Da jia hao! My name is Toby. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan in the early 1970s. I am 1/2 Taiwanese, 1/4 Scottish, 1/4 Swiss. My father met my mother when he was in the USAF, stationed in Tainan, Taiwan. I moved to the US with my parents when I was a little boy. I have lived in California, Texas, New Mexico & Georgia.
As a little boy in Taiwan, my cousins would always call me mei guo hai zi, which in Mandarin means “American kid,” yet when I moved to the US, kids would call me the Chinese kid. As a Hapa kid I always felt trapped between two worlds, unable to fully be part of either one.
Fortunately one talent that I was born with was the ability to play music, I have always been able to play multiple instruments and sing. It was through music I was able to connect with people and communicate in a way that transcended the fact that I looked & felt different than everyone else. I feel that ability “saved” me in a way and has helped get me through the hardest times in my life.
As I have gotten older, I have become used to the fact that I will always be different, and through meeting other Hapa people, I’ve come to embrace what it is I am. My greatest hope is that my music will be as I have always aspired to be: an appealing combination of different things from far-away places.
Hapa Voice 
I was like you, I lived all over the place; Washington, California, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and so on.. Great story!!
wow! You’re an awesome mix :) Yeah, i believe music is the best way to express ones feelings, like for me i play the piano or the guitar to let out my feelings :) Great story :D
Thank you! Hazel are you on Facebook?
Haha! No problemo :) yeah, I am :)
Please find me. I am Toby A. Rider in Texas. I am sure we have lots to talk about! :-)