Living with Music Vol.16〜Weining Hung(Taiwan)

Weining Hung (Taiwan)

Co-founder of "LUCfest"(Tainan)

Weining Hung(L), KK(R)

　I had invited Weining Hung to Okinawa as a speaker at “Trans Asia Music Meeting (TAMM)” in February of this year. However, due to the occasional spread of COVID-19 and the premature timing of the Taiwanese government's increased quarantine, we were unable to get her to travel to Okinawa.

　I first met Weining at "LUCfest" in Tainan in the autumn of 2017. I was introduced to participate in this event by Budda Terao of "Moon Romantic Records". He said, "There are people who are thinking about linking up with the Asian music professionals”.

　Weining and KK, who runs White Wabbit Records in Taipei, along with many fellow to create this festival. As this was the first edition, I still had the impression that it was chaotic, but it seemed to have a tremendous momentum. The event was a whirlwind of energy.

　I didn't realize at the time that the tall Thai singer-songwriter who sang in a small live music venue was Phum Viphurit, who would gain international attention the following year. Phum's global success is due to Weining’s work.

　Likewise, the popular Korean band ADOY was launched overseas and last year, Weining instantly spotted Yuta Orisaka at “Sakurazaka ASYLUM” in Okinawa and booked him for "LUCfest".

　Weining's curation is spot on. Many in the Asian music professionals are watching her every move. That's why I want her to hear the sound of the Okinawan bands I want to recommend first.

　Currently, Weining is moving around to introduce the world to independent Asian music, based in Taiwan and the Netherlands. While COVID-19 is clearly a major stumbling block to this, they were quick to announce that "LUCfest" will be held this November. How do they plan to make this happen in the difficult circumstances that lie ahead?　 Her leadership in assessing the situation flexibly and choosing the best option at the time may be a compass for Asian indie music.
(Ryuji Noda / Music from Okinawa)

"LUCfest 2019"@Tainan
Conference”Asian Music Promotion Platform”
Weining is the second from the right. Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Okinawa, etc. Members from each country gathered to discuss. Hot.

Q: I was very disappointed that you were not able to come to TAMM. Did you return to the Netherlands from Taiwan after that? Or did you stay in Taiwan?

　“I was also so disappointed that I wasn’t able to go to TAMM! I was really looking forward to visiting Okinawa again to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
　My flight to the Netherlands was cancelled, but this was right when the Pandemic in Europe started to get really serious. So, I decided to stay in Taiwan for the time being.”

Q: The Taiwanese government's response to COVID 19 was very quick this time around. What was your impression of that?

　“The government’s reaction was definitely quick and swift at the very beginning. Border control was strict very early on, and we were required to wear facial masks and practice proper social distancing as early as January. Personally, I felt really lucky and safe to be in Taiwan during this period of time.”

Q: How was the work situation in late February and March?

　“It was chaos and took all of us by surprise! We had plans for the coming months, but had to quickly come up with a Plan B and even a Plan C. At the time, people were only starting to realize the threat of the virus; so we actually had solid plans for LUCfest. But of course, we had to adapt to the new reality of the world.”

Sweet John(Taiwan)@LUC fest 2019

Q: As a result, the music industry everywhere has been hit hard. That is likely to leave a big scar in the future, but how is your current business situation?

　“We continue to have our weekly meetings in the office with no problem. Majorities of the meetings are still happening in an office space. And recently, we’ve also started working a lot with our partners and sponsors.
　But what’s new to us are all the zoom calls and online conferences with people all over the world. Which helps us work toward our goals for emerging artists development. Right now we are involved in a few international programs to make sure Artists grow their connections, as well as exploring new markets and audiences. “

Q: The government in Taiwan seems to be very supportive of the music and cultural industry. How is it in practice? Are you satisfied with your support?

　“The government responded to the economic shift very quickly. They’ve provided support from the company level to individual artists. However, I think the biggest worry is the future. Even if there’s government support, it doesn’t take away from the uncertainty of the entire pandemic. We all still question and worry about the future - whether it’ll get better or worse.”

"LUCfest 2019".Art spaces can also be turned into live music venues. Tainan has many of these swanky spaces.

Q: What do you think is the role of music and entertainment in this current situation?

　“I think music keeps people sane! But more importantly, it also keeps people connected and grounded during this time of lockdown, while many facing the serious life challenges such as unemployment, and for the very unfortunate - loss of loved ones. When the Pandemic started to take a toll on most of the world, people turned to all sorts of art. Can you imagine the world without music, art, or even games? Because I can’t and wouldn’t want to. “

Q: Right now, I think we're just past the big wave of COVID-19. It has been said that a second wave is coming, but what direction do you plan to take in the short term?

