my experience in the taiwan music industry

the folllowing all happened to me.i will testify in court that all i have said is true.

1989- went to live in houston chinatown. opened english school. was inspired to go to asia from watching HK movies at the chinese movie theater. became famous at karaoke club for singing.

1990- while working at a chinese owned ice cream shop, one morning while i was washing the windows a man in a suit came and sat down at the table behind me outside. he was an asian man, dressed in a suit that was very conservative. he looked like an IRS person. he said from behind me "you like working with chinese people don't you?" i said yes. he said good, took his newspaper and walked away without looking back.
in chinatown there were rumors that i worked for the FBI. i was asked this seriously by more than one person.

1993- after sending demos to japan, i was getting mail one day, when a man called out my name. he said" are you (my name)" i turned around, and saw an asian man, shorter than the one before. he just ran off when i turned around. he didn't even wait for me to say "yes i am".

1997- i issued all the papers to get a performance visa in taiwan. taiwan government only gave me a travel visa. they said i could get one when i got there. afterwards i found that was not true.

1997- in the immgration office renewing my stay, a cop saw me pull a record company person's name card from my wallet. he took the card without asking me and called the guy on the card saying "listen here you CANNOT hire this foreigner on any record do you hear me? it's against the law!!" (actually it is not wth the proper paperwork).

1997- was introduced to EMI executive. after hearing my demo he said "if i give you a contract, are you willing to leave taiwan?" i said " maybe hong kong?". he said "no leave asia. go to europe. you cannot stay in taiwan". {EXACT WORDS]

BMG said they had a rule not to hire any really strong foriegners because the foriegners would raise the bar and cause the companies to actually have to compete. he said the companies had a rule not to compete to strongly against each other. they said the companies even trade songs with each other.


1997- while sitting outside Mc donalds on min chaun east road (i was sitting on a concrete thing outside) there was a lady, taiwanese, sitting inside McD who looked at me, kind of flirting. i nodded back at her and turned my head down to bite my hamburger. i looked out of the left corner of my eye and there was a white man, blondish, sitting at a table outside, signalling to her, something like "tone it down". i looked up and saw her doing something like "ok ok," then she saw me watching her do that and she totally stopped moving and smiled at me. i grabbed my bag and ran, leaving McD. my heart was pounding very fast.

one of my guitar solos from my demos was lifted directly and placed in a pop song during this time. i had listen to my solo a hundred times so i know what i played. it was my solo.

** also the practice of B version CDs was revealed to me. this is where a person sings a song and copies it so directly that it is ALMOST indistiguishable from the original. then it is packaged AS the original singer and sold. i have even heard these versions on ICRT. (i beleive the reason is to make the really great performers from the west appear not so great so that taiwan performers do not appear so lame). the taiwanese small companies recruited many foriegners to do this too. i refused.

1998-200ish- appeared on many foriegner talk shows and dissed the record companies' practices.

2003-ish i did a contest at ***** pub. the boss said she liked my music and asked when could i come do a show( i also won 2nd palce in that contest). i went back a few weeks later and she said, oh i need your demo" i said "you already said you wanted me to perform for you. i just came to get back with you on that" she said "i have to hear the demo. i didn't hear your music so clearly that night so i can't make a decison." then after i sent the demo she said she was all booked up. i asked again maybe a year later and she said she had never liked my music.
i will always feel someone told her to not let me play.

was schedualed to appear on a radio show, to play my song and also discuss the industry. the radio guy immediately called up a guy to appear with us. the guy began to defend the industry vehemently, starting off the interview by calling me a racist name.

2003-4 ish- i played substitute for a band in a pub, the boss asked me to play solo. after i did he said "listen don't play too well" i said don't worry i can't play too well. he said "no i'm serious.in taiwan you can't play too well"

last company i sent to was Warner. bascially all the companies have said that they wil not risk money on a foriegner or cannot because they have a rule.all companies have offered to buy out my songs, but i refused because i protest this system.

all thru this experience- if i have am booked on a show, they put me near the end. always.or i get bumped.

basically my experience. i hearby affirm that all i have said is true.