Le Phuong Linh - Soaring with the melodies

(Baonghean)Le Phuong Linh - the girl who finished second overall in the light music category on the 'Voice of Nghe An 2017' stage - captivated me with her powerful performance and story of passion.

In several art performances in Vinh City, I often saw that little girl sitting in front of the piano in a small corner of the stage. Her piano playing, under her diligent and passionate hands, intertwined with and supported countless voices.

Then, unexpectedly, I encountered that petite girl who burst forth with energy when she sang on the stage of "The Voice of Nghe An 2017" (a competition organized by Nghe An Radio and Television Station in collaboration with Muong Thanh Group). Le Phuong Linh – that girl – came in second place overall in the light music category with the song "Nha Que" (by Duong Nhu Phu), and I was completely "conquered" by her talent and the story of her passion that she shared…

Pursue your passion.

Her father was a technical teacher, her mother a German teacher, but they were both art lovers, Le Phuong Linh said. Perhaps she was lucky to inherit that love from them, and it was through it that she truly found meaning in her life.

Le Phuong Linh performing on the stage of "The Voice of Nghe An 2017". Photo: Provided by the artist.

From the age of two or three, Phuong Linh was fascinated by singing and dancing. She attended the Vietnam-Germany Children's Cultural Center and always dreamed of becoming a famous performer. Her first dream was to become a musician, and later, a singer.

At the age of seven, Phuong Linh was accepted into the Hanoi Conservatory of Music after a compelling violin performance, but on the very day the bus carrying the selected students was supposed to depart, Phuong Linh developed a high fever. She had to stay behind and continue pursuing her dream of "becoming a star" in her hometown of Vinh.

Not long after, Phuong Linh lost her mother. At that time, Phuong Linh was 9 years old, a third-grade student. Too young to fully comprehend the pain and emptiness of life, Linh said that she didn't have many memories of her mother, but even just a few were enough to remind her to be strong and courageous in life.

“It was my father who shouldered both responsibilities after my mother passed away. He cared for and nurtured me so that I wouldn't feel deprived. And most importantly, he has an artistic soul; he understands his children from an artistic perspective,” Phuong Linh shared. However, it was also he who advised Phuong Linh, “Just learn a trade, do a normal job like everyone else, consider art as a ‘side hustle,’ find joy in it.”

Phuong Linh listened to her father, but she always kept her dream of standing on stage and giving her all to music to herself. After finishing high school, Phuong Linh studied Finance and Banking at Hanoi University of Business and Technology. During her time there, Phuong Linh was not only a talented performer at the university, but she also participated in many competitions such as "Vietnam Idol" and "Vietnamese Star".

After retiring, Phuong Linh's father also taught music at the Vietnam-Germany Children's Cultural Center. He was her music teacher and also shared Phuong Linh's joys and sorrows in work and life. In the photo: Phuong Linh's father congratulates his daughter on organizing a Gala night for children who love piano. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Through the "Vietnam Star" competition, Phuong Linh made it to the top 12 and received a 3-month training program in South Korea focusing on vocal skills, dance techniques, and stage performance. These were truly invaluable lessons, helping her understand the difference between professionalism and simply "doing things based on inspiration and passion."

After graduating, fulfilling her father's wishes, Phuong Linh returned to Vinh. Unable to find a job, she experienced days of disappointment and frustration. But then, another opportunity presented itself to the young woman, stemming from an invitation to teach piano to a child of an acquaintance's family. Why not start with her passion and aspirations?

It was Linh's "great father" who comforted his young daughter, who was then filled with sadness and confusion: "Perhaps this is an opportunity, a destiny for you to return to the things you've always cherished." Linh boldly considered opening a piano teaching class.

"And I think that teaching music isn't just about making a living, but also about fulfilling a passion, a desire to share my love of music. Compared to cities like Hanoi and Saigon, Vinh City truly lacks a 'playground' for children, and even adults, to engage with music."

