Amy Tran

Amy Tran grew up in San Jose, California and attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A proud Trojan, she still loves watching football and cheering obnoxiously for her alma mater. She also enjoys singing in the car, discovering new burrito restaurants, and wandering aimlessly around shopping malls. Her favorite books include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Great Gatsby, The Accidental Asian, and most Roald Dahl and Beverly Cleary books.

James M Freeman, Ph.D; Chairman, Board of Directors of Friends Of Hue Foundation (FHF).

Friends of Hue Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit tax-exempt, non-governmental organization (NGO/INGO). The primary mission of the foundation is to provide assistance to impoverished people and victims of natural disasters in Thua Thien Hue province of Central Vietnam. All staff and Board members of the Friends of Hue Foundation in the United States serve as unpaid volunteers.

Theresa "T-" Vu, Magnetic North

6 years ago, Theresa Vu spit her first rhyme to a Notorious BIG instrumental. It was, for lack of a clever euphemism, effin' terrible. Motivated by its ghastliness, she honed her craft for half a decade, drawing inspiration from such artists as Common, Nas, and Lauryn Hill. A regular at open mics and cyphers, Theresa can usually be found performing with Direct at various venues throughout California. Over the past year, the two have made appearances at a number of conferences, hip hop functions, and universities. In late 2003 they finally decided to turn their long-going collaboration into an official group and became Magnetic North.

Derek "Direct" Kan, Magnetic North

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Derek learned his first musical instrument, piano, at the age of 5. Playing for about 5 years, his interest moved towards the drums and he began taking lessons when he was 10 years old. It was in junior high school when Derek's percussion background and appreciation of rhythm led him to the world of hip hop and r&b. He started to rap and mix music as a hobby in ninth grade until he got more serious during junior year, which is the first time Derek performed one of his creations in front of a crowd of five thousand teenagers. In 2003, Direct and Theresa met up and wrote a song for a hip hop benefit concert at UC Berkeley, called "We Will Not Be Moved".

Thuy Linh, Self-taught jazz vocalist

Thùy Linh has been singing jazz since 1990 as a committed hobby. Self-taught, and drawn to Jazz by the classic voices and repertoire of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong, she performs whenever her busy life allows it: public performances include community cafes and cultural events at events like the Vietnamese International Film Festival, Friends of Hue Foundation and Huntington Beach Art Center. Upon request she also sings at private events. Currently she is Events Coordinator at East Meets West Foundation (www.eastmeetswest.org), a non-profit organization doing sustainable development work in Viet Nam. Her other interests include activities in the Vietnamese American community, Women’s rights and artistic creations. To get news on upcoming shows, please contact her at kylatl@yahoo.com.

Bao Trom, Author of The Gentle Order of Girls and Boys

Dao Strom was born in 1973 in Saigon to a well-known writer and journalist. Her mother fled the country with her when she was a baby; her father stayed and was later sent to reeducation camps. Strom grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills with her mother and stepfather. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her stories have appeared in the Chicago Tribune; Still Wild, an anthology edited by Larry McMurtry; and several literary magazines, and she is the recipient of a James Michener fellowship, the Chicago Tribune/Nelson Algren Award, and several other grants. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Bflat (duy), Audio engineer slavery to all thing music

• I am normal just like everyone else except I have this love-hate relationship with 'Phase Distortion'.
• I am the first Vietnamese gearslutz and proud to be one
• I am a sonic chemist with a mission.
• I don't know much about music, but I do know about what I like.
• if you have to 'fix it in the mix', it is too late.
• anything with 'Neve' is not neccessary good
• anything with tube is not neccessary better
• TRASH IN----->TRASH OUT, GUARANTEE!
• I believe in 'hugging' the audio engineer...

Lac D. Su, An excerpt from my memoir The Crip Walk

I am Lac. I am Vietnamese by blood, Chinese by ancestry, ghetto boy by circumstances, scholar by education, philosopher by wisdom, learner by curiosity, psychologist by training, graffiti artist in cognito, hip-hop junkie by Tupac Amaru Shakur, photographer by visions of hope, poet in solitude, writer by my inner voice, a father and a son by the Su dynasty, and a friend to my enemies. Ask me why my pants fall below my ass cheeks or about Revelation 3:17. I am Lac.

Thomas' Apartment

Thomas’ Apartment, an indie rock band from Los Angeles, came together in 2000 while attending UCLA to jam and make music – and so far it’s been a blast. They chose the name “Thomas’ Apartment” because they always met there for jam sessions. In 2004, they released their debut album and are now working on their much anticipated second album, due early 2007. Recently, Thomas’ Apartment’s lively and energetic music was featured in the hit independent film Asian Stories: Book 3, including the title track “Hidden in the Sound”. The guys continue to make music and perform throughout the country, including numerous community and cultural events. To their fans: “Thanks for stopping by, make yourselves at home, and don’t forget to leave your shoes by the door.” www.thomasapartment.com www.myspace.com/thomasapartment

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