Text Lynn Tan ∣ Translation Elaina Kung
彭佳慧（Julia Peng）有著渾厚的低音與充滿爆發力的高音，駕馭寬廣的音域對她而言易如反掌。而她對於音樂的包容度如大海般廣納各個支流。天分加上持續在音樂領域辛勤耕耘之下，如虎添翼為她的音樂事業攀向高峰，而音樂也深刻地連結著她與三名孩子之間的情感。
Julia Peng, with her rich low tones and powerful high notes, effortlessly navigates a wide vocal range. Her musical versatility is like the vastness of the sea, embracing various genres and styles. With the combination of her natural talent and continuous dedication to her craft in the music field, Julia Peng has soared to new heights in her musical career, with music profoundly connecting her with the emotions she shares with her three children.
溫馨家時光
人生當中有許多面向與角色，其中若包含「母親」這個身分，不僅讓生命的經歷更加豐盈而飽滿，有時候也能夠從小孩身上獲得靈感與啟發。對彭佳慧而言，她與孩子緊密的互動當中音樂佔據許多的時間，並且也激盪出作品創作的靈感，例如專輯《太難唱了》之中的intro＜小熊＞就是在看到女兒畫畫的一幕而靈光乍現，與兩個女兒一同創作並一起錄製。在鋼琴輕快的節奏、手風琴飛揚的旋律之中，母女合唱的歌聲散發著濃厚的親子情誼。 私下喜愛聽爵士樂的彭佳慧，為了打入小孩的生活，抱著兼容並蓄的心態聽孩子們喜歡的音樂。「我是唱片工作者，唱歌會有既定的模式，但生活中我會讓自己聽很多不同類型的音樂。」三個小孩喜好不同：16歲的哥哥喜歡聽R&B、嘻哈、饒舌樂等西洋歌曲或是西洋老歌；至於12歲的雙胞胎女兒，姐姐喜歡韓國流行音樂，妹妹則是以抖音上的中文歌為主。「如果我要當一個與時並進的歌手，我就必須了解年輕人想什麼，我家孩子就是現在的年輕人，我就能夠很快地知道年輕人流行什麼，年輕人在想什麼。」抱著開放的心胸接納各類型的音樂，使她能夠在歌唱的領域有更多的變化。
瀟灑走一回
在音樂的聆聽方面讓自己如大海般廣納各個支流是一種瀟灑的態度，被問到最想與孩子一起做什麼事？彭佳慧的答案也很灑脫——「我最期待是有一天可以常常『說走就走』。小孩跟我說想去哪裡，就走吧！」由於音樂事業在周末最為繁忙，這樣一種說走就走的地理位置還是以台灣為主，並且不仰賴大眾交通工具而是自己駕車遠行。喜歡開車的彭佳慧很珍惜與小孩在車內的時光，「一年開車回南部屏東幾次，在車上每一個小孩輪流播放自己想要聽的歌。在路程播放的音樂當中可以知道他們現在喜歡聽的音樂，同時也聽他們分享一些跟同學之間的事，在車上是滿好的親子時光。」
珍惜孩子成長歷程的彭佳慧，孩子是心頭肉，也是夢想的歸處。「我的夢想不再是建築在我自己身上，也包括了孩子的夢想。目前我希望孩子健健康康長大、循序漸進考上自己理想的學校。作為一個媽媽看到小孩的成就感與看自己的成就感是不一樣的。孩子的夢想達成身為媽媽也有一些責任，所以我就顧好他們的健康，陪著他們。」想必只要是為人母，對於這樣的心緒是再熟悉不過了。然而，對於熱愛的歌唱事業，她還是有所憧憬。「我以前有一個胸懷大志的夢想：我想要在奧運會上唱歌。因為席琳狄翁或是我的偶像惠妮休士頓，她們都有在世界盃足球會上、奧運會上這類國際賽事上開場或是表演的機會。」
創作無止盡
然而彭佳慧其實也完成了相近的夢想，她的語氣之中帶著對於演唱的熱情，繼續與我們分享說到：「以前我有過這樣的夢想——就是小巨蛋剛完工不久，我開車載著我的小孩經過，我心想有一天我要唱小巨蛋，至今我已經完成這夢想而且挑戰過三次。至於將來的計畫，只要不超過我可以做的範圍，各個機會我都會把握當下。」對於嘗試新的機會，近期最讓大家印象深刻的就是當她出道28年時首度挑戰母語專輯，推出《我在客廳做的夢》。「我覺得用自己的母語做一張專輯反而有一種反思自己、檢視自己的感覺。我雖然是流行歌手，但是我卻從來沒想過用客語唱歌。所以很感謝羅文裕，也很感謝在疫情期間做出這個決定，用母語來唱歌。」
作為資深音樂人，彭佳慧對於歌詞的傳達力求精準，字字斟酌每一句話是否正確。為了避免倒音的問題，在這張專輯中幾個旋律是因為歌詞而去做修改，而避掉倒音的問題。投注的心血終究沒有白費，彭佳慧憑藉這張客語專輯獲得2023年第34屆金曲獎最佳客語歌手獎，也打破金曲獎紀錄，成為華語、客語雙料歌后。作為一名歌后用母語創作，是一種對於母語推廣的正向帶動。「我的力量可能不大，但最難能可貴的是那份心意。我希望可以繼續下去，讓現在很多的創作人知道，雖然我在中文市場經營很久了，但我還有這個心，那你們呢？千萬不要放棄，繼續創作。」
