Don’t bring other people’s problems on yourself. My parents separated but I never thought of it as a problem. It was better for them to be apart than be forced to stay together and suffer for my sake.

Music brings me friends. I was sent from Uttaradit to study in Bangkok alone; I started playing in a brass band and I made so many friends. When I told my parents that I wanted to study music at university, they were against it at first as they didn’t see any future in it, but eventually they relented.

Always plan ahead. The good things that happen tomorrow are because of the good things you do today. After I graduated and become a teacher at Srinakharinwirot University, I applied for a master’s scholarship and I secured one in the US.

I hated the US at first. It was just as I had imagined. After I landed in Illinois, I saw cornfields that stretched to the horizon. All the shops closed at 5 or 6pm. I called my mom and said I would be home after two years. But after continuing onto my Ph.D., I got job after job. It has been 13 years now.

Composing a song is like playing a game with no rules. You can put notes anywhere. It’s incredible to hear all the sounds you have in your head brought to life by real instruments.

Humility makes people respect you. People treat me well as I am an artist, and I treat everyone as human beings. I love to talk to random people from the audience after a show. You get the sort of feedback that you never recieve from the critics.

I nearly cried when a disabled concert-goer came up to me in his wheelchair after a show. He said my songs made him feel that he wasn’t in pain anymore. This moment was so precious to me. I never thought that, as a composer, I would ever make anyone feel like that.

Thailand isn’t the place for a full-time classical composer. I used to be branded a traitor for not coming back to work in Thailand. But the truth is our classical music scene is sparse. Personally, I think that by working abroad I can pave the way for future generations.

Classical music in Asia is growing faster than ever. Japan, Korea and now China have all benefited from technology that help audiences access anything they want, including classical music, which has long been seen as the reserve of the upper class. Pop culture, movies and TV series now contain more classical music, too.

There is nothing complicated about music. It’s just a question of whether you like it or not. Many Thais are too afraid to listen to classical music because they’re not familiar with it. But it’s like food: if you don’t like the taste, switch to another. If you don’t like Beethoven, there are a vast number of other composers you may like. The key is just to open your mind.

We don’t need more classical musicians; we just need more of an audience for our music here.

Classical music could be popular here if it was seen as more fun and casual. It doesn’t have to be this serious thing were you get dressed up and sit in a big hall and then remain silent before breaking out in polite applause. It can be hip like going to watch a movie in your T-shirt and jeans, and grabbing a coffee beforehand.

Step out of your comfort zone. Being in the same place for too long means facing less and less challenges. I encourage Thai kids to go abroad to advance their skills.

It’s important that adults pass on their experiences to young people. That’s why I decided to host the Thailand International Composition Festival to gather some of the world’s greatest composers to pass on their knowledge and let kids know there are possibilities outside of Thailand.

Keeping others down doesn’t mean you’re better. Many people try to restrict the opportunities of others by keeping knowledge to themselves instead of sharing it. That sort of outlook doesn’t help anyone. 

Good musicians must have a good attitude towards any type of music. They must get excited to challenge themselves every time they are commissioned to play a different kind of music.

Classical music isn’t better than pop music. There is a misconception among Thai classical musicians that they automatically have a higher status than pop musicians. The truth is we’re all entertainers. There’s no point going around thinking you’re better than anyone. 

2011 was the darkest year in my life. Many of my friends were flood victims. I’d just won an award but couldn’t compose a song for the following six months. It was like I’d gone deaf.

I became depressed and even contemplated committing suicide. These thoughts vanished after my mom told me that if I killed myself, she would do the same.

Not long after, in 2012, I composed a bunch of songs, three of which helped me win the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Award.

I want to go down in classical music history. I wish to be like Beethoven whose songs are still played today.

I don’t want to be a superstar. I want to be an inspiration.