Navigating the Hip Hop Landscape With Wandering Scholar

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With the proliferation of YouTube tutorials and music producing software available online, coupled with platforms such as Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and QQ, it’s becoming increasingly easier for young people to share their voice with the world, and to let their vision flourish. Whereas kids used to toil away in their bedrooms or garage, plucking at a guitar and hoping to be discovered by a small cohort of kingmakers and gatekeepers otherwise known as Major Label Executivess, the 21st century is ripe for an egalitarian artistic landscape.

One budding musician who’s taking full advantage of the digital music world is William Z, aka Wandering Scholar who will turn 19 this May. Originally from Zhengzhou, Henan. William has been living in Beijing for four years and is currently a student at Harrow Beijing (HBJ). Having just released his second single, “Vibing, a follow-up to “Stairs/Fears” which dropped late last year, I sat down with William to talk about what pushes him to make music, and how it helps him make sense of the world.

Tell us about the first time that music truly spoke to you, or affected you in that deep and visceral way music lovers experience?

To be honest, I can’t remember the very first time. But I do recall one particular experience that had a great impact on me. I was around 13-years-old and was sitting on a swing in the playground where we lived listening to some instrumental music on my phone. It was night time. The music filled my mind, transporting me to another world that is quite beautiful. I love that music can take me on surreal journeys through space and time to different places and bring me amazing, out-of-this-world feelings.

What is your musical background? Did you start off by producing beats on the computer, or were you trained on other, more ‘classical’ instruments?

I have very little formal training in music. When I was in primary school, I was inspired and motivated to learn to play the traditional Chinese bamboo flute. Later, while in middle school, I became interested in the piano. I took a few lessons and then quit so that I can practice on my own, the kind of music that spoke to my heart. I would download the music score, listen to the music and then try to master the pieces. Though I didn’t get far in learning to play the bamboo flute and the piano, I still love both instruments and hope to pick them up again and master them in the future.

Deep down inside, I have always wished I could create my own music. Not having a solid foundation in music training was a major keep back for a long time. It was only last summer that I discovered there are all sorts of fantastic music-making software out there that make it possible for anyone to make music. I was very excited and went on YouTube to learn how to use them. However, the learning curve was much steeper than I expected, so I’m still improving my skills. But because there are many platforms on which I’m able to hire music composers to help me make professional arrangements with my directing, I could still move forward with making my music.

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What does hip-hop mean to you and who are some of your biggest influences?

My taste in music varies, with hip-hop being one of my favorite genres. The vibe I get from the different styles and artists are varied. Some songs make me feel hyped up and some would make me feel like chilling and being laid back.

Wandering Scholar is a really cool name that evokes images of philosophers shuffling around dusty cities, dispensing wisdom across the ancient world. How did you come up with it?

I had similar images in my mind when I created this name.  I came up with this name about three years ago. The meaning behind this name links to what I want to be and what I want to do. I want to accomplish a lot of things in diverse areas. For example, I want to make movies, write novels, create music, perhaps even dabble in business. Therefore, I chose the word “wandering” as I will be traveling to different “places” in this “long journey”. In my opinion, a scholar isn’t just someone who has gathered a lot of knowledge in the classroom only. A scholar is someone who can go out and explore, experience, and create things in the world, which is how I would like to be.

Could you tell us a little bit about how you approach songwriting? The eternal question, right? What came first, the lyrics or the music?

Usually, I am motivated to create a song when I want to express some feelings, ideas or preserve something, which could be anything like my memories and experiences. In terms of the order, the music always comes first and then the lyrics. Sometimes, I would be inspired to make a song about something. My first step would be to create a great melody for it, then write the lyrics. But most of the time, the melodies reach out to me first. For example, a great melody might suddenly come to my mind when I am walking my dog. That’s why I always carry my phone, so I could record these ideas before they slip away. I usually record me humming the melody.

Your song “Stairs/Fears” juxtaposes lyrics about hope and optimism with a more melancholic overture. As if to say, positivity is possible in this world, but it’s tenuous or fleeting, something we have to work for. The name itself suggests that as we ascend the staircase to self-actualization, we’ll consistently be met with fear and self-doubt. Or as you say, “Waiting in the dark for the bright light”. Can you talk a little more about that?

You are right. We have to work toward positivity and for the great things that we want in life. I chose the word “stairs” to represent the process and effort that I must make in my pursuit of the things that I want. Actually, it symbolizes the path that everyone has to take in order to reach their goals. Traveling the path alone, in itself, requires effort and endurance, but there will be other things along the way that pose challenges, which, if you don’t deal with in the proper way, might eventually prevent you from reaching your goals. Not knowing what to expect and the uncertainties about one’s capability to handle the unexpected in the right way are the things that usually create fear in people’s minds as they reach for success. Personally, I am not worried about the challenges that I’m going to face. I am afraid of being changed by things and becoming someone who is more focused on materialistic things. I am also afraid of losing my creative and adventurous spirit which I feel are the driving forces that would help accomplish my success. You know how people lose their dreams when they grow up? I don’t want to become someone who settles for less than I hope to achieve, and pretend that I don’t mind that I didn’t attain my goals. That’s some of the hidden meaning in the lyrics:

“Pretending you don’t care

Looking at elsewhere

Suddenly then you hear

Someone crying oh dear, that is my fear”

This was the first piece of music that I’ve ever created,  I wanted to write down my hope, expectations, and my fears as I took the first step on this creative path. I think this theme will exist in some of my other songs. Because I hope to reach different places/levels in the future and I would have this to look back at as a starting point. By then, I might be answering the questions that I asked myself in “Stairs/Fears” and ask more questions in these songs.

Scan the QR code to listen to Stairs/Fears

Following up on the last question, where do you draw inspiration from when you’re writing a song? Not only musical inspiration, but also from the world around you? What do you hope your listeners take away from your music?

I write about things that are important and meaningful to me, that is after creating the melodies and having the beats made. I don’t make music for making music’s sake or try to find things to write about. I make music only when I want to express something that’s on my mind and are usually things born out of my experiences. For example, I decided to write the song “Vibing” because I found myself reminiscing about, and missing the time when my family went on a trip to The Bahamas when I was a kid. We vacationed at the Atlantis which is one of the best holidays I ever had.

Scan the QR code to listen to “Vibing”

What does Wandering Scholar have planned for the future?

I plan to make an R&B song for my next release. In the future, I would love to make Disney-style music like “I See The Light”, and instrumental music as they have always had a big impact on me.

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Photos: Courtesy of William Z., unsplash, giphy

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