Faith Ling Hsern Zhen is a first-year law student studying at Taylor’s University. She is a budding talent who has been gaining spotlights in the singing and songwriting industry. In the past few years, she has written numerous songs depicting her personal experiences and told stories with her voice. Her popularity has grown incrementally throughout the years especially after her performance with Open Mic Malaysia back in 2017. She is an inspiration for all of us to never stop pursuing our passions wherever we are. Here is an interview we had with her:
What does songwriting mean to you?
Songwriting is my way of making sense of things that happen to me in my life. Throughout my life, I realised that there are certain events or journeys which I wish to treasure. Personally, the best way to do so is by writing a song about it. Songwriting helps me to process how I feel about something, thus making the written song a response to that experience. Be it about my faith as a Christian and how a certain experience has influenced my perception of God, or about me experiencing a loss, heartbreak or love; songwriting is my way of creating closure. Beyond that, songwriting is my way of zoning out. When I need to take a breather, it’s an outlet where I get to create and just have fun.
What sparked your interest in songwriting?
I have always loved writing, telling stories and creating imagery using words. Growing up, I’d always been all about writing stories and poems. When I used to take piano classes, I experimented with composing my own songs using melodies and chords, but without lyrics. Then, I began to match lyrics to the little melodies I came up with. I kept doing it. Partially because it was fun, partially because I wanted to come up with songs just like the ones on the radio. I was very much influenced by all the love songs that I’d listen to so very often, I wanted to write my own.
When was your first time performing in front of a group of audience and how do you feel about being able to do so?
When I was sixteen, I got to perform an original at my church’s youth service. The song was about being disappointed by a failed romance, but learning that love is truly so much more than romantic love. I remember feeling really excited and surprised. The fact that there were people who resonated with my feelings, agreed with my words, and thought the words sounded good - it was a lot for sixteen-year-old me, who was never used to attention and praise, to take in. Looking back, I know that it was that performance that kickstarted everything, and I’m just so grateful that God had opened that door for me.
Among the songs you have written, is there any song that means more than the others to you?
I have a soft spot for the songs that were written during very difficult times in my life. They remind me of the disappointments and struggles that I wrestled with, of the times I felt like I couldn’t go on and that through it all, I made it through, and I grew. Songs like “A Letter to God Concerning Love”, “I Don’t Know How to Tell You This”, “The Restoration and Weak Yes” are songs I hold very close to my heart.
Do you see yourself as a professional songwriter in the future?
I really don’t know. I’ll always want songwriting to be an outlet for me to express, instead of a vocation that I must carry on to earn a living. Creating music is a passion that I have that I would want to remain a passion. But for now, I just want to keep making music, singing and have fun with it while I can.
As both a songwriter and a law student, how do you manage to balance your time?
I’ve decided that the best is to go with the flow and pursue what I can when I can. In my free time, or when I really need to vent, or when I’m offered a gig I can’t turn down, then I do make room for songwriting and performing. You gotta make space for what you love. They are, after all, what keep us sane.
You can listen or download Faith Ling’s songs through Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DR6msJMx1aOqW4Nr4m5QV).