HIDDEN GEM. Vicky Yang's music has managed to grab the hearts of members of the Chippewa Valley despite not being available physically or on any major streaming service. (Photo by Filmtroverse Productions)

A familial love for music has flourished into a blossoming original Chippewa Valley voice.

Vicky Yang has been writing and performing original music for over a decade, using her subtle and tender voice to sing acoustic ballads in both Hmong and English. Yang’s story is a tale of quintessential hidden talent, as her music isn’t found on Spotify, Apple Music, or physically on store shelves. Her music can be found on YouTube and Facebook, where a number of her original compositions have garnered tens of thousands of views. 

“I’ve always wanted to write original music, but up until then I never had the confidence to do so,” Yang said. “Eventually I just needed to get all of my emotions out in the moment, so I just started writing them down. And usually, I try to write songs from both people’s perspectives, so they end up being kind of depressing, but they’re honest that way.”

Yang’s most-viewed YouTube video on her channel with more than 5,000 subscribers is the track “Kuv Tsis Ncu Koj Lawm Os,” currently sitting at 40,000 views, closely followed by “Naam hab Txiv,” at 35,000 views. 

Growing up with a musically inclined father, Vicky began teaching herself how to play guitar and sing in the late 2000s, writing her first original song during her freshman year at UW-Stout. Since then she has kept writing/performing as mostly a hobby, but has assembled a following online through the genuine and honest lyricism she displays in her songs. 

Currently, Yang said the hope is to begin assembling studio-recorded material to take her career to the next level, but said the matter isn’t pressing and she is happily playing live at venues in Eau Claire such as Eau Juicy, entertaining as many people as she can along the way.

“Music is an everyday thing for me,” Yang said. “I’d love for this to become my career someday, but even if that doesn’t happen, it’s still great for me to do as a hobby to relieve stress and bring happiness to other people.”

You can listen to Vicky Yang’s music at YouTube.com/VickyYang.