There are many other shortcomings that discourage artists here. To be honest, everyone dreams of big cities, where the doors of opportunity are always wide open. I even considered leaving several times when I was pursuing national music competitions and made it to the later rounds. But then, I stayed in my hometown…”

When "music is life"

Among the many things that kept this determined and stubborn girl in her hometown of Vinh, there is one thing Phuong Linh is proud to mention: finding love and having her own small family. Her husband, a familiar face on the music stages in Vinh, plays guitar and sings beautifully. Music has brought them together, allowing them to flourish.

Hoang Son (her husband) told me: “Phuong Linh is a girl with a very strong personality. A strong personality in life, a strong personality in music. That’s what attracted me. When I fell in love with Linh, she still yearned for victory, for the desire to shine on a big stage, to be known by many people. I cherish that dream of Linh’s, I followed her to big competitions, encouraged her to keep going, even though there were times I knew that, very possibly, I might lose her in that spotlight, very close.”

Le Phuong Linh and her husband, guitarist Hoang Son. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

In one of Phuong Linh's music textbooks, she wrote her slogan: "Music is my life." Indeed, few know that from the age of four, Phuong Linh could play the piano under her father's guidance, then the violin, the organ… Later, she continued to learn and explore on her own by buying CDs of famous international composers to listen to and… play along.

When Phương Linh took the risk of opening the LynkNa Art Training Center (teaching piano, organ, and guitar), she also believed that teaching children was about passing on passion, about teaching with her own experience and knowledge. Phương Linh always tells her students: "When you sit in front of the instrument, let go of all your frustrations and worries. Let your soul soar with the melodies."

For Phuong Linh, the first lesson is "you must love your instrument, love music." Music will give people kindness, and kindness will lead to love. Learning music will also teach you calmness and confidence when facing life – Phuong Linh asserts. And she says that she didn't receive formal training, but in return, she diligently taught herself to perfect her skills. When teaching, she always pays close attention to each student; she understands where to start, she understands what each student's eyes are longing for…

Phuong Linh in her role as a "musician" playing the piano on stage. Photo: Provided by the artist.

I asked Linh, "Surely you've always found solace in music?" Linh shook her head, "No, my love for music is always within me, it's my blood and flesh, accompanying every breath I take. It's not something outside of me that I can rely on."

Confirming this to me, Hoang Son – Linh's husband – smiled. Son added: “When sitting in front of the piano, Linh does a great job as a musician. She dedicates herself completely to delivering the best performance. But only when holding the microphone does I see Linh truly being herself, truly exploding with emotion, expressing everything from the heart…”

Indeed, when Linh holds the microphone, she's a completely different Phương Linh from the one I know from her stage persona. "When I sing, I always forget everything around me. I always think of this as my only chance to sing, like it's my last time on stage."

And I saw Phuong Linh embody each melody. She was the wind, she was the fire, a bird's song, or a flower opening its petals… The stage then became her own planet, where she was painting with wings of passionate love for this life.

For Phuong Linh, "music is her source of life." Photo: Provided by the artist.

"I have absolutely no regrets about missing out on opportunities to shine in faraway places," Phương Linh said, expressing gratitude for life, her parents, and her in-laws. Her mother-in-law loved her as if she were her own daughter to compensate for the early loss of her own mother. She has a husband who understands, loves, and empathizes with her. And, she has a two-year-old son who is uttering his first words.

Linh confided that her dream had never abandoned her, just as she had never abandoned it, but she accompanied it, along with her loved ones. One way or another, she was still able to reach it, and she was content with what she had. "Has life been too kind to me?" she asked me with complete sincerity.

Her eyes sparkled with love and faith. Her forehead, though stubborn, was also full of determination. I believe that this girl, born in 1993, though young, is already very mature and will achieve even greater success in her artistic career because she knows how to nurture her passions and appreciate the gains and losses in her life.

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