Henna Chou
The in-demand instrumentalist keeps hope alive
Victoria Renard
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As if you didn’t feel guilty enough about not finishing that demo, along comes Henna Chou to rub it in. The startlingly prolific multi-instrumentalist (her repertoire includes cello, guitar, and piano) regularly sacrifices the comforts of home to play with bands ranging from Many Birthdays to Fiction to My Education and more, while also dabbling in her own solo work and a smattering of experimental and theatrical productions, like the Vestige Group’s new Gorilla Man. The in-demand Chou found a few spare minutes to speak with Decider about getting her start in music, dealing with scheduling problems, and taking assertiveness lessons from her dog.
Decider: What was your first introduction to playing music?
Henna Chou: I took piano lessons from 5 to 13, and cello lessons from 10 to 22. But I never fulfilled the expectations of my teachers, and once I stopped doing some of the classical stuff my confidence grew a lot more—just from knowing what it was I wanted to do and not berating myself for doing things the way other people expected it to be done. I do enjoy a lot of classical, though. And early on I was exposed to a wide variety of music. My mom took us to modern dance and theater performances, and the music with those sorts of things can be pretty weird.
D: Is it difficult playing in so many bands? Do you find yourself constantly double-booked?
HC: Yes. I really try to cut down on that during certain parts of the year. Right now it hasn’t worked out, but I’m continuously trying to do a better job of that. Music is my favorite thing to do, ever, so I don’t mind sacrificing naptime, or TV, or reading books. But yeah, I do have scheduling problems.
D: And in addition to those commitments, you also do a lot of one-offs?
HC: I played with She, Sir and I did some recording with them. I’ve done some recording with Colin [Swietek] from Cue, and I recorded with The Black Angels recently. I also like to do stuff with theater, and I’d like to do some more work with dance performances. Earlier this year I collaborated with The Humdrum Collective on No One Else In The Woods Tonight, and I’m supposed to be writing something that’s going to be used in a play coming out next April by a guy named Martin Zimmerman.
D: You're also currently leading the backing band for Gorilla Man at Creekside Lounge. How do you think a rock ’n’ roll musical will go over in a bar?
HC: I’m happy about that. While there's a lot of good art, dance, music, and theater in Austin, in my opinion we still don't have as much crossover between artforms as we could. Doing it at Creekside will give the bar regulars—some of whom may not be used to being exposed to musical theater—the chance to check it out.
D: How do you go about translating the story of a boy who discovers he’s part ape into music?
HC: The music for this one was already written out, and we had reference recordings to listen to as well. Most of our translating is subtle. We either strengthen the histrionics, or we contrast them with sound effects.
D: Along with your other outlets, your MySpace page lists your main gig as something mysterious called “Leisure Tourniquet.” Who’s in that?
HC: Oh, that’s actually just me, but I put my dog Ramona’s name on there! I’m still too shy to go solo. I get really nervous playing by myself.
D: You’re obviously quite fond of your dog, to give her equal billing.
HC: [Nods.] She’s a mix, and I got her for $20 in Belton, Texas. Just that week I became suddenly obsessed with getting a dog. I saw her online, and I kept thinking about it and thinking about it, and then I just left work and drove over there, and she was the last one left. She’s really cute. I also think that having a dog has helped me learn about animals socially, and I think it can be translated into how you interact with humans. You learn how to be assertive without being threatening.
D: Have you had problems being threatening?
HC: No, mostly I was more of a doormat. I was like, “Oh no, I don’t want to make anyone mad.” But it can create bad situations when you’re really passive for a long time.
D: What does it mean to you to be a scene captain?
HC: It’s funny, because I don't think I’m thought of as a leader, or mover and shaker. On the other hand, I do try to support the arts in Austin as much as I can, and I feel it’s important for people like myself to exist to keep an artistic community alive. I never really had any loyalty to any city before I lived in Austin, but after having lived all over the U.S. and visiting other countries, I really believe that we have a unique environment here. After five years, I still find it an exciting place to live, with so much to be discovered and experienced. I enjoy trying to help keep those beliefs in hope and creativity alive.
