Even from a young age, Michele Chee had a passion for music. Born and raised in Malaysia, she was exposed to various types of music from her parents. Often times, the likes of Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, and Elton John would be playing in her living room, and as a child, Michele would playfully imitate their extraordinary vocals. During her childhood years, she attended an international school where she was able to learn English. In addition, she also has the ability to speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Malaysian. One could say she is quite the cultured individual.
When she was 16, Michele and her family moved from Malaysia to Vancouver, BC. It was only when she immigrated to Canada that she began to take singing seriously. She took part in high school and city-wide competitions, where she garnered numerous awards. Singing became a way of expressing herself, yet at the same time, showcasing her gift to the world. As her confidence grew, she began to perform at live-gigs, which then lead to her posting videos on the viral website, Youtube.
Even with the success Michele has had in her singing career, it is still important for her to remain grounded and to embrace her Asian culture. Although she does generally perform songs from mostly from Western entertainers, she continues to show pride for her heritage by occasionally performing songs by Asian artists as well. She emphasizes how it is important for her to have a well-rounded representation, trying to find a balance of who is she as an artist.
Like any young, optimistic individual, Michele embraces any opportunity to learn and build upon her skills. As an artist, she is subject to other people’s opinions and criticisms – especially since she is an Asian female. Sequentially, she feels as though she must cater herself to her audience, presenting herself differently in her videos in order to gain new viewers and fans. She attempts to be more westernized, for instance, trying to pronunciate her words, or to sing more popular western songs. Furthermore, Michele deals with the stress of trying to break the stereotype that Asians typically get from media representation. Thus, she tries to focus more on her talent and skills, rather than who she is as a person in her videos. The future outlook sees Michele continuing to incorporate more of her heritage and culture into her videos. Since it is such a large part of her life, she would like to have a greater representation of it in her work.
At the tender age of 19, Michele Chee has already attained success not only in the local music industry, but through digital media as well. She has been able to achieve accomplishments that most people do not do in a timeline. From here, her future looks bright, armed with an uncapped potential, there is no doubt she will blaze a trail for not only herself, but others as well.
When she was 16, Michele and her family moved from Malaysia to Vancouver, BC. It was only when she immigrated to Canada that she began to take singing seriously. She took part in high school and city-wide competitions, where she garnered numerous awards. Singing became a way of expressing herself, yet at the same time, showcasing her gift to the world. As her confidence grew, she began to perform at live-gigs, which then lead to her posting videos on the viral website, Youtube.
Even with the success Michele has had in her singing career, it is still important for her to remain grounded and to embrace her Asian culture. Although she does generally perform songs from mostly from Western entertainers, she continues to show pride for her heritage by occasionally performing songs by Asian artists as well. She emphasizes how it is important for her to have a well-rounded representation, trying to find a balance of who is she as an artist.
Like any young, optimistic individual, Michele embraces any opportunity to learn and build upon her skills. As an artist, she is subject to other people’s opinions and criticisms – especially since she is an Asian female. Sequentially, she feels as though she must cater herself to her audience, presenting herself differently in her videos in order to gain new viewers and fans. She attempts to be more westernized, for instance, trying to pronunciate her words, or to sing more popular western songs. Furthermore, Michele deals with the stress of trying to break the stereotype that Asians typically get from media representation. Thus, she tries to focus more on her talent and skills, rather than who she is as a person in her videos. The future outlook sees Michele continuing to incorporate more of her heritage and culture into her videos. Since it is such a large part of her life, she would like to have a greater representation of it in her work.
At the tender age of 19, Michele Chee has already attained success not only in the local music industry, but through digital media as well. She has been able to achieve accomplishments that most people do not do in a timeline. From here, her future looks bright, armed with an uncapped potential, there is no doubt she will blaze a trail for not only herself, but others as well.
