that living in Hong Kong’s eclectic melting pot made me realize just how strongly I identified myself as an American. At the same time, Hong Kong helped me foster an appreciation for my Asian identity. By the time I left, I felt like a citizen of the world, a globetrotter, for sure.

Upcoming Performances:
7/29 (Fri)- 9:30pm [Los Angeles]
A Celebration of Asian American Soul opening for Judith Hill
8/6 (Sat)- 7:30pm [Los Angeles]
JTown Summer Sessions

8/7 (Sun)- 7:30pm [Los Angeles]
generationNEXT! with ABDC’s Quest Crew & American Idol’s Andrew Garcia

9/17 (Sat)- 12pm-9:30pm [San Diego]
AMP Music Festival

Related Links:
Official Website: www.dawen.us
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/dawen
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dawenmusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/_dawen_

Interviewer- Christine Yeh
Photographer- Christine Yeh
Editors- David Doo & Tiffany Hsu