1. Congratulations on your LIT Music Awards achievement! Could you share more about your journey and background in the music industry?

Mandy Mermaid Music is a music studio and creative channel founded by myself, a graduate student in the master’s program in Music Engineering and Applied Music at National Tsing Hua University.


The channel features a diverse range of musical works — including original songs, background music, soundtracks, live MIDI art performances, and cover songs — all created to bring healing and comfort to listeners through music.

2. How do you see this recognition influencing your future music?

I sincerely appreciate the recognition from the LIT Music Awards. It has given me the opportunity to share my work with a wider audience and receive meaningful support along the way.

I hope there will be more opportunities for collaboration in the future, allowing me to continue sharing my music and connecting with people through it.

3. What's the moment you first realized music was your calling? Can you describe it?

This goes back to my junior high school years. My grandfather was seriously ill and had been hospitalized for a long time. Whenever I visited him, I would play videos of my musical performances. Even while living with dementia, he would quietly tear up every time he heard my music.

That experience left a profound impact on me and allowed me to truly understand the healing power of music. It also strengthened my determination to continue pursuing music as my life’s path.

4. What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've drawn from while creating your music?

Rather than coming from something unusual, my inspiration often comes from the most ordinary moments — especially while taking a shower. It may sound surprising, but I actually find it fascinating.

I often sing in the shower, and whenever the water starts running, ideas begin to flow just as naturally. Many of my melodies and lyrics are born in those moments.

5. Do you have any quirky rituals or habits when you're composing or recording?

Like many people in my country, I keep a bag of Kuai Kuai (puffed corn snacks) on my computer as a good-luck charm, believing it helps ensure that my recording and production process runs smoothly.

6. How would you describe your creative process? Is it more of a jazz jam session or a perfectly orchestrated symphony?

In each of my musical works, I approach composition as though shaping a carefully orchestrated symphony. Although “From Nowhere Within” features a minimal, single-instrument arrangement, the vocal details throughout the piece are thoughtfully and intricately crafted.

In my other works, additional instrumental layers are introduced and woven together with intention, creating a distinctive and immersive listening experience.

7. How do you want people to feel or experience when they hear your music?

I hope that through listening to my music, audiences can reconnect with their original intentions. In those moments, they can let go of their concerns, be fully present, and embrace their truest selves.

8. What's one risk you took with your music that completely changed your career path?

I am currently a full-time graduate student. Looking back, one of the challenges I encountered was that although I began learning instruments such as piano, flute, and guitar at a young age, I did not follow a formal music education path from the beginning. It was only in university, when I pursued a minor in music, that I began receiving professional training.

Compared to peers who had been formally trained from an early age, my journey was more challenging. Yet rather than holding me back, it became a driving force that pushed me to work harder, step beyond the traditional boundaries of classical music, and continue exploring new possibilities in pop and innovative musical expression.

9. What's the song or artist that first made you fall in love with music, and why?

Kevin Kern was one of the first artists to inspire my love for music. When I was very young, my family would often play his album In the Enchanted Garden, which became deeply meaningful to me.

Even without lyrics, the piano melodies brought me a sense of calm, healing, and comfort, and through those moments, I began to truly fall in love with music.

10. What's one moment in your career that you consider a turning point, and how did it shape your journey?

My senior year of university marked a turning point in my career. At the time, alongside my passion for songwriting, I began teaching myself film scoring. I later participated in a national music design competition organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government in Taiwan, where I received an Honorable Mention award.

It was the first time I had received national-level recognition for music composition, and it meant a great deal to me. The experience gave me tremendous encouragement while also inspiring me to broaden my creative perspective — exploring new directions beyond songwriting and opening up greater possibilities for my future career.

11. If you could describe your award-winning work in a single sentence, what would it be?

“From Nowhere Within” is the purest question emerging from the depths of the soul — one that invites reflection while offering healing.

12. What was the most challenging part of creating this piece, and how did you push through?

The most challenging aspects of this piece lie in the melody and the emotional interpretation of the vocals. I aimed to convey a sense of sincerity intertwined with subtle uncertainty, as expressed through the lyrics.

The melody was intentionally crafted to feel simple and relaxed, creating a contrast against the underlying unease, while the nuanced vocal delivery adds greater depth and emotional dimension to the piece.

13. What upcoming music project or album are you currently working on, or is there a new genre or style you’ve yet to explore but are eager to try?

Recently, I released a new song, “來自發光的你” (“The Light Within You”), an uplifting and emotionally healing piece.

Here is the song description:
Some people spend their lives chasing the shadows of others, while others find themselves caught between dreams and reality. Without realizing it, they begin to overlook the quiet glimmer within their own hearts — a subtle light that continues to flicker. Even in moments of unease, when one feels broken or lost, that light continues to shine. And the voice that has long deserved to be heard has never truly come from anyone else. It has always come from within — you, the one who shines.

Looking ahead, I hope to expand beyond my current musical style and explore new creative directions. I’m especially interested in experimenting with R&B, challenging myself artistically while offering listeners a fresh and different musical experience.

14. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be, and what would the vibe of your track together be?

I greatly admire JJ Lin. His voice has a uniquely rich and magnetic quality, effortlessly shifting from softness and warmth to strength and intensity. The depth and nuance of his emotional expression are something I deeply aspire to learn from.

If I were ever given the opportunity to collaborate with him, it would be a tremendous honor. I would love to create a lyrical duet with layered harmonies, inspired by the style of Beautiful, his collaboration with G.E.M..

15. How would you inspire fellow musicians to participate in music awards, and what valuable advice would you share to guide their journey?

To be honest, I never expected to receive this award. In fact, I hesitated at first, unsure whether I should even submit my work. It was my family’s encouragement that gave me the courage to take that step, and because of it, I was able to receive this recognition.

To my fellow musicians, I would like to say: if you want to make the impossible possible, everything begins with believing in yourself.

Winning Entry

2026
LIT Music Awards  - From Nowhere Within
Mei-Yun, Lee

Winner/ Winner's Company

Mandy Mermaid Music

Category

LIT Songwriting - Best New Songwriter

LIT Music Awards  - Silver