舒適穿搭學
這樣一種信心喊話，鼓勵著年輕的音樂創作人跨出舒適圈，正是這樣一種跨出舒適圈的心態，為彭佳慧的事業再創高峰。不過說到平日穿搭，｢舒適」則是她的首要考量，「穿搭方面我很簡單，牛仔褲、T恤，冬天就多一件喜歡的外套。平常就是舒服為主。耳環則是我非常重要的飾品，演出時衣服簡單飾品會比較誇張喜歡戴大耳環，平日的穿搭一定會有小耳環。」彭佳慧的耳環數量多到她幽默說著：「我的耳環多到可以賣了！」對她而言佩戴耳環讓她有一種安全感，甚至是出門前的小小儀式，使用保養品後，為耳朵戴上一對耳環就完成外出的準備。
除了對於耳環的執著，彭佳慧佩戴腕錶也有既定的喜好。「我喜歡大錶，像我手上這款錶徑就有40mm以上。另外，我有一隻沛納海腕錶可以替換錶帶搭配衣服。」沛納海多數錶款，不但錶徑大，錶殼也厚實，對於骨架小的女性有時會有視覺上平衡度的考量。不過，彭佳慧受訪當日佩戴著40mm大錶徑腕錶在她纖細的身形上毫無違和感，就像她纖細的身形能夠唱出渾厚低音與充滿爆發力的高音。彭佳慧駕馭的了大錶徑錶款，就像她駕馭寬廣的音域般易如反掌。
Warm Family Moments
In life, there are many facets and roles, and one of them is the identity of a “mother.” Being a mother not only enriches and fulfills life, but sometimes, one can also gain inspiration and insight from their children. For Julia Peng, music plays a significant role in her interaction with her children, and she finds inspiration and creativity through it. An example can be seen in the album “Delusions” where the intro, “My Girls,” was inspired by a scene of her daughter drawing; this is a song she co-created and recorded with her two daughters. In the lively rhythm of the piano and the uplifting melody of the accordion, the mother-daughter duet radiates a strong sense of affection.
Julia Peng, who personally enjoys listening to jazz music, makes an effort to listen to the music her children love in order to integrate into their lives. Julia Peng states, “I am a recording artist, and singing has its established patterns, but in life, I expose myself to various types of music.” Her three children have distinct music preferences; her 16 year old son likes R&B, hip-hop, rap and Western music, while with her 12 year old twins, the older sister enjoys Korean pop music, while the younger sister primarily listens to Chinese songs from TikTok. Julia Peng acknowledges by stating, “If I want to be a singer who keeps up with the times, I must understand what young people like. My children are part of the young generation, so I can quickly learn about their current trends and insights.” With her open mind, Julia Peng is able to bring more versatility to her singing career.
