Calgary-born musician Mirabelle Jien’s newest recording stems from her desire to capture mundane moments. In an email to Pancouver, she notes that life is fleeting. And the inspiration for “Stories” came from “the devastation of realizing I won’t be able to hear or remember all of the stories my parents tell me about their lives”.
“What if you leave / And I forget the things you’ve told me / Gone with the wind right out the door,” Jien sings.
Jien is no stranger to writing and performing soul-stirring songs. Compositions such as “Wildfire”, “Hero”, and “Imaginary People” also dive into the emotional deep end. She often complements her poignant singing and acoustic guitar with melodic flute solos and live looping.
“Wildfire is my metaphor for cancer,” Jien told Pancouver in a 2024 interview. “I wrote that after watching a family friend have to suffer through that.”
At 7 p.m. on Friday, July 18, Jien will be in Vancouver for a solo show at KW Studios (111 West Hastings Street). Tickets are available for pre-sale at $20 and $25 at the door.
Jien, a Taiwanese Canadian, has a master’s degree in music from the University of Toronto and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Calgary. She also plays piano and learned the guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) from her mother.
“Growing up, my parents actually pretended that they didn’t speak English so that my brother and I would retain Mandarin,” Jien said in a video for the Jade Music Fest. “And honestly, it worked and I’m super grateful because I can still speak with my grandmothers and relatives when we go to Taiwan.”
In addition, Jien hosts the Making It podcast in which she discusses creativity, entrepreneurship, and mental health with various guests.
Tickets for Mirabelle Jien’s July 18 concert are available at Showpass. Learn more about Mirabelle Jien by visiting her Beacons.ai page, which links to her music, website, and social-media accounts.
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