This episode sets the foundation for YY and Me—a podcast about creativity, identity, practice, and building in public.

Host Ben Chan introduces the intent behind the show, reflects on his past work as a violinist and early YouTuber, and shares why this new format feels necessary.

YY and Me is part audio memoir, part creative experiment, and part legacy project for his future children—and for anyone navigating what it means to build something meaningful over time.

In this episode, Ben explains four experimental elements he’s testing in the first arc:

• Mnemonic memory recall (via recurring violin sounds)
• Vulnerability as structure
• Original music as narrative language
• A new kind of sponsorship—woven directly into the story

If you’re a creator, builder, or parent looking to reconnect with your inner kid—or create something that lasts—this episode is your starting point.

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🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

Ben introduces YY—the stuffed squirrel he’s kept since childhood—and explores how this companion shaped his imagination, storytelling, and creative voice.

This episode lays the emotional groundwork for the entire series.

🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

Ben explores the limits of practice and how repetition can reinforce poor technique—whether in violin, parenting, or speech.

A short-form investigation of unlearning as a form of progress.

🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

A compressed reflection on presence vs. performance—in music, parenting, and beyond. Real violin demos and a story about being gently corrected by a child.

🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

A journal becomes a lifeline. Ben reflects on emotional memory, AI writing, and why practicing voice—on paper or in person—might matter more than perfecting it.

🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

Ben reflects on the hidden costs of time: work, family, and self, and how every choice carries interest. Childhood coding marathons, crumpled violin notes, and a stuffed squirrel reveal a lifetime of borrowed hours—and what it means to pay them back.

🎧 Start with The First Echo and leave a trace at yyand.me/the-first-echo.

A diegetic escape story blending practice, improvisation, and human agency against automated control. Ben and his wife navigate authority, creative loopholes, and teamwork aboard “The Author Ship,” revealing how constraint and collaboration spark true innovation.