About Me
Magdalen Hsu-Li is an internationally acclaimed bi asian-american singer-songwriter, painter, and cultural activist that is redefining the female musician and smashing the ceiling in the American music industry. She has been called a one woman dynamo of talent, her music described as exquisitely furious, beautiful, & exciting by Performing Songwriter Magazine, sweet, melodic, & real" by the New York Times, an achingly gorgeous collection of piano based rock recalling the finest moments of Tori Amos or Ben Folds Five by Yolk Magazine and a sumptuous feast for the ears by Curve Magazine. A Magazine says .her blend of hard-grounded folk and sweet siren lyrics makes an enduring impression upon the American music sceneher distinguishing factor is her cool, edgy, sound and courage to be sensitive, tender, and feminine. as she carves her identity as an artist in an industry where asian women are not thought of as musical powerhouses or innovators - Magdalen is a rare force with which to reckon.This passionate and unique multimedia artist offers rebellion in sexy soaring vocals and digs deep to expose the cracks beneath the surface, breaking through the armor within herself and in others to connect, uplift, and inspire through her music and art. With her latest cd release, Smashing The Ceiling (CHICKPOP Records), she fluidly catalyzes these rudiments of her life philosophy.Born in a small southern town into one of a handful of Asian families, Magdalen experienced extreme racism and prejudice on a daily basis while battling cross-cultural conflicts and a rare disability (Tourettes Syndrome). Shattering all adversities, she channeled her harsh beginnings into the positive, uplifting, and electrifying force she is today, achieving international and critical renown on both stage and canvas.Magdalen didnt know her passion for music would bring her front & center to a life on the stage. She began playing classical piano and writing songs at age 8, and painting at age 15. Early on she focused intensely on painting, graduating with a degree in fine art from Rhode Island School of Design and setting her sights on an art career in New York City. Shortly after graduating, she had a vivid dream that abruptly changed the direction of her life. I dreamt I was a musician living in Seattle, and felt utterly compelled to follow its message. Checking her fears, she followed her dream and moved to Seattle to study voice, classical, and jazz piano at Cornish College of the Arts. I never regretted my decision to put music first. I am determined to make art that connects with people on the deepest level possible, and know I am best able to accomplish that for myself and for others through music.Magdalens songs visually portray what she sees with her painters eyes while addressing universal themes about identity, spirituality, the search for consciousness, love, loss, and relationships. I write completely from the heart, she says. but also from my cultural heritages and the places Im from (the Southeast, Northeast, and West Coast). You can hear the influence of pop, folk, country, eastern music, classical, and jazz in my songs One of the problems of our society is a lack of awareness for the wealth of cultural and artistic diversity that surrounds us, says Magdalen. I intend to always be defining issues of identity, raising awareness, and bringing communities together through my music and art. My primary goal as an artist is to help break through the glass ceiling in the American music industry so that Asians become accepted as artistic and commercial forces in popular music.Magdalen has sold over 14,000 records through her own independent label (CHICKPOP Records) and distribution, and garnered a dedicated national grassroots fan base through continuous touring. Preselling cds to her fan base enabled her to make Smashing The Ceiling. Her music is distributed by AEC, Southwest Wholesale, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Tower, I-Tunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and Cd Baby via Goldenrod, Ladyslipper, and CHICKPOP Distribution."Smashing The Ceiling" was nominated for 3 Outvoice Music awards including Best New Album (Female). Her previous release, Fire was named one of the Best Top 12 DIY Albums of 2002 by Performing Songwriter Magazine and her song As I Am was featured in the 2003 Performing Songwriter Editors Choice Compilation Cd. Magdalen has been profiled by media and played on radio stations across the country including: Performing Songwriter, A Magazine, Rockrgrl, Out Magazine, The Advocate, Curve, Girlfriends, Yolk Magazine, World Pulse Magazine, Dish Magazine, Voice Of America, The New York Times, La Weekly, Trenton Times, Poughkeepsie Journal, Seattle Weekly, Raleigh News And Observer, Berkeley Free Press, Burlington's 7 Days, New Orleans Gambit Weekly, Chicago Weekly News, Madison Times, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and regular airplay on: Sirius Satellite Radio, syndicated show - Laney Goodman's Women In Music, WBAI New York, WXPN Philadelphia, WUMB Boston, WPKN New Haven, WUMA Amherst, WUCW - Worcester, WCDB Albany, WRUV- Burlington, WMPH - Wilmington, WCBN - Ann Arbor, WORT Madison, KFAI Minneapolis, WAIF - Cincinnati, WFHB, Bloomington, KOOP Austin, KBCS Seattle, KAOS - Olympia, KBOO Portland, KLCC - Eugene, KHSU Arcata, KPFA & KALX - Berkeley, KCSF, KUSF, & KPOO - San Francisco, KPFK Los Angeles, as well as many other stations.She has shared the stage, headlined major events, and performed alongside: Ani Difranco, Macy Gray, Melissa Ferrick, Bitch and Animal, Alix Olson, Catie Curtis, Lucy Kaplansky, Kaki King, Northern State, The Butchies, Toshi Reagon, Cris Williamson, Julie Wolf (Ani Difranco), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie), Allison Miller (Natalie Merchant), Jon Evans (Tori Amos), Margaret Cho, Robyn Ochs, Phoebe Eng, and Angela Davis.A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, she has a BFA in Painting (Cum Laude) and studied music (jazz and classical voice, composition, and piano) at Cornish College of the Arts. She was recently featured in Who's Who of Asian Americans" and the book Getting Bi by Robyn Ochs. She is the recipient of the Oxbow Fellowship, Talbot Rantoul Scholarship, Florence Leif Scholarship For Excellence in Painting, The Cornish Music Scholarship, and co-authored an award winning Special Projects Grant from the King County Arts Commission. She is currently attending Berklee College of Music while continuing to tour and release albums.
