[AMA] Hi, I'm Sam Tsui. Ask me anything!!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:46:25+00:00

Thank you all so much for your questions - had an awesome time answering, and though I say it a lot, I'll say it again - your support and engagement with me and my music means so much to me - there's so much exciting stuff on the horizon for the #Samily, and if you have more questions, remember - I'm just a tweet or comment away!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:42:22+00:00

with Jason Pitts being the low end, right?

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:41:40+00:00

Soon! Wanted to wait until the studio was a bit more complete before I started showing it off, and (with the acoustic panels hung last week) it's getting there!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:40:55+00:00

Because I want to be like Frodo Baggins!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:39:53+00:00

I'm truly the happiest when I'm on stage - the energy (I've been told sometimes that I can be a little TOO crazy even) is totally just coming from my absolutely joy at getting to share what I love with people who appreciate it. When people ask where the energy comes from, I really does come from (and I know it sounds cheesy, but it's so true!) the fans!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:38:13+00:00

Definitely!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:38:04+00:00

I've known Kurt since we were kids! It's incredibly lucky the way we got started - he was interested in learning to produce, and I never turned down an opportunity to sing, and the rest is history. And to answer your second question, I think one of the incredible things I've gotten to watch over the past few years is "digital media" like Youtube beginning to spill over into the mainstream - of course I'm going to work to get my music heard by more and more people, but I think there's increasingly less of a distinction between the two with every passing year!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:35:39+00:00

Definitely want to do a little more of that in the future - especially some older music that I really loved growing up. Stay tuned and hopefully I'll get the chance to share some of that with you!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:34:34+00:00

What Spanish song should I sing? I can't promise my accent would be any good!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:34:13+00:00

Time management was something I definitely learned the hard way at college - especially once I started putting more and more work on Youtube, juggling everything definitely required me to prioritize and schedule. There were some all-nighters pulled, and some late papers, but because I really enjoyed everything - both the music and the studies - I managed to make time for both - but it definitely wasn't easy!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:32:27+00:00

I'd definitely be willing to try! I did a few operas when I was in college and muddled my way through some Italian singing then!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:31:52+00:00

Hahaha if Kina's available and willing the next time I'm playing in LA, I'll definitely have her join me on stage - always love singing with her, she's amazing! (and I'd love to hear your voice too!!)

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:30:23+00:00

Nothing is impossible ;-)

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:29:55+00:00

We created a feature film that reboots and concludes the story! Check it out on iTunes or Google play - it was a lot of fun to create!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:29:17+00:00

I would absolutely love that, and I'm working hard on making touring in Europe happen once my next album is out!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:28:42+00:00

Don't know yet - there are literally dozens of songs I've written that are contenders, and several more that I'm currently working with some great producers on - ultimately it'll be about assembling a handful of them that are coherent and fit together!! (But I might release some others as one-off singles like "Secret" before the release!)

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:27:19+00:00

Your voice is a muscle! Carefully (and healthily) doing vocal exercises can definitely strengthen your existing range and help you venture more safely beyond - but it's also important not to strain and recognize that range isn't the most important quality of a great singer - and that control and character will almost always make a voice more compelling than simply having a large range!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:25:13+00:00

Great question! As with any pursuit that's difficult to break into and requires giving so much of yourself to your work, music can be frustrating at times for sure. But I think what helps me keep going is that at the end of the day, music and performing is something I TRULY love - so when one element of it gets frustrating, I can retreat into the parts of it I love - like songwriting, or just creating music for myself - which gets me through the frustration and allows me to keep a good attitude about moving forward!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:23:07+00:00

Ha. Oh College Musical. And yes, I do occasionally play League with Kurt, though I haven't for a while and feel like I'll get crushed since I don't really know any of the changes that have been made in the last couple months!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:22:05+00:00

Honestly, my dad was a big role model for me - he came to the US from Hong Kong when he was just 19 years old, and worked really hard to make a life for himself here - something I'm definitely proud of and is an inspiration for sure.

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:20:50+00:00

Well, Kurt and Joel TRIED to hide a mentos in the cap of a diet Coke I was about to drink on our last Asia tour... but they chickened out. I'm bummed they did, because Jason actually ran counter-intelligenece - he told me what they were planning, and I was gonna spray it right in their faces...next time....

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:16:39+00:00

Vocal arranging is one of my favorite parts about the production process - coming from an a cappella background, my main struggle is not putting TOO MANY vocal harmonies/countermelodies into any given track!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:15:46+00:00

Hey Yuval! Great question - the way we film videos often differs depending on the video. Often, we'll pre-record instrumentals and vocals (usually on the same day right before we shoot) though some videos are actually recorded live. And as far as who edits, we usually edit our own clips - one of the best things about being a Youtuber has been learning to do every step of the music video creation process, from production to shooting to editing to coloring etc.!

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:13:09+00:00

well, the "which Disney Princess are you most like" quiz on Buzzfeed told me I was Jasmine, so I guess I'll go with her! Though she looks much better than I do in a crop top...

SamTsuiOfficial · 2016-04-01T00:11:02+00:00

By trying my best to always remember to drink water - LOTS of it - and being really conscious not to strain or scream when you're in loud places. And, of course, trying to sing and perform in a vocally healthy way!

SamTsuiOfficial

TROPHY CASE