My deep music connection

After years of performing, teaching, and training across the globe, my passion for music and theater has fully bloomed in Shenzhen. Whether directing student musicals or singing at charity events, I've found the city’s energy and openness to be the perfect backdrop for my next act — one that blends art, education, and a lifelong love of the stage.

My connection to music began early. My mother took me to church from the age of 3, and by 7, I had joined the choir. At school, I immersed myself in musical theater and later joined a local amateur group. I went on to study drama at university, where I acted in several theater productions.

At the time, musical theater wasn’t taken seriously in my academic environment. People saw it more as entertainment than real art. That perception led me to step away from the genre for many years.

My passion for music returned gradually, rekindled by a personal loss. After my mother — who had enjoyed singing but never pursued it seriously — passed away, I decided to take the leap my mother hadn’t. I began voice lessons and performance training, eventually traveling to Brazil, France, Denmark, Spain, and the U.S. to attend theater workshops and even enter a singing competition. Later, I worked on theater productions during a stint in Africa.

In the U.K., I ran community arts projects funded by the national lottery, organizing small theater events that often involved children. I shifted to full-time teaching in my mid-30s, a transition that brought me back to musicals. It was so much fun. Young people bring such energy to the stage.