You Have Permission.

My name is Alex Wong. I am a Nashville-based musician, songwriter, and chef.  To celebrate the release of my new album Permission, I am creating my first-ever multi city, multi sensory tour called The Permission Parties.  

The purpose of The Permission Parties is to invest in the idea that everyone has permission to take up space.  Growing up in the US as a second-generation Chinese American, I struggled to feel permission to take up space with my body, my voice, or my point of view. Movies and media told me I was allowed to be a buddy, a punchline, or a decoration, but there was not enough space for my story in the center of the room.  By showcasing the emotional narratives connecting my music, food, and cultural identity, I hope to empower everyone, especially those on the margins, to feel permission to take up space with their stories.

The inspiration comes from having synesthesia, a condition that mixes up two unrelated senses in our brains. This did more than connect colors to letters, numbers, and musical pitches.  It taught me to find connections between seemingly unrelated passions such as food, music, and storytelling, and inspired me to synthesize these disciplines into a holistic artistic event in order to share these connections with others.

The experience will invite guests into a deeply connected space through a multi-course listening and tasting dinner in which attendees will enjoy six Chinese-inspired dishes I’ve created that share some common emotion with each of the six tracks on my new album Permission.  I will share a personal story about each course before serving, and then play the track while the guests enjoy the dish. 

By finally turning my songwriting lens on my own journey of identity on my new album PERMISSION, I hope to show others, especially those on the margins, that they have permission to take up space.