"Wind"

We ran into Chung Li as he was balancing on top of a thin log as he was, like us, trying to find a way around the flowing creek in the middle of our redwoods hike. He was with James, an old friend from their college days at Humboldt state, whose story you can find above. When asked for a song that reminded him of growing up, Chung quickly whispered, "anime" before pondering through several specifics to conclude on "Wind" by Akeboshi as it was the theme song for Naruto.

Originally from Chengdu, China, Chung is 29 and studying for his doctorate in music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, focusing on classical piano. Quiet and composed, Chung carries the same kind of calm found in the song he chose—familiar, reflective, and full of memory.