Yeo: Shapes and Sounds Interview #1

Talking with other Asian Australians about the Asian diaspora experience has helped me to heal and become a stronger, truer version of myself. But it took me a good 25 years or so to even find an Asian Australian to have such conversations with and to even start thinking about how growing up Asian in Australia could have affected me.

So based on that experience, I’ve aimed to increase the number of Asian Australian stories out there for people to engage with.

In the last week of each month, we will hear from a broad range of Asian Australians who are doing great things in their respective sectors. Each interview will consist of the same three questions and although there is just so much to talk about, I’ve asked everyone to keep their answers brief and digestible (for all our busy bees out there).

Our inaugural interviewee is not only a face/name that you may already know, but he is someone that I have the privilege of calling a good friend, who helps me to see the positive in any given situation.

Stream his new album HERE as you read, enjoy!

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1. Could you please tell us your name, age and what it is that you do?

My name is Yeo Hann Choong. I am 33 years old. I run the eponymous musical project simply known as Yeo. To earn a living, I employ a diverse skillset. I work as a producer and sound engineer in music and audio. I produce music and write songs for other artists and creative people. I produce audio content for a wide range of platforms including radio, television, video-on-demand, podcasts, audiobooks and so on. I work as a DJ for hire at events, bars and nightclubs. I also help organise events focused on promoting artists from marginalised communities.

2. What do you do to take care of your mental health and wellbeing?

I used to lean solely on creating music to process feelings and escape from stress, but now a lot of my mental hurdles come from working in the music industry. I stay balanced by learning about and practicing a plethora of other hobbies that are not primarily of a musical nature. I love film photography, especially combining it with remote travel. I love playing sport, including baseball and more recently, AFL football. I also enjoy cycling, as well as building and fixing bicycles.

I have two go-to activities for curing a bad mood. They both involve executing many small, simple and achievable steps to reach a goal.  

The first one is going for a long, slow run. There’s something about testing my endurance, being in nature, and grinding out my mental frustrations on the pavement. I don’t listen to music on my runs. I love going at sunset and doing my cool-down walk under streetlights. 

The second activity is to cook. Sometimes I follow a new recipe, sometimes I improvise. I take care to be organised at every step, building my version of mise en place, controlling the elements and eventually achieving a tangible (edible!) reward – all in one session.

3. Can you think of one example that demonstrates how growing up Asian in Australia has impacted you?

I feel like it’s complex and every example ties itself to the next one, but I’d like to give a positive example, as it’s easy to reach for the negative. I think growing up Asian in Australia comes with many unique challenges and navigating them has conditioned me to have a higher level of tolerance when it comes to hardship.

As a child, I remember my parents using much harsher punishments and stricter discipline on me than my white peers received from their parents. I’ve been taught to endure instead of reacting instantly; persevere with good form instead of getting lazy and showing weakness. Those traits do come with their own long-term issues, but I am very proud of being able to push through a tough time to achieve my goals.

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You can listen to Yeo’s new album at:
https://ditto.fm/yeo-recoverychannel

And find him online:
Website: snackswithyeo.com
Instagram: @snackswithyeo
Twitter: @snackswithyeo
Facebook: /snackswithyeo
Bandcamp: snackswithyeo.bandcamp.com

Photo: Chris Yip