Carefree Walk
When asked about what she wants to do with her children, Julia Peng, who has a carefree attitude of embracing various genres of music, responds, “I look forward to the day when we can often go on spontaneous trips together. If the kids say they want to go somewhere, we can just go!” Due to her music career which keeps her busy on weekends, these spontaneous trips will mainly be within Taiwan, and the source of transportation will be self-driving. Julia Peng, who enjoys driving, treasures the time she spends with her children in the car; she states, “I drive to southern Pingtung a few times a year. In the car, each child takes turns playing the music they want to hear, and through that I get to know not only their music preferences, but also stories of their daily life with friends.”
Julia Peng, who values the growing process of her children, sees them as the apple of her eye and the place where dreams reside; she says, “My dreams are no longer built solely on myself, but also includes those of my children’s. I hope they can grow up healthily and that in the future, they will get into their dream schools. As a mother, seeing the achievements of your children is different from seeing your own. I am also responsible for helping them achieve their goals, so I prioritize their health and the time I spend with them.” However, regarding her beloved singing career, Julia Peng still has aspirations, she states, “I used to have a big dream. I wanted to sing at the Olympics because artists like Celine Dion and my idol Whitney Houston had such opportunities.”
Infinite Creation
Julia Peng, however, already fulfilled a similar dream. With passion, she continues to share, “Back when the Taipei Arena had just been built, I drove by with my children and thought to myself that one day I want to sing there; now, I have fulfilled this dream three times. As for future plans, as long as it is within my capabilities, I will seize every opportunity I get.” In terms of trying new opportunities, her most impressive move, recently, was when she, after 28 years in the industry, challenged herself to release an album entirely in her native language, titled “Living Room Dreaming.” “I think making an album in my mother tongue allowed me to self-reflect. Although I am a pop singer, I never thought about singing in my native tongue. So I am very grateful to Wing Lo, and also thankful to myself for making the decision to do so during the pandemic.”
As a professional musician, Julia Peng strives for precision when conveying lyrics, carefully making sure each word is correct. To avoid tonal issues, several melodies in this album were modified due to the lyrics. In the end, her efforts paid off as she won the Best Hakka Singer Award at the 34th Golden Melody Awards in 2023, breaking records and becoming a dual-award queen in Mandarin and Hakka. For Julia Peng, the usage of her mother tongue in her music also reflects her positive initiative to promote it. “My influence may not be great, but my intention is priceless. I hope to continue and let others know that although I have been in the Chinese market for a long time, this side of me still exists. So what about you? Never give up, and keep creating.”
Comfortable Style
Julia Peng’s confident encouragement serves as an inspiration for young creators to step out of their comfort zones, and it is precisely this mindset that propelled her career to new heights. However, when it comes to her everyday look, comfort is her top priority. Julia Peng states, “In terms of fashion, I like to keep it simple with jeans and T-shirts, and in the winter, I’ll simply add on a jacket. Being comfortable is the most important to me. Earrings are also an essential accessory for me. When I’m performing, I like to keep my clothes simple and wear big earrings. As for daily wear, I always have on small earrings.” In a humorous manner she says, “I have so many earrings that I could sell them!” To Julia Peng, wearing earrings gives her a sense of security and is her final touch before going out.
Besides her attachment to earrings, Julia Peng also enjoys wearing watches. “I like big watches. The one I’m wearing right now has a diameter of over 40mm. I also have a Panerai watch where I can change the strap to match my outfit.” Most Panerai watches not only have a large diameter but also a substantial case, which is suitable for women with a petite frame. However, on the day of the interview, Julia Peng sported a 40mm watch, which harmonized perfectly with her slender figure, like how her delicate frame effortlessly commands a wide vocal range.
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