Henna Chou: I took piano lessons from 5 to 13, and cello lessons from 10 to 22. But I never fulfilled the expectations of my teachers, and once I stopped doing some of the classical stuff my confidence grew a lot more—just from knowing what it was I wanted to do and not berating myself for doing things the way other people expected it to be done. I do enjoy a lot of classical, though. And early on I was exposed to a wide variety of music. My mom took us to modern dance and theater performances, and the music with those sorts of things can be pretty weird.
D: Is it difficult playing in so many bands? Do you find yourself constantly double-booked?
HC: Yes. I really try to cut down on that during certain parts of the year. Right now it hasn’t worked out, but I’m continuously trying to do a better job of that. Music is my favorite thing to do, ever, so I don’t mind sacrificing naptime, or TV, or reading books. But yeah, I do have scheduling problems.
D: And in addition to those commitments, you also do a lot of one-offs?
HC: I played with She, Sir and I did some recording with them. I’ve done some recording with Colin [Swietek] from Cue, and I recorded with The Black Angels recently. I also like to do stuff with theater, and I’d like to do some more work with dance performances. Earlier this year I collaborated with The Humdrum Collective on No One Else In The Woods Tonight, and I’m supposed to be writing something that’s going to be used in a play coming out next April by a guy named Martin Zimmerman.
D: You're also currently leading the backing band for Gorilla Man at Creekside Lounge. How do you think a rock ’n’ roll musical will go over in a bar?
HC: I’m happy about that. While there's a lot of good art, dance, music, and theater in Austin, in my opinion we still don't have as much crossover between artforms as we could. Doing it at Creekside will give the bar regulars—some of whom may not be used to being exposed to musical theater—the chance to check it out.
D: How do you go about translating the story of a boy who discovers he’s part ape into music?
HC: The music for this one was already written out, and we had reference recordings to listen to as well. Most of our translating is subtle. We either strengthen the histrionics, or we contrast them with sound effects.
D: Along with your other outlets, your MySpace page lists your main gig as something mysterious called “Leisure Tourniquet.” Who’s in that?
HC: Oh, that’s actually just me, but I put my dog Ramona’s name on there! I’m still too shy to go solo. I get really nervous playing by myself.
D: You’re obviously quite fond of your dog, to give her equal billing.
HC: [Nods.] She’s a mix, and I got her for $20 in Belton, Texas. Just that week I became suddenly obsessed with getting a dog. I saw her online, and I kept thinking about it and thinking about it, and then I just left work and drove over there, and she was the last one left. She’s really cute. I also think that having a dog has helped me learn about animals socially, and I think it can be translated into how you interact with humans. You learn how to be assertive without being threatening.
D: Have you had problems being threatening?
HC: No, mostly I was more of a doormat. I was like, “Oh no, I don’t want to make anyone mad.” But it can create bad situations when you’re really passive for a long time.
D: What does it mean to you to be a scene captain?
HC: It’s funny, because I don't think I’m thought of as a leader, or mover and shaker. On the other hand, I do try to support the arts in Austin as much as I can, and I feel it’s important for people like myself to exist to keep an artistic community alive. I never really had any loyalty to any city before I lived in Austin, but after having lived all over the U.S. and visiting other countries, I really believe that we have a unique environment here. After five years, I still find it an exciting place to live, with so much to be discovered and experienced. I enjoy trying to help keep those beliefs in hope and creativity alive.
The one idea I always come back to is that sometime in our life, someone gave us something that touched us. That makes us attempt to also create and share something, because it can be really magical. It’s hard to take a personal idea and give it to the world without fear of criticism or being inundated by self-censorship. That’s one thing I’m continually trying to overcome, and know I’m far from achieving it. It’s important for us to all support each other, and keep the creative spirit alive. Just a tiny show of support can go such a long way. Think back to that one person you never thought would read your blog who sent you a long response, or that one distant acquaintance standing in the crowd watching you perform. Maybe sometimes you worry that “pursuing the arts” is too self-indulgent, with no tangible results, but I believe what we do makes a difference in the world.
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