Listening to the music in his soul, he can only do what he believes in.

Lee Hom describes himself as a wandering gypsy, searching for the music within his heart. He made music with for the environment, made noise for the poverty stricken children in the world, using the noise within his soul to sing about things he believes in.

After he past 30 years old, Lee Hom really has turned into an adult. On the outside, he has grown a mustache; more maturity has been added to his usual sunshine smile. In his heart, he has become surer that he wants “to do whatever I believe in.” He says, “I have sacrificed a lot for work. I’ve lost a normal lifestyle, love, family, and instability. My house is two suitcases. I need to do what I truly believe in; only then there is true meaning to everything I do!”

He headed away from the music industry’s orientation towards love songs and persisted in releasing his Change Me album, bravely using his yearly album to talk about the environment and scaring his company. He sacrificed his thanksgiving holiday in order to follow World Vision to Laos in order to visit his sponsor children. He used his public figure status in order to help the poverty stricken children in the world make some noise.

I am very lucky in going with World Vision on this travel. In his 8 days there, Lee Hom revealed some secrets.

“My house are these two suitcases. Everything I own is in them. I bring them from stage to stage.” Wherever he goes, Lee Hom will bring a small backpack. Inside are a small keyboard and a sound mixer. His small, black bag is his world. No matter where he drifts to in the world, he can still compose music.

In order to get pocket money, he started delivering newspapers since he was 9. His older brother found this job though, but he never knew after his brother did not want to do it anymore, this hard task would all fall upon him. As an honest child, he delivered newspapers every morning on a bicycle and when it snowed he would obediently walk. Everyone always talks about his wealthy background but he replies, “My mom would always cuts coupons every week. Not every doctor family in the US is wealthy.” Many doctor families will raise their children strictly so ever since Lee Hom was young, he learned the violin. However when he really wanted to be a musician, his parents were still hesitant.

Lee Hom laughs, “Actually I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up and my brain was blank. I only knew music made me very happy.” Ever since he was a baby, music was already the most important thing in his life. When he was 4, he watched his brother learn the violin and became jealous. When his brother played the wrong note, he quickly gave him cues. But because he was too young there wasn’t a suitable violin for him. His mom could only use an empty box to pretend as a violin; chopsticks were used as the bow. It was difficult to wait until 6 years old so he could finally learn. He happily describes, “Just give me a violin and then I can leave the earth!”

17 years old, Lee Hom returns to Taiwan for the first time. He participated in the Wooden boat folk song competition and performed Andy Lau’s [忘情水]. But in reality he could not understand the lyric meaning.

During his vacation when he was 19 years old, he released his first album “Love Rival Beethoven.” Even a casual release during that time could sell 10 thousand. He only sold 3 thousand though. The money he received was the same as if he worked as a cashier in the US.

“The difference between idols and wandering artists is that one has a stylist and one does not!”

Lee Hom did not suddenly become famous; he had to climb up slowly with one CD after another. He was scared to compose when he started. He isn’t an arrogant person and doe not like bragging about American culture. On the contrary, he works hard to learn mandarin songs. What others give, he sings, slowly comprehending the culture behind mandarin songs.

When he released his second album If You Heard My Song, he used a whole vacation to record and write. When the arrangement teacher was working, he learned on the side. “Ah so that’s how people choose the timbre.” The main single for his third album Missing You was his own work which gave him a lot of encouragement. He composed for half of his fourth album White Paper. When he released his fifth album Revolution he was only 23 years old. He already received the Golden Melody Award for best male vocalist and best producer. From then his idol image changed to music creator.

We asked Lee Hom, “How big is the disparity between your idol image and wandering artist?” During the days when he doesn’t have to promote, he is really “natural.” He doesn’t shave, randomly puts on clothes, does not care about appearance, and only focuses on music. He laughs, “The only difference is a stylist, and I don’t have a single one!”

”My music is from my soul. What I sing is for my soul to hear”

Lee hom really likes telling jokes but when it comes to music, his expression becomes serious and he talks a lot more. When asked, “Where does your inspiration come from?” He answers seriously, “Music inspiration comes from my soul. What I sing is also for my soul to hear.”

In order to capture the music within his heart, he has traveled to the extents of the world. A couple of years ago, he rented an apartment on a street and was by himself making music. The summers were too hot but he was scared the air conditioner was going to be too loud so he could only hit his red arm and endure mosquito bites.

In order to invite award winning sound mixer Mick Guzuaski, he went to New York. Every day he took a 2 hour train and then drove another hour to the recording studio deep within the mountains. Sometimes he only ate one meal a day and when he was tired on the road, he would stop on the side roads of the mountain to rest. Wild deer were often curious and stood outside the car windows looking.