　“I’m not sure if we’ve even passed the first wave yet. The increase of global cases doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down anytime soon. It’ll be very unlikely to attend or host a full festival/conference like the past three years. Which is why we’re working toward the best case scenario despite the current pandemic. But it is most likely to be a hybrid conference/festival with some part of online elements.”

Tainan2019

Q: About "LUCfest". Last year's third year of "LUCfest" was larger and seemed to be a great success. How do you feel about it in practice?

　“We were really happy to see that LUCfest is growing so fast. As a showcase festival, we actually don’t feature a headliner Artist compared to other festivals. LUCfest relies on curious audiences who trust our taste to discover the next big stars. And it helps a ton to encourage more artists to apply to LUCfest!"

Q: I think COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of prospects this year. Nevertheless, the announcement was made that you would be holding "LUCfest" in November. What was the conflict between you and your team?

　“There was actually no conflict at all! We only decided to have LUCfest after Taiwan had no domestic cases reported after 52 days in 3 cycles. The government also announced to lift event restrictions on 7th of June. We are aware that the risk remain, but we all internally agreed to go for it to make 2020 edition of LUCfest happen.”

Q: What was the most important factor in your decision to host the event?

　“Safety is our number one priority. We would not have decided to host LUCfest in the situation that would put anyone in any danger or harm. “

IRUKA Police(Taiwan)@LUC fest 2019

Q: Will this year's event be the same size as last year's? Do you have any specific images in mind?

　“We hope that we can improve the experience from last year for the event goers. Since I am a visual thinker, I’ve had images of the goals I have for LUCfest; and every year we’re able to cross off some of those milestones.
　This year, we will focus more on the design aspects - from just the stage and lighting, but also more elements to make a more integrated LUCfest experience for everyone involved.”

Q: It seems to me that the Asian music scene began to move in a big way around the start of LUC fest. How do you see the current Asian music scene?

　“We are so happy to see the Asian music scene growing, and we’re super excited to see more Asian artists moving to the global stage.Of course it was very dynamic and lively before the pandemic. We’ve also noticed a growing acceptance and love for home brewing artists in Asia and the rest of the world. We will still continue to be positive for any development for the industry in the future. “

@"LUCfest 2018", Phum Viphurit (Thailand) spoke at the conference about his experience and his music and video production.

Q: What is the role of "LUCfest" in the Taiwanese and Asian music scene?

　“We often call ourselves music “matchmakers” in the scene. When artists, managers, or festivals want to get introduced, they often ask us to make connections. We want to create the space for Taiwanese and Asian music as a professional place to make friends, learn new stuff, and explore the possibilities.”

Q: What is the impact of Phum Viphurit, ADOY and other artists you're involved with on your work?

　“It is a privilege to work with artists I love! :) I learn a lot by working with artists, and it keeps me well connected with industry. It also gives me a grasp of an artists' day to day life and their challenges. And the relationships I have with these artists are for the long term, which I think is better for all parties! “

Weining and KK invite Asian bands to Taiwan. Korean band “ADOY” played in Tainan and Taipei in spring 2019.

Q: And how do you approach them as an agent/manager in the current situation?

　“We’ve always worked remotely so there's not a lot of difference in terms of communication. The main difference is usually we meet a few times a year somewhere. Due to the pandemic, we’ve not be able to meet up this year yet. “

Q: What is your message?

　“At this point it seems nothing is for certain. If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to fall into sleepless nights, with your head spinning into planning mode.
　I am trying to practice two things. One is to focus more on the NOW. The seed for tomorrow Is right now and the future is what’s happening around us right now. It’s important to live in the moment. And to appreciate the present.
　Second thing is to be kind to myself and the people surrounded by me. I don't always need to find a solution for everything, the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging it. To me for now, that is enough. “

＜Favorite Music＞
　“Right now I stay in Taipei. And a lot of time is spent with my 5 and 7 year old nephews. So I show them music which they’ll enjoy too:”

LUCfest 2019 - 8th to 11th November 2019 - Tainan

＜LUCfest 2020 Call for Artists! ＞
Call for bands to perform at the fourth annual "LUCfest" to be held in Tainan, Nov. 27-29 this year Inside. The deadline is Thursday, July 9.
https://www.lucfest.com/r/en/artist/application?q=5eff220ba8b27

＜Bio＞
Weining Hung（Taiwan）
　Weining is the co-founder of LUCfest, a three-day showcase festival and conference in Tainan, Taiwan. She also co-founded Gigdiving, a crowdfunding platform for musicians on 2014. She initiated “Jaachi”- a event combining music, food, drink, and game from Asia in one night. She has always been a pusher for getting Asian musicians into European market. The artists she has been working with included Fire.EX, Dwagie, Jambinai, The Priarie/ WWWW, DJ RayRay,ADOY,Phum Viphurit.
　Nowadays, Weining splits her time between Asia and Europe and passionate about stimulating networking activities and building Asian music platform.