Round 3 Transcript for Glynn Washington

Glynn Washington(GW): My name is Glynn Washington and welcome to a very special public radio show. We are thrilled to bring you an unlikely story. So fantastic that it shines a spotlight on our outdated fault-lines of race and class. So get ready. Our guest today is a Chinese opera sensation.

He was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, routinely appears on national and international television, and just last month performed for Condoleezza Rice and the Chinese premier in Washington DC to a standing ovation. He is from right in here in Oakland, California. He is African American, and what’s more he is only 11 years old.

Tyler Thompson, welcome to the show!

Tyler Thompson (TT): Whassup? It is cool to be here.

GW: Tyler, let’s get this out, let’s get this out -

TT: Cool.

GW:
What in the world is a good looking black boy from Oakland, California doing
singing Chinese opera?

TT: Hmm... Well... What, what is crazy is that, I dunno, you see people, uh, you see people not doing these kinds of things; like learning and singing a different language. A lot of people like, some people can sing or speak Spanish, French, Italian whatever, but, umm, you never see them singing their different culture.

GW: Well, Tyler let me just add to this before we go on. When they put you: Chinese singing sensation, Tyler Thompson, on the Wall Street Journal, it was a full color picture, right? Not one of those crappy pixelated things; this was full color.

TT: Yeah.

GW: Is that right? So when you were 5 years old this is when you started. You started going to china town and one of your teachers, Sherlyn Chew, she took a special interest in you and she asked you to join a Chinese opera group. What did your parents say when you said, “Umm, Mom and Dad I need you to sign this permission slip?”

TT: Uh, they were thinking; “Why should I sign it, cause you are already in the school choir?” She taught, she, uh, usually taught at the school and, uh, they didn’t know
that, um, it went all the way to Laney College where we went every Friday.

GW: Well Tyler You’re singing like this, and I know myself, when I was younger, young--er, I went to school in Japan and learned to speak Japanese. I had a great time. But when I spoke people would often times scream and shout and point, in surprise and sometimes they still do. I am wondering; do you ever surprise anyone with this talent that you have?

TT: Um… not really. Because...

GW: No one is surprised that you sing Chinese opera?

TT: Umm… that I sing Chinese opera? It goes..., like I said before it goes both ways. You, um, you have people who are surprised and shocked and this it is crazy and you have people who are also surprised and shocked, but that think it is a cool thing.

GW: What about your friends? Do you feel different from your friends because of your talent?

TT: No cause when, when I am with, when I am with my friends, uh, I am just me… a regular kid, just doing his own thing. But when I am singing my Chinese opera, like in front of hundreds or maybe just a few people, uh then,uh, I just feel like “a” kid, again, doing his own thing , but singing Chinese opera.

GW: Well, Tyler let me ask you this. When you are singing - do you feel accepted by the Chinese community, that often times you are performing for?

TT: Can you repeat the question?

GW: When you are singing, do you feel accepted by the community, the Chinese
community, that often times you are performing for?

TT: Umm...Yes, because, uh, uh they accept, they accept me by doing like a lot of things, I mean like, what is a way I can put this in? They, um, like that I am doing, that I am doing, uh, that I am singing in their culture which they feel very proud of.

GW: How about African American audiences? How do they respond to you?

Tyler: In two ways; they think that, that this is a dumb thing, that I should be like doing or singing, uh, rap or American music; not, not Chinese opera. But then they are
people who think, like, like this is cool, you should, you should stick with this.

GW: Well, Tyler, this is totally unfair, this is not a proper studio condition for this, but I have to ask you if you could sing us a little something.

TT: Alright . . .

GW: Go ahead and take a drink, feel free; but we want to hear it. We want to hear it!

TT: (sings Chinese Opera)

GW: Fantastic! That was FANTASTIC!

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