The Emotional World of “From Nowhere Within” with Mei-Yun Lee of Mandy Mermaid Music

I sincerely appreciate the recognition from the LIT Music Awards. It has given me the opportunity to share my work with a wider audience and receive meaningful support along the way.

I hope there will be more opportunities for collaboration in the future, allowing me to continue sharing my music and connecting with people through it.

This goes back to my junior high school years. My grandfather was seriously ill and had been hospitalized for a long time. Whenever I visited him, I would play videos of my musical performances. Even while living with dementia, he would quietly tear up every time he heard my music.

That experience left a profound impact on me and allowed me to truly understand the healing power of music. It also strengthened my determination to continue pursuing music as my life’s path.

Rather than coming from something unusual, my inspiration often comes from the most ordinary moments — especially while taking a shower. It may sound surprising, but I actually find it fascinating.

I often sing in the shower, and whenever the water starts running, ideas begin to flow just as naturally. Many of my melodies and lyrics are born in those moments.

Like many people in my country, I keep a bag of Kuai Kuai (puffed corn snacks) on my computer as a good-luck charm, believing it helps ensure that my recording and production process runs smoothly.

In each of my musical works, I approach composition as though shaping a carefully orchestrated symphony. Although “From Nowhere Within” features a minimal, single-instrument arrangement, the vocal details throughout the piece are thoughtfully and intricately crafted.

In my other works, additional instrumental layers are introduced and woven together with intention, creating a distinctive and immersive listening experience.

I hope that through listening to my music, audiences can reconnect with their original intentions. In those moments, they can let go of their concerns, be fully present, and embrace their truest selves.

I am currently a full-time graduate student. Looking back, one of the challenges I encountered was that although I began learning instruments such as piano, flute, and guitar at a young age, I did not follow a formal music education path from the beginning. It was only in university, when I pursued a minor in music, that I began receiving professional training.

Compared to peers who had been formally trained from an early age, my journey was more challenging. Yet rather than holding me back, it became a driving force that pushed me to work harder, step beyond the traditional boundaries of classical music, and continue exploring new possibilities in pop and innovative musical expression.

Kevin Kern, an American pianist and composer, was one of the first artists to inspire my love for music. When I was very young, my family would often play his album In the Enchanted Garden, which became deeply meaningful to me.

Even without lyrics, the piano melodies brought me a sense of calm, healing, and comfort, and through those moments, I began to truly fall in love with music.

My senior year of university marked a turning point in my career. At the time, alongside my passion for songwriting, I began teaching myself film scoring. I later participated in a national music design competition organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government, where I received an Honorable Mention!

It was the first time I had received national-level recognition for music composition, and it meant a great deal to me. The experience gave me tremendous encouragement while also inspiring me to broaden my creative perspective — exploring new directions beyond songwriting and opening up greater possibilities for my future career.

“From Nowhere Within” is the purest question emerging from the depths of the soul — one that invites reflection while offering healing.

The most challenging aspects of this piece lie in the melody and the emotional interpretation of the vocals. I aimed to convey a sense of sincerity intertwined with subtle uncertainty, as expressed through the lyrics.

The melody was intentionally crafted to feel simple and relaxed, creating a contrast against the underlying unease, while the nuanced vocal delivery adds greater depth and emotional dimension to the piece.

Recently, I released a new song, “來自發光的你” (“The Light Within You”), an uplifting and emotionally healing piece.

Here is the song description:

Some people spend their lives chasing the shadows of others, while others find themselves caught between dreams and reality. Without realizing it, they begin to overlook the quiet glimmer within their own hearts — a subtle light that continues to flicker. Even in moments of unease, when one feels broken or lost, that light continues to shine. And the voice that has long deserved to be heard has never truly come from anyone else. It has always come from within — you, the one who shines.

Looking ahead, I hope to expand beyond my current musical style and explore new creative directions. I’m especially interested in experimenting with R&B, challenging myself artistically while offering listeners a fresh and different musical experience.

I greatly admire Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin. His voice has a uniquely rich and magnetic quality, effortlessly shifting from softness and warmth to strength and intensity. The depth and nuance of his emotional expression are something I deeply aspire to learn from.

If I were ever given the opportunity to collaborate with him, it would be a tremendous honor. I would love to create a lyrical duet with layered harmonies, inspired by the style of Beautiful, his collaboration with G.E.M.

To be honest, I never expected to receive this award. In fact, I hesitated at first, unsure whether I should even submit my work. It was my family’s encouragement that gave me the courage to take that step, and because of it, I was able to receive this recognition.

To my fellow musicians, I would like to say: if you want to make the impossible possible, everything begins with believing in yourself.