During the summer of 2025, the prolific singer/songwriter Miist reached out to me and invited me to record guzheng for her song “Could You Lend Me A Smile.” At the time, I was on vacation with my family in my hometown of Chengdu, China. When I first heard the song at 4 a.m., I was deeply moved and immediately accepted the invitation—even though performing it on the guzheng posed challenges, since the instrument has limited tunings for Western scales and keys.
Still, I felt confident I could accomplish the task, drawing on my experience as a seasoned recording artist for many Hollywood video game and film music projects. I found a local recording studio in Chengdu to record my part, which represents the footsteps of people passing by the lonely Japanese salaryman whose story inspired Miist to write the song.
Later, I learned that this song also features performances by incredible global musicians, including pipa virtuoso Gao Hong, Grammy-winning cellist Eru Matsumoto, Grammy-winning producer Kitt Wakeley, and many more. “Could You Lend Me A Smile” (Global Edition) includes vocals in 12 languages and 6 world instruments accompanying the piece. It is truly a Global Music project.
This global edition of “Could You Lend Me A Smile” is a beautiful and touching work, sending a powerful message to all of us: let us lend each other a smile, care for one another, and extend a helping hand—even to a stranger in need. The world needs this message, and I am grateful to be one of its messengers.
Could You Lend Me A Smile (Global Edition) is now under consideration for the 2025 Grammy Awards in the category of Best Global Music Performance. I am honored to be part of this project and journey.