During a media interview, A Mei described Lee Hom, “He loves music like his own child. Music is his life. On the other hand, once he leaves music he is like a child. He is cute but is also easily injured because he won’t take care of himself.”

Watching a music creator release himself without any hesitation is of course a little startling, especially when he sings the noise within his soul for you. He says, “The soul can not take a vacation.” Through Shangri-La he created Chinked-Out and sings it for the traditional blood flowing within him; Change Me talks about the environment and he sings it for his own conscience.

How about his love life? I want to recommend Change Me’s last song. He drank a little alcohol, found a recording studio with a piano and recorded from 10 PM to 10 AM, by himself. He subtly reveals his loneliness in his singing. “I do not want to go anywhere Saturday midnight. I cannot sleep/ watching the TV and continuing to be in a daze, somewhat drunk/ closed my eyes and tried to not think about you but it’s too late/ forgetting how to stop the tears from flowing down, fortunately no on will see so no one will say anything/ Saturday midnight I think about you, nothing special just memories. You let me be free and I am very thankful/ Saturday midnight no one can ever replace you. That is the taste of regret, never leaving my shadow. I will smile tomorrow but I can not forget you.” (Sorry if lyric translations are a bit off)

When he sings this song, his voice is hoarse which wasn’t created on purpose. The media is always guessing at his love life. But for fans, instead of these rumors, why not get more truth from an honest song instead.

”I was not born to sing. Every day I have to practice. Other people may be scared when they hear me practice!”

When other people look at Lee Hom, they think he is so perfect that it makes people angry! But when he looks at himself, he always thinks it is not enough. He dislikes the fact that his voice is not good enough. He practices everyday. During 2006 he received Golden Melody Award for Best Male Vocalist, in his speech he said that he never believed he could just sing. Everything came from hard practice and he even told everyone who have dreams that if you practice, there is hope.

He wrote long messages on his website. During the year 1999 when he received his first best vocalist award, he knew what he had wasn’t good enough. He firmly resolved to practice to be even better. When he practices he will pick the hardest parts. He happily laughs, “When people hear me practicing they will definitely be scared!” Even when he had free time in Laos, he would open his mouth and do voice exercises. Senior 張宇 even said to contestants during a contest, “Even Lee hom practices everyday, how can you guys not work hard?”

Tang Wei also said once, “Lee Hom is very cute. When he believes he has not done it good enough he will work very hard to do it again. He will use all methods possible to do it until he is satisfied.”

After cast for Lust Caution, Lee Hom really did his homework. Being a left handed person, he practiced to write Chinese calligraphy with his right hand. He read Xu Zhimo’s poems and would even walk around his home wearing old western style clothing and leather boots. He would even listen to only music from the 30s. The movie did not arrange for him to write calligraphy, but he still practiced in order to write Kuang Yu Min’s soul into Wang Lee hom’s body.

”I can go on forever, following my soul and inspiration. But, when will I stop?”

Lee Hom persists that artists must be sincere. He doesn’t run the KTV road. Chinked-Out can make money and Heroes of Earth won many big awards; so naturally he should continue doing it, but Lee Hom had to release Change Me and talk about the environment.

The record company scolded him, “Environmental protection is for old artists to do!” But he didn’t care. Lee Hom says, “I have to do what I believe in! As long as I believe in it, I do not mind running across the extents of the earth in order to promote it!”

When faced with things he believes in, Lee Hom is really adamant! He does not care about being placed with a political label and talked to Mr. Ma Ying-jeou about Taiwan’s new international view in a function. On his travel in Laos, he was more involved than anyone, eating what we were afraid to eat, squatting in a dirty house, and silently enduring everything.

But like everyone, he has fears. He says, “I am very scared, always asking myself when will I stop? Will I never stop and keep going? Following my inspiration, I can go on forever. I also want to do movie music, musicals, classical music, and open a music school. These are all my dreams but when will I stop? During the 8 days at Laos, I slowly realized the meaning of stopping. When we were interviewing a small village, the whole family was sitting at the table eating dinner, the women were talking, men were sitting at the side, and children were running around in the garden. Suddenly Lee Hom reveals jealousy in his eyes. He desolately says, “During the year, the times me and my family can eat together do not exceed 3. Sigh, I also want my own family and children.”

On the last day at Laos, we returned to Vientiane. He freely walked the night markets. There are no fans there and no citizens surrounding him. Lee Hom did not have to change to go on the streets and could run anywhere in the streets without anyone caring. When eating chocolate at the mini mart he cried “so crisp!” He also drank beer on the side of the street and was very happy. He was very cute in the toot cars, randomly shouting in happiness.
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The Lee Hom then was not a prince, not an idol, but only a normal, fun-loving young person. Having been in the industry for 12 years, he has not been this free for a very long time.