piano lessons
piano lessons is an offering to myself—an act of reclaiming the power I once thought belonged to others. It is a deep reflection on how life — shaped by fragmentation, doubt, and self-questioning — can somehow fall naturally into place, revealing discovery, love, beauty, and freedom. This collection of compositions unfold like a prayer of possibility: a sonic landscape where hope gathers to become form, where dreams descend gently into the world, where the heavens come down to greet the earth.
xiaoyao is a Chinese-Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer whose sounds bridge the threshold between sound and silence, presence and memory, spirit and body.
Born from multigenerational displacement, xiaoyao's practice is rooted in reclamation—tracing the origins of body, spirit, and lineage through sound. His discovery of the guqin became a homecoming, a resonance that connected him to ancestral ground he had been searching for. Drawing inspiration from the natural world—trees as teachers, water as the thread of existence—he channels these elements into compositions that feel both timeless and intimate.
xiaoyao approaches music as meditation, an expression of internal journey made audible. Blending field recordings, traditional instruments, and modern textures, he creates soundscapes that transcend language and borders. His creative process is less about control and more about readiness—waiting for the moment when spirit moves through and asks to be heard.
Described by CBC Radio's Nur Qorane as "a melting pot of music, language, and culture," xiaoyao's work doesn't seek to heal or awaken—it offers space. Space for listeners to receive what they need, to recognize the love within themselves, and to witness the inseparable beauty of light and darkness that moves through all life.
His name, 小姚 (xiǎo yáo), meaning "small Yao," reflects his philosophy: to remain humble before the vastness of existence, to stay curious, to always leave room to grow.
