We kick off with a music related question from one of our FoodHealsPodcast listeners. Is it possible that a piece of music can open up intuition? In our opinion, it absolutely can. Music is a powerful tool that can instantly change your mood, your aura and your chakras. We give our selected listener some spiritual and entrepreneurial tips on following her dreams! It’s the perfect way to introduce our guest for this episode, composer, violinist and vegan Chrysanthe Tan, just back in LA after being on tour after releasing her debut album Stories.
Chrysanthe started playing the piano when she was 7, and the violin from the tender age of eight. There was some indecision over her going into music, with both her parents preferring more traditional careers. However, for Chrysanthe music is more than just sound, it’s a language, a way of conveying who she is — “Without music, I don’t even think I would be able to communicate,” she says.
Chrysanthe stopped eating meat when she was a child and was an ovo-lacto vegetarian until she went to college. Her first forays into veganism were uninformed, but she quickly discovered and embraced whole foods and vegetables, and started reaping the health benefits. One of the most noticeable changes has been that she no longer suffers from allergies, something that had plagued her since childhood. Being from a Greek background, Chrysanthe’s family found it initially difficult to deal with her veganism, but after watching the movie Forks over Knives, her mum undertook a 30 day vegan challenge and has been vegan ever since!
Being vegan when on tour can be a challenge, but Chrysanthe has devised a survival technique. “I scavenge and assemble”, she says, and isn’t embarrassed to produce a sweet potato from her bag to supplement a restaurant salad. Keep an eye on Chrysanthe’s website for her upcoming ebook on veganism. For now, she shares with us her four great tips for eating a cheap vegan diet on the road:
1 – Identify your resources: have you got a fridge in your hotel room? Are there facilities to boil water?
2 – The grocery store is your friend, a more sustainable and cheaper option than the restaurant.
3 – Focus on foods that will give you energy — beans potatoes, oats, rice.
4 – Embrace your inner scavenger! If there’s a bowl of fruit in the hotel foyer, grab that free apple!
Chrysanthe also shares with us her best secret tip, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out what it is! Tune in for vegan tips, musical musings and tasters of Chrysanthe’s new album.
Chrysanthe Tan Bio
Chrysanthe Tan is a composer, violinist, and writer who primarily lives in the realm of contemporary classical chamber music. Throughout most of 2015, she toured the world as pop star Ariana Grande’s violinist on the Honeymoon Tour, playing in arenas across North America, Europe, and Asia. In July, she released her debut album, Stories, comprised of chamber music for piano, strings, and electronics, then performed the work in its entirety with fellow tour mates at an intimate album release concert in Los Angeles.
This year, Chrysanthe also had the pleasure of participating as an ASCAP composer in the Lyric Project, scoring the Project Involve short film “Vamonos,” which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in May, and composing music for the experimental feature film Mono, set to premiere at an exhibition in Antwerp in January 2016. In December, Chrysanthe launched a Patreon channel as a new means for her to share more compositional and experimental work and better connect with the people supporting the diversity of her art-making.
Aside from composing and touring, Chrysanthe is active in the contemporary classical performance scene as a soloist, collaborator, and one half of the violin+guitar duo Duo Meranti, a Balkan/folk/contemporary classical project with composer/guitarist Sean Hayward.
In addition to her credits with Ariana Grande, Chrysanthe has an extensive television resume (Glee, 1600 Penn, America’s Next Top Model, American Music Awards, etc) and has performed, toured, and recorded with numerous artists including Bastille, Paul Anka, Alicia Keys, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Nicki Minaj, Skylar Grey, Jennifer Hudson, Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solís, Cheyenne, Justin Bieber, David Foster, ZZ Ward, Frank Ocean, Dumbfoundead, and Hélène Segara.
As a writer, Chrysanthe has written a full-length poetry thesis manuscript (Surveillance Notes), a chapbook (Songs), been published in literary outlets like The Volta 365, DUM DUM Zine, and Selfish Magazine, and is currently writing an e-book on traveling plant-based on a budget. She is a graduate of Stanford University (Creative Writing and Music), California Institute of the Arts (MFA in Creative Writing), and is currently pursuing a second MFA (in Violin Performance at CalArts.
Chrysanthe Tan Links
Website: www.chrysanthetan.com
Debut album
“Stories” on iTunes:
Our Favorite Moments:
@ 24:57 “Long Time Sun”
@ 28:00 “Wood Elves”
@ 36:36 When you feel a negative emotion don’t just shut it out…
@39:15 Guess who was in an infomercial…
@43:46 A turquoise coloured song
@57:48 Chrysanthe’s BEST secret tip
Tweetables:
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About Us:
Being hailed as “Sex and the City for Food,” The Food Heals Podcast brings together experts in the field of nutrition, health and healing to teach you the best-kept natural secrets to being a hotter, healthier, happier YOU!
The Food Heals Podcast is hosted by Allison Melody and Suzy Hardy – two self-proclaimed natural chicks who will rock your world and change your beliefs about health! This sexy, savvy duo provides eco-friendly advice on a variety of issues including the healing power of nutrition, living authentically, turning your passion into your career, choosing the best natural health and beauty products, the benefits of a plant-based diet and so much more!
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